Headteacher
Excelsior Academy, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 6AF16 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 April 2026
Closing date
15 October 2025 at 9am
Date listed
29 September 2025
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- Headteacher Group 7, Range L33 – L37
What skills and experience we're looking for
Excelsior Academy offers transformative education at the heart of a vibrant and highly diverse area of Newcastle. We proudly serve a community that, whilst it has experienced long term disadvantage and challenge, is ambitious for the future. Excelsior is a coeducational Academy which opened in 2008. Over the next few years, the primary phase will gradually close with the Academy reverting to provision of education for the 11-18 age range.
Excelsior is the founding academy of Laidlaw Schools Trust, an inclusive multi academy trust which specialises in raising aspirations in disadvantaged communities across the Northeast of England. LST academies benefit from additional support for welfare and personal development provision, as well as strong shared services including School Improvement support. Whilst the Trust shares common values and some aspects of aligned practice/ approach, each academy is a distinctive institution serving their unique community.
Due to the retirement later this year of our current Headteacher, the Trustees are seeking to appoint an inspirational, values led individual to lead Excelsior Academy starting April 2026, or earlier if possible. This full-time role is an exciting opportunity to lead a large, inclusive Academy into the next, exciting stage of its development. The Academy is on a journey of rapid improvement, with a positive recent Ofsted monitoring visit and improving academic outcomes.
Over the coming year, Excelsior will benefit from the Laidlaw Foundation’s investment in the LST pupil one to one device strategy, driving innovation in teaching and learning, improvement in workload and enhancement of accessibility for all our pupils.
The successful candidate will possess the vision, knowledge, experience and tenacity to enable the entire Excelsior community to move forward together. They will be skilled in engaging staff, children, parents and carers in their vision for the academy’s continuous improvement. Our new Headteacher will have a track record of establishing and driving high expectations, be fully committed to inclusion and community connection and have an in- depth knowledge and understanding of current educational priorities in all key stages.
Excelsior is a dynamic, fast paced environment and this post will offer a fresh challenge to an individual with experience as a Head of School or a Headteacher of a smaller school. They will possess the interpersonal skills to inspire and develop individuals and teams, and the ability to raise educational standards in all aspects of school life. Our new Headteacher will have the ability to work with governors and other stakeholders, undertake strategic planning, resource management and curriculum development.
What the school offers its staff
To see the full Job Description and Person Specification for this role please refer to the attached supporting documents where you will also find a Candidate Information pack with full details of our benefits package.
We invite interested applicants to visit Excelsior Academy and meet key members of the team. To arrange a visit or a confidential discussion with our Strategic Director for Quality of Education and Secondary Matters, please contact Hannah Kiernan at: hannah.kiernan@laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk
The closing date for applications is 9am on Wednesday 15th October 2025
Interviews are likely to be held on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st October 2025
We are an equal opportunities employer strongly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their commitment to children’s safeguarding. All successful appointments will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a range of other pre-employment recruitment checks. For shortlisted candidates, we will conduct an online search as part of our screening.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Excelsior Academy
- School type
- Academy, ages 3 to 19
- Education phase
- Through
- School size
- 1439 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 3 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Excelsior Academy website
- Email address
- hannah.kiernan@laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk
- Phone number
- 07586625717
At the heart of our community we create the highest quality learning experiences in support of the needs and aspirations of each of our learners in our inspiring, safe and welcoming environment to help all our learners achieve and flourish a relevant, purposeful and inclusive education in preparation for life and your future.
At Excelsior Academy we strive to meet the needs and aspirations of all our learners to enable each and every pupil to achieve and flourish so we place ‘the child’ at the heart of all we do.
Excelsior Academy is an ‘all through academy’, made up of three phases; Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form College. Each phase has a family feel, where our pupils feel safe, comfortable and confident to achieve their potential.
Arranging a visit to Excelsior Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email hannah.kiernan@laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk.
School location
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