Headteacher
| Posting date: | 30 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 October 2025 |
| Location: | Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 6AF |
| Company: | Teaching Vacancies |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | ff1106f1-4d07-430d-be00-7c956a252cc9 |
Summary
What skills and experience we're looking for
Excelsior Academy offers transformative education at the heart of a vibrant and highly diverse area of Newcastle. We proudly serve a community that, whilst it has experienced long term disadvantage and challenge, is ambitious for the future. Excelsior is a coeducational Academy which opened in 2008. Over the next few years, the primary phase will gradually close with the Academy reverting to provision of education for the 11-18 age range.
Excelsior is the founding academy of Laidlaw Schools Trust, an inclusive multi academy trust which specialises in raising aspirations in disadvantaged communities across the Northeast of England. LST academies benefit from additional support for welfare and personal development provision, as well as strong shared services including School Improvement support. Whilst the Trust shares common values and some aspects of aligned practice/ approach, each academy is a distinctive institution serving their unique community.
Due to the retirement later this year of our current Headteacher, the Trustees are seeking to appoint an inspirational, values led individual to lead Excelsior Academy starting April 2026 (preferably for handover but open for discussion). This full-time role is an exciting opportunity to lead a large, inclusive Academy into the next, exciting stage of its development. The Academy is on a journey of rapid improvement, with a positive recent Ofsted monitoring visit and improving academic outcomes.
Over the coming year, Excelsior will benefit from the Laidlaw Foundation’s investment in the LST pupil one to one device strategy, driving innovation in teaching and learning, improvement in workload and enhancement of accessibility for all our pupils.
The successful candidate will possess the vision, knowledge, experience and tenacity to enable the entire Excelsior community to move forward together. They will be skilled in engaging staff, children, parents and carers in their vision for the academy’s continuous improvement. Our new Headteacher will have a track record of establishing and driving high expectations, be fully committed to inclusion and community connection and have an in- depth knowledge and understanding of current educational priorities in all key stages.
Excelsior is a dynamic, fast paced environment and this post will offer a fresh challenge to an individual with experience as a Head of School or a Headteacher of a smaller school. They will possess the interpersonal skills to inspire and develop individuals and teams, and the ability to raise educational standards in all aspects of school life. Our new Headteacher will have the ability to work with governors and other stakeholders, undertake strategic planning, resource management and curriculum development.
What the school offers its staff
To see the full Job Description and Person Specification for this role please refer to the attached supporting documents where you will also find a Candidate Information pack with full details of our benefits package.
We invite interested applicants to visit Excelsior Academy and meet key members of the team. To arrange a visit or a confidential discussion with our Strategic Director for Quality of Education and Secondary Matters, please contact Hannah Kiernan at: hannah.kiernan@laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk
The closing date for applications is 9am on Wednesday 22nd October 2025
We are an equal opportunities employer strongly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their commitment to children’s safeguarding. All successful appointments will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a range of other pre-employment recruitment checks. For shortlisted candidates, we will conduct an online search as part of our screening.
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Excelsior Academy offers transformative education at the heart of a vibrant and highly diverse area of Newcastle. We proudly serve a community that, whilst it has experienced long term disadvantage and challenge, is ambitious for the future. Excelsior is a coeducational Academy which opened in 2008. Over the next few years, the primary phase will gradually close with the Academy reverting to provision of education for the 11-18 age range.
Excelsior is the founding academy of Laidlaw Schools Trust, an inclusive multi academy trust which specialises in raising aspirations in disadvantaged communities across the Northeast of England. LST academies benefit from additional support for welfare and personal development provision, as well as strong shared services including School Improvement support. Whilst the Trust shares common values and some aspects of aligned practice/ approach, each academy is a distinctive institution serving their unique community.
Due to the retirement later this year of our current Headteacher, the Trustees are seeking to appoint an inspirational, values led individual to lead Excelsior Academy starting April 2026 (preferably for handover but open for discussion). This full-time role is an exciting opportunity to lead a large, inclusive Academy into the next, exciting stage of its development. The Academy is on a journey of rapid improvement, with a positive recent Ofsted monitoring visit and improving academic outcomes.
Over the coming year, Excelsior will benefit from the Laidlaw Foundation’s investment in the LST pupil one to one device strategy, driving innovation in teaching and learning, improvement in workload and enhancement of accessibility for all our pupils.
The successful candidate will possess the vision, knowledge, experience and tenacity to enable the entire Excelsior community to move forward together. They will be skilled in engaging staff, children, parents and carers in their vision for the academy’s continuous improvement. Our new Headteacher will have a track record of establishing and driving high expectations, be fully committed to inclusion and community connection and have an in- depth knowledge and understanding of current educational priorities in all key stages.
Excelsior is a dynamic, fast paced environment and this post will offer a fresh challenge to an individual with experience as a Head of School or a Headteacher of a smaller school. They will possess the interpersonal skills to inspire and develop individuals and teams, and the ability to raise educational standards in all aspects of school life. Our new Headteacher will have the ability to work with governors and other stakeholders, undertake strategic planning, resource management and curriculum development.
What the school offers its staff
To see the full Job Description and Person Specification for this role please refer to the attached supporting documents where you will also find a Candidate Information pack with full details of our benefits package.
We invite interested applicants to visit Excelsior Academy and meet key members of the team. To arrange a visit or a confidential discussion with our Strategic Director for Quality of Education and Secondary Matters, please contact Hannah Kiernan at: hannah.kiernan@laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk
The closing date for applications is 9am on Wednesday 22nd October 2025
We are an equal opportunities employer strongly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their commitment to children’s safeguarding. All successful appointments will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a range of other pre-employment recruitment checks. For shortlisted candidates, we will conduct an online search as part of our screening.
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.