Headteacher

Sandringham School, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9NX

39 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September 2026

• Closing date

  16 January 2026 at 8am

• Date listed

  8 December 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Headteacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: L37 to L43
• Additional allowances:

  L37 to L43

Headteacher job summary

Headteacher

Permanent / Full Time

Leadership Scale: L37-43

Required: September 2026

The Governing Body of Sandringham School is inviting applications for the post of Headteacher. After 21 very successful years of principled leadership, Mr. Alan Gray is retiring from his position as Headteacher. With our interim Head of School feeling it is the right time to step away from senior leadership, this creates a significant opportunity for an exceptional leader to join Sandringham at an exciting moment in its journey, and work with our two highly experienced deputy headteachers to lead the school.

We are seeking an experienced and visionary leader who will build on firm foundations and lead with empathy, energy and integrity. The successful candidate will bring a proven record of strong senior leadership, an unrelenting focus on teaching and learning, and the confidence to communicate and collaborate effectively with all members of the school and wider community.

Sandringham School is an outstanding school, recognised for its academic excellence, inclusive ethos, and deep commitment to the personal development of every student. As one of ten schools within the Ambition Education Trust, it sits at the heart of a vibrant learning community in St Albans, combining high aspirations with warmth, care and opportunity for all.

At Sandringham our curriculum is broad, balanced, and ambitious, with notable strengths across all subject areas. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to make a genuine difference every day. The school holds International School Status and actively promotes global learning and partnerships supported by purpose-built teaching spaces, extensive sporting provision, a 4G multi-surface pitch, an athletics track, an indoor swimming pool, and a professional theatre.

As Headteacher, you will be warmly supported by the Senior Leadership Team, the Local Governing Body, the CEO and CoCEO of the Trust, and the Trust Board itself. You will have the freedom to shape the next phase of the school’s development while being part of a wider network that thrives on collaboration and shared ambition.

If you are an inspiring, ambitious leader with the creativity, moral purpose and drive to make a lasting impact, we would be delighted to hear from you. Prospective applicants are warmly invited to visit the school. Visits may be arranged through Lesley Dunkley or Penny Powell and further information, including the application pack, can be found on our website. If the tour dates and times are not suitable, please contact the school to see if an alternative can be found.

For further details please visit https://sandringham.herts.sch.uk/

Closing Date for applications: Friday 16th January 2026 at 9am

Interview Date: Thursday 29th and Friday 30th January 2026

Ambition Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment to a post at AET is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, as well as other pre-appointment checks including an online check, as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

We are committed to the aim of ensuring that everyone who applies to work for us receives fair treatment and we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of age, disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership and caring status. We expect all our staff to demonstrate a commitment to advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations.

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.

About Sandringham School

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary
• School size: 1817 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Sandringham School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/sandringham-school-st-albans

Sandringham is a co-educational academy school, based in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Sandringham is a non-selective school with over 1600 students, including nearly 450 in the thriving sixth form. Our aim is simple – to be 'World Class' where our students receive the best education possible in a state school.

We believe that every child can succeed in life if challenged and inspired appropriately. A strong academic curriculum supported by outstanding extra-curricular provision helps Sandringham students develop as individuals with the necessary skills to be successful in adult life. Our ethos is summed up by our motto: 'Everybody can be somebody'

School location

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