Vice Principal
Harris Academy Ockendon, South Ockendon, RM15 5AY14 days remaining to apply
Start date details
January
Closing date
6 October 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
22 September 2025
Job details
Job role
- Deputy headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £88,237-£97,171
Pay scale
- Leadership Scale 22-26 (London Fringe)
Additional allowances
Performance and Loyalty Bonus + Pension Scheme (TPS) + Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan + Additional Harris Benefits
What skills and experience we're looking for
We are looking for a Vice Principal to join us at Harris Academy Ockendon – A School That Transforms Lives!
At Harris Academy Ockendon, we are passionate about three things:
Being great at number 1 and number 2 should not mean we can't do number 3!”
We would like to hear from you if you have:
- QTS and a good undergraduate degree (or equivalent)
- Minimum of three years' experience at senior leadership level, at least once as a deputy/ Vice Principal
- Experience of delivering high quality INSET to teaching staff
- Proven success in raising achievement as a subject leader across at least two key stages
- Evidence of leading, supporting and managing others, both individuals and teams, ensuring high quality performance
- Successful experience of processes of monitoring, evaluation and review
- Good level of ICT skills and experience of how new technologies can be used to raise achievement
- Recent experience of involvement in innovative curriculum development
- Experience of presenting to a wide audience
- Ideas of how Language, Literacy and Numeracy can be used across the curriculum to raise standards
- Experience of embedding innovative strategies for improving teaching and learning in a whole school situation
- Experience of managing and implementing change successfully at whole school level
- Experience of using coaching as a model for ensuring on going professional development particularly with subject leaders
What the school offers its staff
A School That Inspires Excellence
We are an 11-18 academy with a thriving Sixth Form, set in a modern, welcoming building designed to ignite curiosity and ambition. In February 2024, Ofsted rated us ‘Outstanding' in every category, stating:
“Pupils benefit hugely from attending this remarkable school. Staff and leaders' sky-high expectations are immediately evident in pupils' scholarly demeanour. The school and trust have created a centre of true excellence. Pupils experience an extraordinary education at Harris Academy Ockendon.”
But what truly defines us is our culture. We help our students and staff dream bigger than they ever thought possible and support them in turning those dreams into reality. At HAOC, three values shape everything we do: Work Hard. Be Kind. Take Responsibility.
These are not just words; they are the foundation of a school where people feel valued, supported, and inspired to be their best.
A Leadership Team That Believes in You
Our Principal, Ms Jo Rainey, is a leader who believes in transformation. Originally from Belfast, Jo took over at Ockendon in 2018, turning it from one of the lowest-performing schools in the country to one of the very best. With a strong sense of integrity, deep passion for student success, and unwavering commitment to staff and students, Jo has built a school that people want to be part of.
Our Executive Principal, George McMillan, knows that no school is beyond success and no child is beyond achievement. Originally from Glasgow, he has led several schools within the Harris Federation to excellence and Harris Academy Greenwich to world class status twice over, proving that high expectations, great teaching, and an ambitious culture can change lives.
Together at HAOC, Jo and George have created more than just a school, they've built a thriving community where students flourish and staff grow, finding purpose, progression, and fulfilment in their careers. This is a true centre of excellence, where every student is empowered to reach their full potential and every educator is supported to lead, innovate, and inspire.
Why Join Us?
- A high-achieving, inspiring 11-18 academy with a Sixth Form full of ambitious young people.
- A stunning, modern school building that provides an exceptional learning and working environment.
- An unbeatable location, just outside the M25, attracting staff from across Essex and London. Many of our team travel from Kent, Surrey, Southeast, and Central London because they love the school so much!
- A supportive, well-balanced working culture, where your professional growth matters, but so does your well-being.
- The backing of the Harris Federation, one of the most successful school groups in the country, while maintaining a unique and vibrant school identity.
Senior Leader Development
With Harris, you will join a large network of likeminded senior leaders and have opportunities to learn from colleagues who are some of the best senior leaders in the country. Our senior leaders can benefit from tailored professional development programmes via the Harris Institute of Teaching and Leadership which will enable you to develop your pedagogy, leadership skills and drive school improvement.
Supported by experienced mentors, you can access national professional qualifications and draw on expert knowledge from dedicated subject consultants who offer invaluable subject and curriculum insight.
