Required for September 2025
Deputy Principal - DHT Academic/Curriculum/Teaching and Learning
Salary range: L19 - 25
This 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 posts are subject to Enhanced DBS clearance and satisfactory employment history references.
During a period of growth, we wish to appoint an inspirational leader who cares deeply about raising the aspirations and ambitions of young people to achieve their very best. You will be a person of integrity who will strive to do the right thing and the best thing for every student. You will recognise that every student is an individual to be valued, supported, encouraged and challenged to reach their full potential, recognising the importance of an effective relationship between college staff, students and parents/carers. You will have sound judgement informed by experience and be an effective decision maker, who can consider conflicting needs and priorities to ensure that you always do what matters most while showing that you care.
As a leader, you will have the skills and knowledge to develop others and build an effective team. We succeed when we work together and lead by bringing out the best in others. You must be an excellent communicator who is well qualified, enthusiastic, flexible, adaptable and hard working. You must be exacting in your approach with a real attention to detail. You must be able to work collaboratively and co-operatively with colleagues at all levels to ensure the very best experience and outcomes for our students.
The college is in a period of growth and we are seeking to appoint a person who can lead in key areas of our provision;
- designing and refining systems
- quality assuring and holding others to account
- thinking strategically as well as operationally
- using data to draw conclusions and make decisions
You will work as part of a collaborative team who always seek to learn, develop and improve. Our standards and expectations are high and you will be challenged to make a significant contribution to our continuing drive for excellence. As a member of our senior team you will be supported and developed and your further professional development will be a priority. We will support you to access NPQs, Senior Leadership Apprenticeships / MAs or other development programmes of your choosing.
Our core values of, *Pursuit of excellence *Valuing people *Achievement *High quality learning experience *Extending the boundaries of learning and *British values, define us.
We are an inclusive community. The college experience we offer has a significant impact on every student and we work to ensure that they enjoy learning, excel in their chosen subjects and exceed prior expectations to reach their goals. If you share our belief that there should never be a limit to the quality of a young person’s educational experience or their levels of achievement, then we would love to hear from you.
There will be a small teaching commitment, to be agreed with the successful candidate.
Sir Harry Smith Community College is an 11-18 Academy, proud of its traditional values and innovative approaches to Teaching and Learning and its standards of discipline and respect. The College serves the market town of Whittlesey, seven miles outside of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. The College is part of the Aspire Learning Trust working together with Park Lane and New Road Primary Schools, also in Whittlesey, to help every child achieve their full potential, to prepare them for their next educational steps, to teach them kindness and respect for all and to equip them to play a full satisfying role in society.
We are a ‘good’ school. Our February 2024 Ofsted recognised that:
The majority of pupils want to do well. They understand that their teachers want them to achieve high standards. Pupils trust the teachers who have developed positive relationships with them. They work hard for these teachers and produce high quality work.
'The school has redesigned its curriculum. It has thought carefully about how to inspire pupils. The school has a well-planned and ambitious programme of learning. The school has ensured that the curriculum reflects the diversity of modern life. Pupils explain how they celebrate difference. The school has planned so all pupils have access to the curriculum without limitation. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)’
‘The provision for students in the sixth form is strong. Teachers’ expert subject knowledge and delivery ensures students learn well. Students develop deep understanding of complex and abstract concepts. Students confidently apply these to different situations, effectively drawing together what they know.
Further details and application packs are available on the College website: www.sirharrysmith.cambs.sch.uk or, if you would like to discuss the role further with the Principal, Miss Dawn White, or to visit the college, please contact the Principal’s PA, Miss Clair Meadows, via cmeadows@sirharrysmith.com or 01733 703991, who will be happy to arrange this for you.
Applications close at midday on Thursday 24th April. Please send completed application forms, together with a letter of application, no longer than 2 sides of A4, to: applications@sirharrysmith.com.
Applicants are thanked for their interest in Sir Harry Smith Community College. Please note that only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted after the closing date. Previous applicants need not apply.
(We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date if we consider that we have received an appropriate number of suitable candidates for the post).