14 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    September 2026

  • Closing date

    22 June 2026 at 12pm (midday)

  • Date listed

    8 June 2026

Job details

Job role

  • Headteacher

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Full time

Contract type

Permanent

Full-time equivalent salary

£105,595.00 Annually (Actual) Leadership Range L30 to L37 (subject to experience)

Headteacher job summary

Headteacher

Lealands High School

Values: Excellence, Responsibility, Respect

Salary: Head teacher Range L30 - L37 (Competitive, commensurate with experience)

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Start Date: September 2026 / January 2027

Are you an ambitious, inspiring, and collaborative leader ready to shape the future of a vibrant multicultural community?

The Governing Body of Lealands High School is seeking to appoint an outstanding and visionary Headteacher to lead our successful 11-16 foundation comprehensive school on the northern edge of Luton, in Sundon Park.

Following a period of stable, dedicated leadership, this is an exciting opportunity to build upon our strong foundations. Rated 'Good' by Ofsted, Lealands is a school where positive relationships flourish, expectations are high, and the ethos is frequently described by new students as "like joining a family."

Why Choose Lealands High School?

At Lealands High School we passionately believe in the potential of every student and are focused on supporting them to “climb the mountain to success” in an ever demanding world. We work hard to instil our core values of excellence, responsibility and respect throughout our school. These values are central to our unique character and ethos.

We strongly believe in partnerships, working together in the best interests of all our students to ensure they enjoy their learning journey and achieve exceptional results. At Lealands, we can offer:

A Supportive Culture: We are driven by our core values of Respect, Responsibility, and Excellence. Our community is inclusive, happily uniting students from diverse backgrounds.

Excellent Facilities: Our well-resourced campus boasts fantastic provisions, continuing our legacy as a former specialist sports college, complete with an indoor swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, and dedicated creative arts and design technology spaces.

Ambitious Environment: With a capacity of 1,050 students, our curriculum is intentionally designed to broaden horizons, close disadvantage gaps, and provide strong support for students with SEND.

Dedicated Staff: You will lead a highly committed team of approximately 150 staff members who benefit from a culture that prioritises professional development, well-being, and mutual support.

The Role & What We Are Looking For

We want a leader who will not just manage, but inspire. The successful candidate will:

Possess a proven track record of strategic school leadership (as a current Headteacher or experienced Deputy Headteacher).

Embody our motto— Excellence, Responsibility, Respect —and possess the drive to maintain high academic standards while nurturing the personal development of every child.

Be a highly visible, resilient, and empathetic leader with outstanding communication skills to engage effectively with students, staff, parents, and the wider Luton community.

Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to safeguarding, mental health support, and inclusive education.

"Pupils learn to understand and respect others... They get strong support with their mental health and well-being; they feel safe and they are safe." — Ofsted

How to Apply

Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and strongly encouraged. To arrange an informal visit or a confidential discussion about the role, please contact our HR Department at recruitment@lealands.luton.sch.uk or call 01582 611600.

Closing Date: 22nd June (midday)

Interviews: 10th & 13th July

All applications must be completed and submitted digitally via the MyNewTerm platform. Please note that standalone CVs will not be accepted.

Lealands High School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful applicant will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and thorough reference checks.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.
Visas cannot be sponsored.
If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

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

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

View advert on external website (opens in new tab)

About Lealands High School

School type
Local authority maintained schools, Does not apply, ages 11 to 16
Education phase
Secondary school
School size
1026 pupils enrolled
Age range
11 to 16
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report

Lealands High School is a comprehensive Foundation school located on the northern edge of Luton, in Sundon Park. We provide high quality education for students aged from 11 to 16 years old.

We are driven by our core values of respect, responsibility and excellence. We believe in working to help every single student become a responsible and respectful citizen with the skills and knowledge needed to lead successful and fulfilled lives beyond school. Our mission is to support each individual to ‘climb the mountain to success’ and our curriculum and support structures help us to achieve this.

Lealands was fully refurbished in 2013 and we continue to benefit from a modern and well equipped building with fantastic specialist facilities. The School retains a special focus on sport and PE and we benefit from superb resources including an indoor heated swimming pool and flood lit astroturf.

Our school serves a catchment area, but also takes students from across Luton and surrounding Bedfordshire villages and towns. We are a diverse school which is proud to welcome students and staff from many cultural and religious backgrounds.

Lealands is a welcoming, safe and caring school environment. Student progress is supported by the hard work and commitment of well qualified staff who set high expectations to enable every child to succeed. A wide range of support is available for those who need additional help to succeed. We believe in the continual improvement of each individual within our school community and are strongly focused on reward and celebration.

Ofsted judges the school to be ‘good’ with strengths in a number of areas recognising that, “Pupils clearly enjoy school” and “They feel valued and well supported” (Ofsted, March 2017).

As a school, we strongly believe in partnerships working together in the best interests of all our students. Parents/ carers, students, staff, governors, community groups and friends all work together to ensure that the young people in our school enjoy their learning journey and achieve some exceptional outcomes. As part of the Luton Futures and Lea Springs Partnerships we are able to enjoy the benefits of working closely with other schools locally.

For more information about Lealands, please visit the school website www.lealands.luton.sch.uk which gives a good insight into our school and why we are so proud to be members of Lealands High School.

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