Principal
Harris Academy Falconwood, Welling, Kent, DA16 2PE18 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September
Closing date
21 April 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
17 March 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
- Substantial & generous salary based on experience and expertise
Additional allowances
Discretionary Performance Bonuses + Private Medical Cover + Harris Benefits
What skills and experience we're looking for
Are you ready to lead a dynamic secondary academy within one of the most successful multi-academy trusts in the country?
Harris Academy Falconwood are looking to appoint a Principal for September 2025. We are seeking an exceptional, experienced leader with a passion for transforming lives and driving educational excellence. This is a unique opportunity to lead a school where collaboration, challenge, and the pursuit of excellence are at the heart of everything we do
As Principal, you will be at the forefront of leading and shaping the vision for the academy, ensuring every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential. This role demands a leader who is not only driven by the desire to deliver academic success but who also understands the importance of personal growth, wellbeing, and social mobility.
This position could suit either a current Principal/Headteacher or an experienced Deputy looking to progress into their first principalship. For first time Principals, we will provide support, coaching and individual mentoring from a highly experienced Harris Executive Principal to help you succeed in post.
We also offer a variety of CPD programmes to assist you in achieving your vision and future goals. For those thinking ahead to Executive Principalship, we can also offer you the chance to complete your NPQEL via our Harris Institute of Teaching & Leadership.
The successful applicant must have a proven track record of school improvement, and have gained successful previous experience in leading, or as part of, anSLTto transform a school and raise outcomes. We are looking for a strong communicator who can demonstrate strengths in engaging with and inspiring not just staff, but also students and parents of the local community. You will provide the leadership and management necessary to secure high quality teaching and learning to further raise standards of achievement.
We are looking for an experienced senior leader who ideally has:
- Qualified Teacher Status, Degree, Further relevant professional studies
- Relevant Further Degree or NPQH
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of current curriculum developments and how pupils learn
- Leadership in curriculum development and in monitoring and evaluation strategies
- Proven track record of raising attainment in an urban, multi-ethnic environment
- Track record of raising standards in English and Mathematics and good knowledge of raising standards in Literacy and Numeracy
What the school offers its staff
We pride ourselves in creating a supportive community where our students are offered the best educational experience in order to develop confidence, self-belief and self-drive. Being part of a family of more thanfiftyhappy and highly successful primary, secondary and sixth form providers, we allow our teachers and leaders to continue to develop their practice.
We inspire and encourage all of our students, supporting them continuously through their journey into young adults. Everything we do is based around our three core values which support our students to become happy, educated young people with the drive and desire to succeed. Our core values contribute to our students' success and their ability to grow and develop into kind and thoughtful young people;
SERVE
We have built a caring and inclusive community where our students serve themselves, each other and our local community.
SUPPORT
We support our students throughout their time with us, equipping them with the tools and knowledge they need to achieve their future dreams and aspirations.
SUCCESS
We pride ourselves on providing our students with a strong academic foundation to ensure they have success in their chosen path. Our students leave us with strong academic qualifications, a currency that opens doors to their future choices.
Why work for us?
We have outstanding modern facilities, first class CPD, and a growing sixth form with lots of opportunities to teach at Post 16. The biggest benefit is to be part of Team HAF; to join somewhere where you will find a sense of purpose and belonging. We work hard to offerourstaff high support and high challenge, and ensure staff do what they do best: teach well and support students.
Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.
You will be joining a network of likeminded leaders in education and have opportunities to learn from colleagues who are some of the best school leaders in the country. We highly value and encourage all our staff to develop and reach their full potential, and you will have endless opportunities todevelopand progress your career with us.
Being a leader at Harris, you will be given the autonomy to evolve your academy's vision, values, performance, and culture, but you will never be alone, everything you do will be wrapped in support and encouragement from the wider Federation.
You will also have full access to ourrewards packagewhich includes a performance bonus, private medical cover and lots more benefits available via our schemes.
Flexible working opportunities
Harris Federation is committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. We understand that each individual’s circumstances are unique, which is why we offer flexible working options that can be adapted to meet the needs of both the academy and our employees.
Our approach to flexibility includes a range of solutions, from tailored working hours to part-time arrangements, where appropriate, ensuring that we maintain our high standards of education while supporting the wellbeing of our staff. Whether you are a classroom teacher, support staffor part of our senior leadership team, we work together to find solutions that align with both the operational needs of the academy and your professional development.
Harris Federation and our academies are dedicated to creating an inclusive and collaborative environment, where every member of staff can thrive and feel valued in their role.
Further details about the role
As Principal, you will need to provide the leadership and management necessary to secure high quality teaching and learning to raise standards of achievement.The Principal's effective leadership will result in an academy where:
- There is a positive ethos that reflects the Academy's commitment to high achievement, effective teaching and learning, and good relationships
- Staff, governors and parents have confidence in the leadership and management of the Academy
- Staff and governors recognise their accountability for their tasks and contribute fully to the development and successful implementation of policies and practices
- The life of the Academy and the curriculum effectively promote students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare them for adult life
- Effectiveness is kept under rigorous review, and links with the wider community contribute to students' attainment and personal development
- Efficient and effective use is made of staff, accommodation and resources
- Delegated responsibilities to ensuring that finance and administration are effective, and the carefully costed development plan is focused on improving educational outcomes
Commitment to safeguarding
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs are not accepted.
About Harris Academy Falconwood
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1301 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Harris Academy Falconwood website
- Email address
- Kassy.OKeefe@harrisfederation.org.uk
- Phone number
- 02082537777
Harris Academy Falconwood opened in September 2008. The academy’s specialisms are Enterprise and Sport with a can-do, enterprising culture in which everyone is stretched, nurtured and encouraged. Our accommodation since September 2011 has been a new purpose built academy to the value of £25 million. We have twice been judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, most recently in November 2017.
Arranging a visit to Harris Academy Falconwood
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email Kassy.OKeefe@harrisfederation.org.uk.
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