Principal

Harris Academy South Norwood is seeking an exceptional leader to join us as our new Principal for September 2025. This is a unique opportunity to lead a vibrant secondary school at the heart of a diverse and thriving community, with a strong record of improvement and a vision for excellence. As the highest-performing co-ed school in Croydon and Bromley, we are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where all individuals feel valued and empowered to thrive.

Located near East Croydon, Harris Academy South Norwood benefits from excellent transport links, with Central London just 20 minutes away by train. South Norwood itself is a vibrant, multicultural area with a strong sense of community, offering a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, and backgrounds, which enrich our school environment.

Rated 'Good' by Ofsted, we have made significant progress in recent years, thanks to our dedicated staff, resilient students, and a forward-thinking approach to education. Our academy is a hub of academic ambition and personal growth, where every student is encouraged to achieve their full potential. As Principal, you will build on this progress and take the academy to new heights.

As Principal, you will lead with impact and help shape the educational experience of over 1,200 students, ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their starting point.

Academy visits will be available on Friday 21st and 28th March, if you would like to request a visit of the academy, please contact Kassy O'Keefe, Talent Acquisition Coordinator via email Kassy.OKeefe@harrisfederation.org.uk.

Interviews for successful candidates will be held on either Monday 28th or Tuesday 29th April.

About Us

We serve a disadvantaged community, and this is the place to make a difference and transform lives through common purpose. We have three values which our staff and students tell us are at the core of the school; Diversity, Togetherness, and Talent. We work hard to ensure everyone feels they belong to the HASN community. For example, we have an inspirational culture day where students and staff don their traditional dress, and we run a series of cultural events.

Our students consistently go above and beyond, with 80% of them progressing to university, and students and staff show off their talents in multiple ways whether it's through academic success, sport, music, art or presenting at our many exciting HASN events through the year.

We also work hard on our aspirational values: endeavor, kindness, responsibility, respect. These are the values that we all work hard on every day to be the best we can be.

Our Location

We are located just a 5-minute walk from Norwood Junction train station, a transport hub in Travelcard Zone 4, providing services from Southern, Thameslink, and London Overground. We are just 12 minutes by train to London Bridge.

Why work for us?

We have outstanding modern facilities, first class CPD, and a huge sixth form with lots of opportunities to teach at Post 16. The biggest benefit is to be part of Team HASN; to join somewhere where you will find a sense of purpose and belonging. We work hard to strip out pointless tasks, and ensure staff do what they do best: teach well and support students.

Main Areas of Responsibility

As Principal, you will need to provide the leadership and management necessary to secure high quality teaching and learning to raise standards of achievement.

The Principal's effective leadership will result in an academy where:

• There is a positive ethos that reflects the Academy's commitment to high achievement, effective teaching and learning, and good relationships
• Staff, governors and parents have confidence in the leadership and management of the Academy
• Staff and governors recognise their accountability for their tasks and contribute fully to the development and successful implementation of policies and practices
• The life of the Academy and the curriculum effectively promote students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare them for adult life
• Effectiveness is kept under rigorous review, and links with the wider community contribute to students' attainment and personal development
• Efficient and effective use is made of staff, accommodation and resources
• Delegated responsibilities to ensuring that finance and administration are effective, and the carefully costed development plan is focused on improving educational outcomes

Qualifications & Experience

The successful applicant must have a proven track record of school improvement, and have gained successful previous experience in leading, or as part of, an SLT to transform a school and raise outcomes. We are looking for a strong communicator who can demonstrate strengths in engaging with and inspiring not just staff, but also students and parents of the local community. You will provide the leadership and management necessary to secure high quality teaching and learning to further raise standards of achievement.

We are looking for an experienced senior leader who ideally has:

• Qualified Teacher Status, Degree, Further relevant professional studies
• Relevant Further Degree or NPQH
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of current curriculum developments and how pupils learn
• Leadership in curriculum development and in monitoring and evaluation strategies
• Proven track record of raising attainment in an urban, multi-ethnic environment
• Track record of raising standards in English and Mathematics and good knowledge of raising standards in Literacy and Numeracy

Rewards & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will be joining a network of likeminded leaders in education and have opportunities to learn from colleagues who are some of the best school leaders in the country. We highly value and encourage all our staff to develop and reach their full potential, and you will have endless opportunities to develop and progress your career with us.

Being a leader at Harris, you will be given the autonomy to evolve your academy's vision, values, performance, and culture, but you will never be alone, everything you do will be wrapped in support and encouragement from the wider Federation.

You will also have full access to our rewards package which includes a performance bonus, private medical cover and lots more benefits available via our schemes.