Chief Executive Officer and Headteacher

The Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh; Rochford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sweyne Park School is looking for an exceptional Headteacher to lead and inspire both the school and the Rayleigh Schools Trust. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in education, a vision for inclusive practices, and a commitment to safeguarding the welfare of all students in a community-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in educational leadership and management.
• Passion for comprehensive education and children's welfare.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting well-being.

Responsibilities

• Lead The Sweyne Park School and Rayleigh Schools Trust.
• Shape the educational vision and values.
• Ensure high standards in teaching and learning.

Skills

Visionary leadership

Inclusive education

Strategic thinking

Education

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Leadership experience in education

Job description

Job Ref No. ECC4011-183 Position Type: Headteacher Pay Range: Leadership Point 33 - 41

Position Start Date: 01/01/2026 Contract Type: Full-time Contract Term: Permanent

Application Close: 20/06/2025 Midnight Date of Interviews: tbc

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead both The Sweyne Park School and the Rayleigh Schools Trust, which also includes Glebe Primary School. We are seeking a visionary, inclusive, and strategic leader to shape the future of our trust and uphold the strong values and standards of our well-respected, community-rooted secondary school.

Our vision is clear: excellent education for every child, in an environment built on respect, inclusion, and character development. We believe every pupil and student should be supported to flourish, succeed, and develop the skills to lead a happy, fulfilled life.

If you are passionate about comprehensive education and have the leadership experience to make a lasting impact, we warmly invite your application.

If you share our culture and ethos and believe you can help us achieve our ambitions and unlock the full potential of our pupils and students, we encourage you to apply by sending an application form and covering letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) to our HR Manager at [e-mail].

RST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and visitors to share this commitment. Appointment to this post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) as well as other pre-appointment checks outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2024). To help us meet our high standards and aspirations of a fully diverse and inclusive workplace, we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply and to join us.

Please visit our website www.rayleighschoolstrust.com to access a copy of our Applicants' Pack for potential candidates and our RST Application Form.

Information about the School

Welcome to The Sweyne Park School, we are a larger than average mixed, 11-18 comprehensive school. The School became an academy on 1st April 2013 and opened its Sixth Form in September 2014.

Our school is a safe and happy environment and central to our school is a belief in respect - respect for yourself, respect for others and respect for the environment. We believe that our focus on respect leads to high expectations and excellent discipline, and this in turn leads to the highest possible achievement for each individual pupil. In December 2018 we were the first Secondary School in the East of England to achieve the prestigious Rights Respecting Gold Award.

At Sweyne Park we are determined to provide first class teaching and learning for all our pupils. This aim is supported by our commitment to recruiting and retaining the very best staff, and our nationally recognised programme of staff training. We do our utmost to ensure our pupils achieve strong examination results and progress on to high quality destinations. We provide a broad and balanced academic curriculum with a wide range of cultural, artistic, sporting and social opportunities.We are committed to very strong partnerships between home, school and community members. We believe that the whole community can contribute to motivating and supporting pupils’ progress.In October 2017, the Sweyne Park School and Glebe Primary formed a Multi-Academy Trust, the Rayleigh Schools Trust (“The RST”).

All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.

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