Vice Principal (Academic) (Maternity Cover)
The Thetford Academy, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 1LH15 days remaining to apply
Start date details
February 2026
Closing date
14 October 2025 at 1am
Date listed
29 September 2025
Job details
Job role
- Assistant headteacher
- Deputy headteacher
- Other leadership roles
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Fixed term
Full-time equivalent salary
- Salary: Leadership Pay Scale Points 19-22 (£80,655- £86,803 per annum)
Vice Principal (Academic) (Maternity Cover) job summary
Salary: Leadership Pay Scale Points 19-22 (£80,655- £86,803 per annum)
Fixed Term: until 31st January 2027
Start Date: February 2026
Thetford Academy is looking for an exceptional leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as Vice Principal (Academic) (Maternity Cover). The successful candidate will be passionate about our vision of ensuring our children will be resilient and independent. They will be valued individuals who are confident to express themselves creatively and be provided with a wealth of experiences outside of a typical classroom to ensure they are happy and engaged.
The successful candidate will be familiar with how to run a highly successful school, and capable of both setting strategy and implementing effectively. This is a unique opportunity for the right candidate to join a school with great outcomes that aspires to transform educational standards locally and nationally.
You will have the opportunities to help your career flourish, in a supportive and stimulating environment. We are committed to offering excellent professional opportunities and learning opportunities for all our staff, through careful support and personalised CPD. We offer a structured and specific induction programme that has been praised by staff for its support and expertise.
Before applying, please read the attached Recruitment Pack and Job Description, for more details about the role. We ask that you read this pack carefully, especially the “Planning your application” section from page 11. This will support your application ensuring you have the opportunity to tell us about your relevant skills, experience and qualifications that relate to the job description and person specification in addition to details of your references covering the last 5 years.
The main responsibility of this role will be:
- Being a role model for other members of staff in the school, demonstrating through your day-to-day work the highest professional standards of conduct, collaboration and organisation
- To line manage Assistant Principals who lead on academic matters in the school, including Raising Achievement, Teaching and Learning and Sixth Form.
- To lead the team of Curriculum Leaders, including ensuring that curriculum leaders are appropriately line managed by other members of the leadership team, and leading the Academic Team Briefing programme.
- To ensure that all departments have an academically robust and well-planned curriculum that supports inducting students into a range of subject communities.
- To liaise with the Principal to ensure that the school’s curriculum needs are met through appropriate staffing, including having oversight of the process of recruiting teachers and curriculum leaders.
- To take a sensible and evidence-informed approach to evaluating the school’s academic performance, using appropriate research methods and forms of analysis to provide meaningful evaluation to key stakeholders, including the executive team of Inspiration Trust and the Thetford Academy Committee.
The ideal candidate will have:
- An appropriate degree and Qualified Teacher Status.
- Experience of senior leadership in schools as an Assistant Principal or similarly senior member of staff.
- Experience of strategic planning in educational settings and the implementation of plans in an effective and efficient manner.
- Experience of participating in external school evaluation, such as through inspection or reviews.
- Successful involvement in performance management, self-evaluation process and data analysis as an aid in personal and team improvement, development and change.
- Successful experience in leading and managing pedagogic changes at a team, and preferably whole school level.
- Proven practice in leading, motivating and supporting staff to achieve high standards.
- The statutory requirements concerning Equal Opportunities, Health & Safety, SEND and Child Protection.
Thetford Academy is a remarkable place to work and is at the academic and cultural heart of the community. Pupils are taught a curriculum to prepare them for challenges they may face whilst building an appreciation and understanding of the world and achieve this by teaching pupils to develop a set of values and habits to allow them to contribute to their community, and beyond.
The school’s vision is that every pupil can succeed, both in their academic results and as an outgoing and positive member of the local, national, and global communities. Thetford Academy achieves this by ensuring that everyone commits to achieving outstanding progress, enjoying, and engaging in their learning, and being prepared to take on challenge without the fear of failure.
We are part of the Inspiration Trust, twice ranked as the country’s top family of comprehensive schools for pupil progress, and strongly believe in the importance of giving the widest educational opportunities to all young people, regardless of their background. We have strong networks across the Trust, with opportunities to work with a diverse range of schools and partners. We are committed to offering excellent professional and learning opportunities for our staff, with a busy programme of continuing professional development courses delivered by some of the country’s best educational thinkers and practitioners.
The Inspiration Trust is a Multi Academy Trust, committed to delivering the very best educational experience for the young people of Norfolk and Suffolk, across 17 schools. We are ambitious for our schools and communities and want to create Britain’s highest performing federation of 3-19 schools and transform education in the East. Inspiration Trust specialises in transforming schools in disadvantaged areas and taking academies from failing to outstanding.
For information on what it is like to live and work in Thetford, click here. Thetford Academy has been rated as Good overall by Ofsted, after an inspection in March 2020. The report says that the school has 'a curriculum that ensures pupils deepen their thinking' and that pupils 'feel valued and cared for.'
When you join Inspiration Trust's thriving network of talented teachers, leaders and support staff, you join an organisation that supports you to be the best you can be. The Trust offers a varied professional development programme for employees.
We are committed to offering excellent professional opportunities for our staff, through careful support and personalised CPD. We offer a structured and specific induction programme.
The Trust also offers:
- Generous holiday entitlement
- Teachers' Pension Schemes with generous employer contributions
- Health Plan and Employee Assistance Programme giving access to a range of services including claim back costs for Eye Care and prescriptions and access to 24/7 virtual GP Service and mental health support (Terms and conditions and restrictions apply).
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Retail Benefits offering discounts with many shops and suppliers
- Corporate membership of the Norwich Theatre Royal
- Salary sacrifice schemes, including home technology, smartphones and healthcare plans, including Dental insurance and Gym membership discounts (Terms and conditions and restrictions apply).
- Free Parking (on most sites)
*Some benefits are only available following successfully passing probation
If you would like to know more about this exciting opportunity, then please contact Ilona Haye, PA to Principal (ilonahaye@inspirationtrust.org).
To apply for this role please click the Apply button to complete the online application form.
Closing date for applications: 12pm on Tuesday 14th October 2025
Interview date: Friday 7th November 2025
Inspiration 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 staff appointments are subject to satisfactory references and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. We are an equal opportunities employer.
When you start your application, you will receive several emails from our application provider, Vacancy Filler. Please be aware that some email providers may mistakenly mark these messages as spam. To avoid missing important updates, we recommend checking your spam or junk folders regularly throughout the application process and marking these emails as safe.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Inspiration Trust is committed to safeguarding and all staff appointments are subject to satisfactory references and enhanced DBS checks. You will be required to provide references and undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are an equal opportunities employer.
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 The Thetford Academy
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 19
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1361 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- The Thetford Academy website
Thetford Academy is a community secondary school and sixth form, close to the Norfolk-Suffolk border. We help our students get the best possible GCSE results, and guide them through A Levels and vocational studies that prepare them for university and the world of work.
We are part of the Inspiration Trust, a close-knit family of schools in East Anglia, dedicated to providing high-quality education for all of our young people, combining academic attainment with rich cultural experiences.
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