Headteacher

Headteacher

Start Date: January/ Easter 2025 or earlier 

L26 £87,253 – L30 £96,239 (pay award pending) 

West Lakes Academy is a vibrant secondary school situated in the stunning Western Lake District in Cumbria, providing education for 1200 children aged between 11 and 18 years old. As well as outstanding facilities and the incredible natural environment surrounding the school, West Lakes Academy benefits greatly from being part of Changing Lives Learning Trust and from the support of the three sponsors who were involved in the setting up of the school in 2008 - Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). The Trust is hugely ambitious - educating 2800 students across nine schools (three secondary, six primary) and providing the One Cumbria Teaching School Hub. Changing Lives Learning Trust is proud of its ability to bolster foundations, nurture emerging talent and drive sustainable improvement across the family of schools. 

We are looking for an inspirational and tenacious Headteacher to lead West Lakes Academy on the next phase of its journey, to realise our vision to succeed in ‘Changing Lives through Learning’, and to provide the very best possible educational opportunities for young people in West Cumbria. We are incredibly proud of our school community - our loyal and enthusiastic members of staff encourage children to work hard to achieve their potential. West Lakes Academy was last inspected by Ofsted in March 2017 and was judged to be Outstanding in all areas of the inspection, when it was previously Good. However, there is much more that we need to do for our students, and this is where our new Headteacher comes in. A monitoring inspection in 2023 concluded that the Outstanding judgement was unlikely to be retained at its next graded inspection. Since returning post-pandemic, some students have struggled to return to the high standards of behaviour, culture and academic rigour that saw the school achieve its Outstanding judgement. 

To be successful as the next Headteacher of West Lakes Academy, you’ll be a visible, courageous leader who leads with honesty and integrity. You will need to recognise the current challenges at the school and share our ambition to ensure that every child in the academy can access the highest quality education in a positive, caring environment where every child feels safe and cared for. You are likely to be an experienced, talented Deputy Headteacher looking for your first Headteacher post, but you could also be a serving Headteacher looking for a new challenge in a beautiful part of the UK. What is most important is that you are an exceptional and optimistic leader of staff and students, with a passion for our school community and a relentless drive to raise standards and achieve excellence for all. In return, you will have the autonomy to do the right things to rapidly move the school forward, with the support of strong and effective colleagues at all levels. 

If this sounds like you, please get in touch to discuss this exciting role in more detail. More information can be found here: changinglives.our-careers.co.uk. To arrange a confidential conversation, please contact our recruitment partners at Propelo by emailing changinglives@propelo.co.uk or call 01273 222877. 

Closing date for applications: Monday 30th September 2024, 9am
Interviews: Thursday 10th and Friday 11th October 2024

Changing Lives Learning Trust values equality and diversity and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. We may also conduct an online search about any shortlisted candidates as part of our due diligence to identify any matters that might relate directly to our legal duty to meet safeguarding duties, in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)