Benefits
In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Teachers Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, Employee Assistance Programme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.
Visits and Pre-Application Meetings
We warmly welcome prospective applicants to arrange a tour of the academy and a pre-application meeting with the Principal. These are available upon request between 22nd September 2025 and 1st October 2025.
To arrange a visit, please contactJulie Leedham, HR Officer,via email at j.leedham@harrisockendon.org.uk or by calling 01708 851661.
Flexible working opportunities
We are committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. We understand that each individual's circumstances are unique, which is why we offer flexible working options that can be adapted to meet the needs of both the academy and our employees.
Further information about the job
We are happy to negotiate individual responsibilities with you, but these could involve:
- Overseeing the strategic management of data, assessment and target setting (including reporting achievement data to governors and external bodies as required), working with the Principal to set challenging and aspirational whole academy targets.
- Leading on teaching, learning and assessment across the academy, providing the necessary Professional Learning opportunities to ensure the highest of standards are maintained in the classroom and in student outcomes.
- Leading on effective behaviour and inclusion, ensuring that the needs of all students are met within and beyond the classroom.
As a member of the Academy Leadership Group, you will need to meet these general expectations:
- To collaborate to build and realise the shared vision of excellence and high standards
- To play a major role in determining strategy
- To contribute actively towards the formulation and implementation of all academy policies and procedures
- To agree challenging subject targets, and ensure rigorous monitoring, evaluation and review of progress towards these
- To ensure high quality teaching and learning in line managed faculties
- To manage delegated budgets effectively
- To attend academy leadership meetings
- To engage in the process of appointing new staff
- To participate in duties lunch/break/before and after school
- To contribute to assemblies
- To share in the management of student disciplinary incidents
- To actively participate in the monitoring, evaluation and review of teaching and learning in line managed faculties
Commitment to safeguarding
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)About Harris Academy Ockendon
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1420 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Harris Academy Ockendon website
- Email address
- info@harrisockendon.org.uk
- Phone number
- 01708 851661
A lovely secondary school where the students say, “Good Morning”, and actually mean it. Check out our school via our video.
“I am passionate about three things:
Leading staff to become happy, successful, highly trained professionals who stay in the game and don't burn out or lose their way.
Creating a fulfilling secondary experience for students where they can grow to become well-rounded, ambitious and successful young adults ready to put a ding in the universe.
My life outside work.
Being great at number 1 and number 2 should not mean we can't do number 3!”
- George McMillan, Executive Principal and National Leader of Education.
We are an 11-18 academy with a thriving Sixth Form and a lovely building. It is a school where we are as passionate about developing our staff as we are about developing our students.
Our location just outside the M25 means we attract staff not only from Essex but from London. Indeed, over half our staff live in Kent/Surrey/South East and Central London. Some of our team even travel from West London because they like the school so much.
Our role here is to help students and staff dream bigger than they ever thought possible, and to make that dream come true through our culture of “work hard, be kind, take responsibility” which beats at the heart of our school.
The Executive Principal is George McMillan. Originally from Glasgow, he graduated from the University of Aberdeen with an MA (hons) degree in English Literature and a burning desire to teach. After teaching in Edinburgh, then moving to senior management in Chafford (Essex), George took over Harris Academy Greenwich in 2011 and led its transformation to hitting the top 15% of schools in the country for progress 7 years in a row. Harris Greenwich is one of only a handful of schools in London to retain its Outstanding status (2014 then 2022) under the new Ofsted framework, and the World Class School status twice in a row.
The Principal is Ms Jo Rainey. Originally from Belfast, she graduated from the University of Ulster with a first class degree in History and Geography. Over the past 21 years, she has taught history and led in schools across London and Essex with most of her senior leadership career being spent in Hackney. Jo has been Principal at Ockendon since 2018. She is highly respected for her strong sense of integrity, her passion for student life chances, and loyalty to the school.
The Harris Federation is a highly successful group of schools who serve many of the most deprived areas of London and Essex. We are collaborative, enterprising and share a passion for turning lives around, yet each school is autonomous and free to set its own vision and strategy for how it does that.
Each Harris school feels completely different in terms of culture and ethos. Perhaps this is the school you've been looking for.
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