EXPIRED

Senior Principal

Stansfield Academy, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7LB

This job expired on 11 May 2026 – see similar jobs

• Start date details

  September 2026

• Closing date

  11 May 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  28 April 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: Relocation package or support will be offered where required
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £84,699 - £98,105
• Pay scale: L21 - L27

What skills and experience we're looking for

Wave Multi Academy Trust is seeking an exceptional and values-driven Senior Principal who will also serve as Head of School for Stansfield Academy, holding direct responsibility for the leadership, performance and day-to-day operational effectiveness of the academy. Alongside this core role, the postholder will provide strategic oversight and strong operational leadership across the Trust’s Devon regional Alternative Provision academies. This is a senior and highly influential position, ensuring that every child and young person, particularly our most vulnerable, benefits from high-quality education, inclusive practice and excellent safeguarding within a safe, ambitious and nurturing environment.

Reporting to the Executive Team, the Senior Principal will play a key role in strengthening leadership capacity, driving school improvement and ensuring alignment with Trust priorities, statutory responsibilities and local authority requirements. Working closely with Regional Academy Leads, governance hubs and external partners, the postholder will combine strategic vision with hands-on leadership, stepping in where required to stabilise provision, manage risk and secure sustained improvement.

This role offers a rare opportunity to shape system-wide improvement, influence Trust strategy and make a profound difference to the life chances of children and young people across Devon.

For a full list of duties, please see the job description below.

What the school offers its staff

Health & Wellbeing

Pension

Training & Development

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Free Parking

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.

Wave are an established and successful Multi Academy Trust, comprising of Alternative Provision Academies (APAs), Medical Academies (including Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s child and adolescent mental health unit ‘Sowenna’) and a Special Academy.

We provide education for vulnerable pupils aged 4 – 19 across Devon and Cornwall. The Trust has a national reputation for the delivery of outstanding pupil outcomes including enabling pupils to access the most appropriate education setting and transition to employment, training and higher or further education. The Trust educates over 1000 pupils and employs over 350 members of staff.

We Aim To

• Provide a balanced and broad curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
• Give access to the National Curriculum; provide opportunities for external accreditation, and, for those pupils with specific learning difficulties, effective and personalised programmes.
• Ensure all pupils are supported to develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others. Promoting emotional well-being and self-esteem; helping our pupils to recognise their potential and work positively within their community.
• We will respect all pupils and encourage them to become active participants in their own learning, develop confidence, independence, self-esteem and express their needs and desires.
• Seek effective and positive working relationships with pupils’ families, schools and other agencies.
• Enable effective outcomes for our pupils.

Commitment to safeguarding

Wave is dedicated to the safeguarding of children and Safer Recruitment Procedures will be followed. The position requires a satisfactory enhanced DBS check and online check.

This job post has expired.

Additional documents

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

Senior Principal JD and person Spec - Devon.pdf - 226 KB (opens in new tab)

About Stansfield Academy

• School type: Academies, Does not apply, ages 4 to 16
• School size: 53 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Stansfield Academy website
• Email address: recruitment@waveedu.org
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/stansfield-academy

Stansfield Academy is an Alternative Provision Academy providing full time education for children from 4-16 years of age. We cover Central Devon including Exeter, East Devon and Mid Devon and work closely with Devon County Council to ensure a swift transition both into and out of the Academy to minimise the impact of any transition on the learning of those young people.

Arranging a visit to Stansfield Academy

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email recruitment@waveedu.org.

School location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Exeter and Devon, Plymouth and Torbay