Headteacher - Unity Academy
Unity Academy Blackpool, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 0TS12 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 January 2027
Closing date
16 September 2026 at 9am
Date listed
4 September 2026
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2, Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Working pattern
- Full time: Permanent, Full Time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- Leadership Pay Scale 26-27, L28-L34
What skills and experience we're looking for
Unity Academy Blackpool
Unity Academy Blackpool is a mixed all-through school educating pupils aged 2-16 located in the Warbreck area of Blackpool. We were the first school to join Fylde Coast Academy Trust in 2013.
Our dedicated staff team educates over 800 pupils with the support of their parents/carers and we believe that every child in our community deserves a high-quality education in a safe, nurturing, and ambitious environment.
This is a pivotal moment for our school and our trust. With a newly appointed Chief Executive Officer supported by an experienced team, we are entering an exciting era defined by injected energy, fresh ambition, and a unified commitment to the young people and families we serve. Everything we do is driven by a single, powerful motivation: ensuring our children receive the transformative education they deserve, and that our community has a school it can be truly proud of. We exist to ensure that every one of our children grows up with real choice that leads to a happy, successful, positive future. Our children will be proud of where they are from, and equipped to go forward as confident, healthy individuals.
We are clear and transparent about our current context: Unity is in special measures, and turning it around for our pupils is our collective priority. Recent moderation visits have shown progress and appropriate action being taken, but we need to continue to push on. Delivering sustainable change requires a deeply mission-focused headteacher—someone who is inspired by the moral imperative of educational equity and determined to expand the life chances of every child in our care. We are looking for an empathetic, confident leader who will act with clarity and pace to keep aspirations on track, champion our pupils, and unite our school community around a shared vision of success. This is a job to be excited about and a rare opportunity to make a difference where it matters most.
You will lead with the full backing of a supportive, collaborative trust family. We operate as one team—treating each other with professionalism, honesty, and kindness, while supporting and challenging one another to achieve excellence for our children. Our role is to clear the path for you: establishing trust-wide clarity on what excellence looks like, removing operational friction, directing resources directly where it impacts pupils most, and nurturing a culture where staff feel valued, fulfilled, and equipped to succeed.
If you are an accountable, values-driven leader who is ready to build a thriving team, unlock the potential of our pupils, and make a profound, lasting impact on this community, we invite you to join us on this journey.
What the school offers its staff
About FCAT
The Fylde Coast Academy Trust (FCAT) is a multi-academy trust established in 2012. We aim to provide first class learning opportunities for all young people across the Fylde Coast and Lancashire. We have 10 academies; primary, secondary and all-through as well as our central services and school improvement teams. Our values of excellence, integrity and resilience guide us to be the best we can be. Pupils are at the heart of what we do and their outcomes and successes are what drive us.
To find out more and apply
To apply for this role please visit our website and complete the online application form and equal opportunities form at www.fcat.org.uk/job-vacancies
Closing date and time for applications is:
9.00am Wednesday 16th September 2026
The assessment and interview days will take place on:Thursday 24th and Friday 25th September 2026
For any questions regarding this vacancy, an informal discussion or to arrange to visit Unity Academy Blackpool contact: Mark Harrison, FCAT Chief Executive Officer at mark.harrison@fcat.org.uk
Please take a look at the recruitment pack for more information.
The Fylde Coast Academy Trust is committed to equality of opportunity for all as well as safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners, staff and visitors. All staff are carefully selected using recruitment and selection procedures that comply with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Following shortlisting this may include an online search and following an offer an enhanced DBS clearance.
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)Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Unity Academy Blackpool
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 2 to 16
- Education phase
- All through school
- Size
- 877 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 2 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- mark.harrison@fcat.org.uk
Unity Academy is an all through school for children aged 5-16 in Blackpool. The academy was the first in the Fylde Coast Academy Trust.
Arranging a visit to Unity Academy Blackpool
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email mark.harrison@fcat.org.uk.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Blackpool and Lancashire, Blackburn and Blackpool