Principal

The Valley Leadership Academy, Bacup, Lancashire, OL13 0TG

28 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 September 2026

• Closing date

  13 April 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  16 March 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £91,158 to £113,646 (L24 to L33)

What skills and experience we're looking for

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for an exceptional Principal to lead us on our journey of sustained excellence.

We want to hear from ambitious, talented senior leaders and established Principals who will bring inspirational leadership to our school. You will be highly motivated and passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people with the natural ability to inspire and motivate both pupils and peers.

With substantial leadership experience as a Principal or Deputy, you will lead an approach that sees every challenge as an opportunity to continually improve standards of education and to foster an outstanding learning environment. As a Star leader, you’ll join the Star Academies family, a high-performing and supportive network of primary and secondary schools with some of the best leaders in education.

You will have:

• A degree-level qualification and Qualified Teacher Status.
• Substantial experience of senior leadership and management within and across school settings.
• The ability to create, and secure commitment to, a clear vision for an effective and high achieving school.
• A strong commitment to our STAR values.

What the school offers its staff

About The Valley Leadership Academy

The Valley Leadership Academy is a secondary school for 11 to 16 year olds in Bacup. We joined Star Academies in 2019 and, like all Star schools, we have a leadership specialism.

We are a rapidly improving school with high ambitions and expectations for all of our pupils. We provide a knowledge-based academic curriculum alongside a rich and diverse leadership programme that grows character and inspires charitable and social action. Our pursuit of educational excellence is based upon our fundamental belief that every pupil has the capacity to become a successful and inspirational leader.

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

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

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.

Principal_Recruitment_Information_Pack.pdf - 1.39 MB (opens in new tab)

About The Valley Leadership Academy

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 589 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: The Valley Leadership Academy website
• Email address: daniel.burgess@staracademies.org
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-valley-leadership-academy

The Valley Leadership Academy is a secondary school for 11 to 16 year olds in Bacup. We joined Star Academies in 2019 and, like all Star schools, we have a leadership specialism.

We are a rapidly improving school with high ambitions and expectations for all of our pupils. We provide a knowledge-based academic curriculum alongside a rich and diverse leadership programme that grows character and inspires charitable and social action. Our pursuit of educational excellence is based upon our fundamental belief that every pupil has the capacity to become a successful and inspirational leader.

School location

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