Principal

Lighthouse School Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 6QB

14 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 September 2026

• Closing date

  13 May 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  29 April 2026

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: L19 - 23

What skills and experience we're looking for

Lighthouse Education Trust is a completely unique Multi Academy Trust focussing on providing high quality, destination led learning for students with a diagnosis of autism.

We are excited to be able to commence the search for the team for our new school, Lighthouse Harrogate, due to open in the academic year 2026/27.

Lighthouse School Harrogate is a completely unique secondary school focussing on providing high quality, destination-led learning for students with a diagnosis of autism. We already operate a very successful school in Cookridge near Leeds since 2012. We are a happy and vibrant community, where young autistic people learn, flourish and thrive. We are planning for an overall cohort of 80 students with an initial intake of 24. Students study KS3, and a range of Level 1/2 and Level 3 qualifications, including BTECs and GCSEs.

We are looking to appoint a Principal for our Harrogate school to drive forward the successful opening and lead a successful team. The ideal candidate will have some level of leadership experience, either as an existing Principal, or a Deputy wanting to take the next step in their career. As a current leader you will combine this with existing SEND knowledge and a strong understanding of complex and diverse needs.

We welcome visits to our Leeds school where we can show you how we have established a successful model and give you the chance to meet staff who demonstrate the passion that ensures that we can make a difference to our students.

Visitors to our recent Open Day for Professionals shared the following feedback:

A pleasure to be invited into a fantastic environment for young people tothrive supported by staff who genuinely care about each student's future.

Calm and inclusive environment, where students were considered, hadsome autonomy and could be themselves

All roles will be Trust appointments and whilst based primarily in Harrogate may be required to work across other schools in the trust which could extend beyond Leeds in the future.

What the school offers its staff

Our roles come with full training, induction and a range of benefits:

Salary paid across 12 equal monthly instalments, and an increase each September (subject to Trustee approval and the finances of the school).

Mental health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do - our staff say they feel supported by the Senior Leadership Team and our Mental Health First Aider Team.

Access to a range of free health care services including, Employee Assistance Programme offering free counselling (general/menopause), physiotherapy, 24/7 GP service, stress coaching, nurse support services, financial wellbeing coaching, surgical assistance programme, free flu vaccinations, and eye tests for VDU users. See here for more information.

Up to date autism specific training, including person centred approaches, positive behaviour support strategies and understanding communication from our Speech and Language Therapists and our training and Wellbeing Teams.

Continuous Professional Development including access to coaching, mentoring and supervision, as well as e-learning and online training courses.

Many of our staff have grown into roles both within school and externally, including Administrators, Teaching Assistants, Teachers, Wellbeing Tutors, Intervention Support, Behaviour Specialists and Educational Psychologists. Please refer to our staff testimonials on the recruitment section of our website.

We are also committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and do not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply to join us and positively encourage you to choose a career at our inclusive school. You may be eligible for Access to Work interventions in order to assist you to return or remain in the workplace, eligibility information can be found on the government website.

Application process:

Please submit a school application form together with a cover letter of no more than one side of A4 for the attention of Emma Sullivan to Recruitment@Lighthouseschool.co.uk

All enquiries will be handled in the strictest of confidence and you are welcome to call the school and speak to Joanne Colley, HR Director on 0113 457 0605. We can offer tours on the following dates

Wednesday 6th May 9.30 - 10.30am

Friday 8th May 2.00 - 3.30pm

Please email Recruitment@Lighthouseschool.co.uk to arrange.

Closing date: Wednesday 13th May 2026 at 9.00am

First round interviews will be held on Tuesday 19th May and second round on Friday 22nd May.

Flexible working opportunities

We are also a DfE appointed Flexible Working Participant School and open to offering a range of flexible working options. Please share your preferences with our HR colleagues at your earliest opportunity in order that these can be fully considered.

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

Lighthouse School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS certificate is required for successful applicants, and all newly appointed staff who have lived or travelled overseas for 12 months or more in the past 10 years will be required to undertake an overseas check as part of our pre-employment checks.

Information can be found on the government website at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants/guidance-on-the-application-process-for-criminal-records-checks-overseas

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

Harrogate - recruitment pack - Principal.pdf - 5.11 MB (opens in new tab)

Lighthouse-school-application-form 2026.docx - 222 KB (opens in new tab)

About Lighthouse School Leeds

• School type: Free School, ages 11 to 19
• School size: 90 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Lighthouse School Leeds website
• Email address: recruitment@lighthouseschool.co.uk
• Phone number: 0113 4570605
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/lighthouse-school-leeds

Lighthouse Education Trust is a completely unique multi academy trust. In fact, we were the first of our kind in the country when we opened a specialist free school in Leeds and we now look forward to opening a second school in Harrogate. We focus on a ‘destination-led’ approach for our students, who all have a diagnosis of autism (ASC). Our journey so far has been amazing and we are immensely proud of what our students have achieved. We are a ‘Good’ school with aspirations to be ‘Outstanding’ in the near future. We are a happy and vibrant community, where young autistic people learn, flourish and thrive. Currently, we have over 100 students on roll aged 11 to 19 years. Students study a range KS3, Level 1/2 and Level 3 qualifications, including BTECs and GCSEs.

Arranging a visit to Lighthouse School Leeds

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email recruitment@lighthouseschool.co.uk.

School location

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