Principal
Northstowe Learning Community, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB24 1DJ61 days remaining to apply
Start date details
Required from January 2026 or sooner
Closing date
8 September 2025 at 9am
Date listed
1 July 2025
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £106,626.00 - £117,601.00 Annually (Actual) Leadership, Band 9 Points 32-36 (This would be expected to continue to grow with the expansion of the school).
Principal job summary
Join Us in Shaping the Future of Northstowe Learning Community
We are seeking a visionary, passionate and successful leader who shares our ambition to deliver exceptional education for every child as part of the Meridian Trust team. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to lead Northstowe Learning Community (NLC) a flagship all-through school at the heart of one of Cambridgeshire’s most significant new town developments.
About Northstowe Learning Community
Northstowe Learning Community brings together:
- An 11–16 secondary school
- Northstowe Sixth Form (NSF)
- Northstowe Primary School (NPS)
Situated on the Northstowe Education Campus, NLC is co-located with the trust’s Martin Bacon Academy. This specialist provision will provide an innovative experience for its 6th form students through full integration with the Northstowe Sixth Form. This will create a vibrant educational hub where inclusion, collaboration, and excellence are central to the student experience.
In September 2025, the school will contain:
- One Reception and one Year 1 class (as the primary builds to its full 3FE (630 capacity)
- Approximately 900 students in Years 7–11 (as the secondary builds to its eventual 12FE 1800 PAN)
- Around 125 sixth form students (48 students in year 13 and 75 students year 12 students, as the P16 grows over time to 400)
NLC continues to grow rapidly in step with the new town of Northstowe, which will eventually be home to around 30,000 residents accommodated in up to 10,000 homes. The school is deliberately designed to play a key role in the provision of community facilities to reflect the Cambridgeshire Village College ethos.
Our Journey So Far
Northstowe Secondary School opened in 2019 with its first Year 7 cohort of to just 71 students. In September 2024, the addition of both primary and sixth form phases marked a major milestone in our development and the school was renamed Northstowe Learning Community to reflect its expanded and unified identity.
With the recent completion of Phase 2 of our building programme, NLC now features:
- An additional new specialist block for 11–16 education
- A state-of-the-art primary school building
- A purpose-built sixth form centre
Phase 3 will commence once further housing development is confirmed. Once complete, Northstowe Learning Community will be one of the largest schools in the East of England, with capacity for approximately 2,800 students from Reception through to Year 13. The campus aims to serve all ages and abilities, taking a lead role in bringing people together to create a sustainable and empowered local community.
Our Ethos and Vision
At NLC, we are committed to providing outstanding teaching and pastoral care, creating a culture where students work hard, enjoy learning, and thrive. Our dedicated staff are warm, approachable, and determined to give every child the best possible start in life.
This is more than a leadership role—it’s an opportunity to shape a major educational institution from the ground up, embedding values of achievement, kindness, and inclusion at every level.
As Principal, you will:
- Lead a growing, all-through school in one of the UK’s most ambitious urban developments
- Be visionary in fostering a culture of excellence, aspiration, and belonging
- Collaborate with a talented, committed staff team across all phases
- Work alongside other Meridian Trust Principals who share a deep commitment to educational excellence and community service
The opportunity:
- To join motivated, friendly staff and students in a highly-regarded multi-academy Trust with a strong community presence.
- To work collaboratively with Principals within the Trust, sharing excellent and innovative practice and benefiting from the support and guidance of an experienced Executive Principals and core Executive Leadership team.
- To gain expertise and support from our wider trust network of specialist advisors with access to informal and formal professional development.
- To create a culture where students experience a positive and enriching education from primary age through to sixth form and beyond.
- To ensure teaching is underpinned by high levels of subject expertise and approaches which respect the distinct nature of subject disciplines.
- To continue to develop outstanding curricular leadership, equipping subject leaders with high levels of relevant expertise with access to professional networks and communities.
The ideal candidate will have:
- A track record of leading and developing with positive and meaningful impact for students and staff.
- Experience of converting vision into continuous educational improvement.
- A passionate and uncompromising commitment to maintaining high standards of teaching and learning for all students.
- People skills which enthuse and inspire staff and students along with the ability to communicate effectively with parents/carers and the wider local communities.
- Evidence of partnership working and wider impact in local communities.
- Integrity, warmth, and compassion – in all, a great role model for our students, staff, and the wider community.
About Meridian Trust
Meridian Trust is a values-led organisation formed in 2011 that has evolved to be of the highest-performing academy trusts in the country. The Trust is founded on its commitment to a high-quality educational provision for all at the heart of local communities. Meridian currently operates primary, secondary and special schools across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.
Meridian Trust offers a wealth of fantastic benefits for teaching and support staff which are highlighted below but are not limited to -
- Apprenticeship and CPD opportunities which allow you to gain specialist knowledge in a role you are passionate about developing in.
- Access to our benefits partner Vivup - benefits include an online GP, Lifestyle savings, support for mental health and wellbeing through the Employee Assistance Programme and many more
- Cycle to work scheme
- Teacher’s pension scheme
- Healthcare benefits including free eye test vouchers and flu vaccinations
- Free on-site parking
- Discounts on a wide range of benefits from everyday essentials to holidays
To explore our full range of benefits, please visit https://www.meridiantrust.co.uk/jobs-and-training/benefits/.
For more information about the role please download the Applicant Information Pack below. Throughout the application process, there will be opportunities to have an informal discussion about the role with the Executive Principal of Northstowe Learning Community – please email recruitment@meridiantrust.co.uk to book an appointment.
Dates have been set aside for any potential candidates to meet the Executive Principal and tour the site and these include:
- 1st-17th July 2025
- 11th-21st August 2025
- 1st-5th September 2025
Closing date for applications: Monday 8th September 2025 at 9am.
Interviews will be held on: Thursday 18th & Friday 19th September 2025.
The Trust is committed to diversity and inclusion and equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
The 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 appointments will be subject to pre-employment checks, including an enhanced check with the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS), as well as online searches.
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 school website (opens in new tab)About Northstowe Learning Community
- School type
- Academy, ages 4 to 19
- Education phase
- Through
- School size
- 622 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 4 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Northstowe Learning Community website
School location
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