Principal
Purple Oaks Academy, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 7RR28 days remaining to apply
Start date details
To be confirmed on appointment
Closing date
12 November 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
14 October 2026
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- £84,700.00 - £98,107.00 Annually (FTE)
Principal job summary
Purple Oaks Academy is seeking an innovative and experienced leader to become our next Principal and lead our highly regarded specialist provision into its next phase of development.
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious Principal, Head of Academy or Deputy Principal who is passionate about transforming the lives of children and young people with autism and severe learning difficulties. You will provide strategic leadership for a thriving, oversubscribed academy with a reputation for excellence, ensuring every student receives the highest quality education and support to achieve their full potential.
Our ambitious curriculum is underpinned by three key drivers: communication, independence and emotional regulation, ensuring that every pupil develops the skills, confidence and resilience needed for adulthood. As Principal, you will lead the continued development of this highly personalised curriculum, supporting progress from Early Years through to Post-16 and beyond.
You will build upon the academy's established strengths that include our culture of high expectations, collaboration and continuous improvement; and strong partnerships with families, external agencies and the wider community, enabling our pupils to thrive within and beyond the academy.
This is an exciting time to join Purple Oaks Academy. As part of Greenwood Academies Trust, you will work alongside talented colleagues who share a deep commitment to inclusive education and improving outcomes for some of the most vulnerable young people. We are equally committed to your professional growth and will provide extensive support, challenge and development opportunities.
Visits to the academy and informal discussions about the role are encouraged and can be arranged by contacting Sarah Martin, Education Director-Special Academies via sarah.martin@greenwoodacademies.org . Visits will be available on Thursday 22nd October, Wednesday 4th November, Tuesday 10th November. Interviews will be held on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th November 2026.
About Us
Purple Oaks Academy is a highly successful special free school in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, and part of the Greenwood Academies Trust. The academy provides specialist education for pupils aged 3 to 18 with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Severe Learning Difficulties and currently serves 143 students. Demand for places significantly exceeds capacity, reflecting the academy's positive reputation.
Set within extensive grounds, the academy benefits from excellent facilities including specialist teaching spaces, sensory provision, outdoor learning environments, a library, food technology and art rooms, and dedicated areas to support emotional regulation and therapeutic learning. Our well-established use of the TEACCH approach provides students with consistent routines, structured learning environments and visual supports that enable them to feel secure, regulate effectively and engage successfully in learning.
Staff at Purple Oaks Academy are united by a shared belief that every student can succeed. Through expertise, creativity and unwavering commitment, they create calm, supportive and aspirational learning environments where students are encouraged to develop communication skills, independence, confidence and a genuine love of learning.
Joining Purple Oaks Academy means becoming part of a dedicated and forward-thinking team that is committed to achieving the very best outcomes for every student and making a lasting difference to the lives of children and young people with complex needs.
In return we have multiple benefits for our talented and highly valued people:
Alongside nationally agreed terms and conditions, we offer a generous benefits package. Here's a selection of what's on offer to our people in recognition of the huge difference they make to our children, their families and the communities we serve.
- Access to Benefit Hub - the world’s largest discount marketplace
- A free Wellbeing Gateway platform and mobile app
- A free, 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme - confidential & compassionate support when you need it
- Lease a brand‑new or pre‑loved hybrid vehicle through our Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme
- Train & qualify as a Mental Health First Aider. We aim to have a qualified Mental Health First Aider in each academy
- Supporting your professional development through CPD, Apprenticeships, Upskilling and Professional Review
- Generous public sector pension schemes for everyone
- Eye tests & Spectacles Discount
- Family friendly policies and time off for dependants
- Dedicated ECT support programme
- Access to savings in childcare costs
- Generous annual leave allocation
- Automatic pay progression
- Free parking on all sites
- Principles on workload & directed time for teaching staff
- Professional Supervision for Academy Leaders
If this post attracts sufficient interest before the closing date, we may decide to close and interview this vacancy at an earlier date, so an early application is advised.
The Trust welcomes applications from all, irrespective of gender, marital status, disability, race, age or sexual orientation.
All applicants must be able to provide evidence of their Right to Work in the UK prior to commencement of employment. As part of our need to comply with UK immigration rules, you will be required to provide Home Office stipulated documentation prior to interview.
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 Purple Oaks Academy
- Organisation type
- Free School, ages 3 to 18
- Size
- 131 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 3 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Website
- Purple Oaks Academy website
About us:
Our purpose-built building opened in January 2018 and will provide 100 places for students (3-18) with a diagnosis of autism and/or Severe Learning Difficulties. The Academy currently has 94 students on roll from Reception to Year 10 and will grow to 100 in September 2021 with Reception to Year 11.
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer tours of the academy at the moment but we do have a virtual tour on our website https://www.purpleoaksacademy.org/ . Opportunities to have a discussion about the role with a member of the leadership team are also available and you can contact Tina Matty, tmatty@purpleoaksacademy.org to arrange this.
We can offer you:
An exciting opportunity to work in a unique and growing academy with students with a range of complex needs,
A supportive and welcoming team with a wide range of experience,
A new building designed to meet the needs of our students with large outdoor spaces,
Career development opportunities as the Academy continues to grow and develop, an ongoing programme of continuous professional development activities through the local Teaching School Alliance and Greenwood Academies Trust Learning Alliance, including a Trust NQT programme,
Dedicated planning, preparation and assessment time.
In Return:
You can be assured that you will be joining a successful Multi Academy Trust that has a great track record in helping children to succeed no matter what their background. The Trust is dedicated to valuing and developing the workforce whether that be through ensuring a fair workload or offering access to bespoke CPD from the Learning Alliance to enhance professional growth.
We believe in looking after the people who make a huge difference to our children, their families and the communities we serve. That’s why we give everyone who joins a Perkbox account – with 24/7 access to perks and discounts, plus curated wellbeing tools to look after your physical and mental health. It’s part of our commitment to look after you.
Here’s what you can look forward to:
Hundreds of global and local perks, available online 24/7
Shopping discounts from the biggest brands, all year round
Save money on everything from the supermarket shop to summer holidays
A free Employee Assistance Programme from Health Assured
If this post attracts sufficient interest before the closing date, we may decide to close and interview this vacancy at an earlier date, so an early application is advised.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff to share this commitment and undergo appropriate checks, therefore, all posts within the Trust are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. It is an offence to apply for a role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
All adults employed by the Trust have a responsibility for data protection and have a duty to observe and follow the principles of the GDPR Regulations.
The Trust welcomes applications from all, irrespective of gender, marital status, disability, race, age or sexual orientation.
All applicants must be able to provide evidence of their Right to Work in the UK prior to commencement of employment. As part of our need to comply with UK immigration rules, you will be required to provide Home Office stipulated documentation prior to interview.
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