Principal
Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, Great Yarmouth, NR30 4LS16 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September 2026
Closing date
12 March 2026 at 12am (midnight)
Date listed
24 February 2026
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- Salary: Leadership Pay Scale Points 33-36 (£113,646 - £122,306 per annum) + Performance Related Bonus
Principal job summary
Salary: Leadership Pay Scale Points 33-36 (£113,646 - £122,306 per annum) + Performance Related Bonus
Inspire, Lead, Achieve
We are seeking an exceptional and values-driven Secondary School Principal to lead our school into its next chapter. This is a rare opportunity for an inspiring leader to shape culture, drive excellence, and make a lasting difference to the lives of young people.
As Principal, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, ensuring high standards of teaching, learning, behaviour, and inclusion. You will work closely with staff, students, families, Academy Committee Member, and partners to deliver outstanding outcomes for all.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Provide inspirational and values-driven strategic and operational leadership to achieve high standards in teaching, learning, behaviour, and inclusion.
- Serve as the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all pupils and staff.
- Ensure the school delivers an inclusive education that meets the needs of all pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.
- Lead, develop, and manage staff effectively, including performance management, professional development, and high-performing team building.
- Set ambitious targets and drive continuous improvement in pupil outcomes, curriculum quality, and overall school standards.
- Manage school resources efficiently, ensuring effective financial planning, premises management, and compliance with Trust policies.
- Foster positive relationships with Academy Committee Members, trustees, parents and carers, the local community, and external partners to strengthen school impact and reputation.
- Maintain a culture of high expectations, mutual respect, and equity, embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion across all aspects of school life.
- Ensure the school is inspection-ready, with robust policies, record-keeping, and governance practices in place.
- Lead change and innovation with good judgement, creativity, and strategic vision to respond to challenges and opportunities.
About You:
The ideal candidate will be a highly experienced and inspirational school leader with Qualified Teacher Status and a strong academic background, ideally supported by further professional qualifications such as NPQH. They will have a proven track record of raising standards and outcomes for all pupils, with a deep understanding of inclusion and experience leading staff development. Skilled in strategic planning, school improvement, and performance management, they will be able to motivate, develop, and inspire teams while managing change effectively. They will demonstrate excellent analytical skills, using data to set ambitious but achievable targets, and possess the vision and resilience to maintain a disciplined, inclusive, and high-performing learning environment. Experience of managing budgets, working under pressure, and building strong relationships with stakeholders is essential, while experience across multiple schools or within a Trust is highly desirable.
Essential:
- Qualified Teacher with a degree and proven experience as a senior leader in a high-performing school, driving improvements in pupil outcomes.
- Strong understanding of inclusive education and a commitment to equality of opportunity for all pupils.
- Skilled in strategic leadership, school improvement, and staff development, able to motivate and inspire teams while managing change.
- Experienced in budget management, performance management, and data-driven decision-making to achieve ambitious targets.
- Demonstrates resilience, excellent prioritisation and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work effectively under pressure with multiple stakeholders.
Desirable:
- Additional professional qualifications such as NPQH or further relevant degrees.
- Leadership and management experience across more than one school or within a Trust/academy structure.
- Experience of working in challenging school environments and implementing effective improvement strategies.
- Demonstrable ability to build strong networks with external partners, including other schools, higher education, and employers.
- Proven track record of influencing whole-school improvement and supporting colleagues across multiple teams or schools.
Why Join Inspiration Trust
At Inspiration Trust, we believe in the power of education to transform lives. You’ll be joining a supportive, forward-thinking organisation that values professional development, collaboration, and innovation. We provide opportunities for growth and empower you to make a real impact in schools across Norfolk and north Suffolk. As part of our thriving network of talented teachers, leaders, and support staff, you’ll receive a varied professional development programme designed to help you be the best you can be.
We offer:
- Generous annual leave, and access to the Teachers' Pension Schemes (TPS) with excellent employer contributions
- Health Plan and Employee Assistance Programme, including 24/7 virtual GP access, mental health support and claim-back options for healthcare costs *
- Cycle-to-work scheme, retail and theatre discounts (including discounted shopping vouchers, dentist and gym memberships), and salary sacrifice options (including home technology). *
- Free parking at most sites
- Personalised CPD and development programmes
- A structured and specific induction programme.
* Terms and conditions apply. Some benefits are only available following successfully passing probation.
About Us
Great Yarmouth Charter Academy was rated Good by Ofsted in June 2024. The report highlighted that "Pupils at Great Yarmouth Charter Academy are proud to attend the school. It provides them with a safe and structured environment. It is a place where pupils can thrive and achieve their potential."
Over the last four rounds of Year 7 admissions, the school has become oversubscribed with first-choice pupils. Our current job opportunities reflect this growth and our ongoing commitment to supporting students from our local community.
We are part of the Inspiration Trust; a thriving family of schools across Norfolk and North Suffolk, recognised nationally for pupil progress and excellence in teaching and leadership. We believe every young person deserves the best education, regardless of background. Inspiration Trust specialises in transforming schools in disadvantaged areas and taking academies from failing to outstanding.
The Trust offers extensive networks and opportunities to collaborate with a diverse range of schools and partners. We are committed to delivering outstanding professional and learning opportunities for all staff, supported by a rich programme of continuing professional development led by some of the country’s leading educational thinkers and practitioners.
For information on what it is like to live and work in Great Yarmouth, click here.
Next Steps
Before applying, please read the attached Recruitment Pack and Job Description, for more details about the role. We ask that you read this pack carefully, especially the “Planning your application” section from page 11. This will support your application ensuring you have the opportunity to tell us about your relevant skills, experience and qualifications that relate to the job description and person specification in addition to details of your references covering the last 5 years.
If you would like to know more about this exciting opportunity, then please contact Louise Jackson, Secondary Director (louisejackson@inspirationtrust.org).
To apply for this role please click the Apply button to complete the online application form.
When you start your application, you will receive several emails from our application provider, Vacancy Filler. Please be aware that some email providers may mistakenly mark these messages as spam. To avoid missing important updates, we recommend checking your spam or junk folders regularly throughout the application process and marking these emails as safe.
Closing date for applications: 12pm on Thursday 12th March 2026
Interview date: Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th March 2026
Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities
Inspiration Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
All staff appointments are subject to satisfactory references and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. We are an equal opportunities employer.
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
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 Great Yarmouth Charter Academy
- School type
- Free School, Christian, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 895 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Great Yarmouth Charter Academy website
Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is a secondary school with a new name and a long history in the borough. We can trace our roots back to 1551 but are forging a new path for secondary education in our great town.
We are part of the Inspiration Trust family of schools in East Anglia, and work particularly closely with our sister schools in the borough.
School location
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