Principal

The Governors are seeking to appoint a Principal with the vision, dedication and skill to build on our considerable achievements and to sustain our "Outstanding" designation from Ofsted and SIAMS.

The successful candidate will be a practising Christian with a strong personal faith and a deep commitment to church school education.  

Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy is a large 11-18 academy with over 1700 pupils on roll, over 380 of whom are in the sixth form.  The academy is a member of the Bay Learning Trust and is a National Teaching School and National Support School with its own SCITT.  The Principal will work closely with the other schools within the Bay Learning Trust.

The academy is situated in the historic city of Lancaster within easy distance of the wonderful scenery of Morecambe Bay, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.

Ripley has a deeply embedded Christian ethos and a tradition of nurture and service within a strong school community.  Our young people are delightful, eager to learn and make a positive difference in society. 

The Principal is the prime mover in creating, inspiring and embodying the Christian ethos and culture of this academy, securing its Mission Statement with all members of the academy community and ensuring an environment for teaching and learning that empowers both staff and students to achieve their highest potential. 

The core purpose of the Principal is to provide professional leadership and management for the academy within the wider context of the Bay Learning Trust. The Principal should establish a culture that promotes excellence, equality and high expectations of all students within a strong Christian ethos. 

The Principal is the leading professional in the academy. Accountable to the Local Governing Body and the Trust Board, the Principal provides vision, leadership and direction for the academy and ensures that it is managed and organised to meet its aims and targets. The Principal, working with others, is responsible for evaluating the academy’s performance to identify the priorities for continuous improvement and raising standards; ensuring equality of opportunity for all; developing policies and practices; ensuring that resources are efficiently and effectively used to achieve the academy’s aims and objectives and for the day-to-day management, organisation and administration of the academy. 

The Principal, working with and through others, secures the commitment of the wider community to the academy by developing and maintaining effective partnerships with, for example, academies, schools, other services and agencies for children, the Local Authority, the Diocese, local churches, higher education institutions and employers. Through such partnerships and other activities, the Principal plays a key role in contributing to the development of the education system as a whole and collaborates with others to raise standards locally. 

Drawing on the support provided by members of the academy community, the Principal is responsible for creating a productive learning environment which is engaging and fulfilling for all students.   

Please read the Applicant Information Pack for full details of the job description and person specification.

We can offer: 

• A school with a distinctive Christian mission, ethos and strong traditions, dating back to 1864 
• The opportunity to work in a school graded as outstanding in all areas by both Ofsted and SIAMS (Church school inspection) 
• A highly achieving 11-18 school with consistently excellent results at GCSE and A Level 
• Fantastic pupils who are hardworking, enthusiastic and impeccably behaved 
• Supportive and aspirational parents  
• A dedicated, enthusiastic and highly professional staff team 
• A professional working environment in which all staff are valued, listened to and able to fully use their gifts and talents.  
• The opportunity to contribute to outstanding teacher training as part of the Ripley TSA SCITT  
• The opportunity to teach A Level in our large and expanding Sixth Form
• Excellent teaching resources and facilities, from the Grade 2* listed Chapel to brand new buildings and facilities 
• Extra-curricular sporting facilities for staff including fully equipped gym, swimming pool and running track 

Career development recruitment incentives: 

• A bespoke CPD programme for all staff, exciting career opportunities and individual teaching and leadership coaching 
• Access through the Teaching School to a range of middle and senior leadership programmes  

This position is required for September 2019

Closing date: midday on Wednesday 27 February 2019.  

Interview dates: Tuesday 12 March and Wednesday 13 March 2019. 

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts. In line with our safeguarding policies we are unable to accept CVs.   

Along with your application form, please also submit a letter (of no more than 2 sides, using Tahoma font pt 11) outlining your experience relative to the job description and person specification and explaining how a Principal can motivate and work with others to create and sustain a school vision and positive ethos.