Executive Principal

We are looking to appoint an innovative and highly collaborative Executive Principal to join our central Federation primary leadership team.

Together within a highly supportive and skilled network of senior leaders, you will work with a number of primary academies in the South East London area, providing leadership, management support and challenge to Academy Principals enabling their academies to give every pupil a high quality education and the opportunity to maximise their life chances. 

We are interested to hear from existing Executive Headteachers who have experience of overseeing multiple schools, as well as single school leaders who are looking for progression into Executive Leadership, within a successful and highly supportive multi academy trust with the ability to support you with the training to achieve this.

For those new to Executive Leadership, we will provide support and individual mentoring from an experienced Harris Executive Principal and Primary Director. In addition to the support and development offered by the Harris Federation, we can also offer the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL) programme

As part of Harris, you will have the opportunity to work within a close regional network of academies, and with senior leaders from across the wider Federation. Led by a highly experienced Primary Director, we have a central team of executive leaders and Teaching & Learning consultants who can provide support and collaborate in developing your skills as a leader.

Interviews for this role will involve a two day process across 24th and 25th November.

About Us

The Harris Federation is a leading education charity with 51 Harris primary and secondary academies across London and Essex. The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We now educate some 38,000 young people and closing the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission. 

About Primary Education at Harris

Primary education at Harris comprises 20 Primary academies, including a Free School, as well as 3 all-through academies, with every inspected academy having been judged Good or Outstanding. Some of these academies are new free schools, but most were previously failing schools located in challenging areas of London. The independent Education Policy Institute regularly ranks Harris as a top performing Primary trust for pupil progress. 

Main Areas of Responsibility 

• Working with all stakeholders to implement the strategic vision for the Federation and promote that vision, values and ethos to Principals, pupils, staff, Governors, parents and the wider community. 
• Motivate others to achieve excellent outcomes through distribution of leadership through teams and individuals in each academy and across the Federation. 
• Work to build the capacity of the group through coaching, mentoring and training of colleagues. 
• Leading teaching and learning/working through other leaders to 
• Drive a consistent Federation-wide focus on pupils’ achievement, using data and benchmarks to monitor progress. 
• Ensure creative, responsive and effective approaches to learning and teaching. 
• Deliver high expectations and challenging targets for each academy community. 
• Monitor, evaluate and review delegated academy’s practice and promote effective improvement strategies. 
• Rigorously tackle under-performance at all levels. 
• Provide inspiration and strong strategic leadership to the teaching teams to ensure the academies deliver the highest standards of learning across the board. 
• Create a culture and ethos of challenge and support where all pupils can achieve success and become engaged in their own learning. 
• Developing self and working with others 
• Ensure academies develop and maintain effective strategies and procedures for staff induction, professional development and performance review. 
• Promote and maintain a culture of high expectations. 
• Regularly review own practice, set personal targets and take responsibility for own development, seeking advice and support. 
• Play an integral leadership role in our core team by supporting and challenging Consultants and by modelling best practice.

Qualifications & Experience 

• Serving or returning Principal 
• Substantial and successful experience at Principal level in maintained primary education 
• Teaching qualification 
• Degree or Certificate of Education 
• Proven track record in improving outcomes 
• An understanding of working with a culturally diverse community 
• Vision for strategic leadership across more than one school

Strategic Direction & Shaping The Future 

• Experience of successful delivery against agreed strategic plans. 
• Ability to articulate clear visions for the Federation and its development over the next three years 
• An understanding of and desire to lead at a system level

Learning & Teaching 

• Excellent understanding of how children learn and ability to evaluate and coach for outstanding teaching methods 
• Track record of accessing, monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching standards and the delivery of a vibrant curriculum across the board. 
• Knowing how to monitor a group through use of Data and KPI’s 
• Evidence of a strong knowledge of the current major curriculum issues, legislative changes and their significance for the management and leadership of a primary academy 
• Successful experience and understanding of the Ofsted process

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, or to arrange a confidential discussion with Sabeena Hasan, Primary Director, please contact Harry Bond, Head of Talent via email: harry.bond@harrisfederation.org.uk

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.