DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
Contract: Permanent
Actual Salary: L13-L17 (£69,596 - £76,772)
Start Date: September 2026
Your opportunity to support a specialist SEMH provision where every staff member is proud to support students to develop a sense of self, sense of place and sense of community:
Cabot Learning Federation is seeking to appoint a dynamic leader who is committed to driving academic improvement for its students at The Brook Academy in Gloucester. This role involves supporting the leadership of the academy, a happy school filled with wonderful students and staff. The successful candidate will collaborate with senior leaders across specialist and alternative provisions to ensure that children with an EHCP are supported to ‘level up’ their educational outcomes and remain actively engaged in learning through tailored facilities and programmes.
Brook Academy provides an ambitious and supportive specialist curriculum for pupils aged 11–16 across Key Stages 3 and 4, with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs as a primary area of need. Secondary needs may include Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), attachment difficulties, and the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Brook Academy is commissioned to provide up to 80 specialist places for pupils whose complex needs require a specialist setting. The provision delivers high-quality, personalised pathways informed by trauma-informed practice, nurture-based approaches, and a strong focus on preparation for adulthood.
The provision is designed to support pupils in making progress towards their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) outcomes, through a combination of academic, vocational, and therapeutic support.
Full role information and requirements, including the job description and person specification, can be found in the attached candidate information pack.
Why CLF?
We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.
We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters. We particularly encourage applicants from those groups in order to represent the students we serve, as well as wider underrepresented groups including gender, transgender, age disability, sexual orientation or religion.
What we can offer you:
- Access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
- Comprehensive induction and ongoing support for career development and wellbeing.
- Sector-leading professional development entitlement and opportunities.
- Collaboration with colleagues across the trust through subject communities and specialist networks.
- Career enhancing and progression opportunities within the trust and through the CLF Institute.
- A collaborative culture which supports workload.
- Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
- A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
- Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking and many more!
Recruitment timeline:
Academy tours*: Week commencing 11 May
Closing Date: 1 June 2026 @ 8.59am
Short-listing: 1 June 2026
Interviews**: 8 June and 9 June 2026
*We welcome visits from potential candidates. If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact the academy/site directly to arrange a suitable appointment.
**This is a two-day process (a first full assessment day, with the final interview on day two).
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.
TO APPLY
Please complete an application form via the Eteach website. You can find the role by searching the role title in the search bar and will then be able to setup an account/login to your account and apply from there.
Please note: there is a requirement for you to include requested information within the Supporting Statement section of the application form. This information will be reviewed during short-listing, as part of your application for this role. The Supporting Statement section does not allow anything over an 8,000-character limit - this is equivalent to 2/3 pages of text in Word, depending on spacing/formatting used. The application form will highlight how many characters you have used/if you reach the limit.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT INFORMATION REQUIRED
In your Supporting Statement section, please include information relating to your motivation for applying for the role as Deputy Principal. We are keen to discover more about the experiences you have gained that have prepared you for a post such as this. It would be helpful if you could construct your Supporting Statement
AROUND THESE THREE AREAS:
• How have the experiences you have had in your career to date prepared you for the role of Deputy Principal? Please include any examples of particular projects or initiatives that have had impact. Consider how your experience and achievements match the requirements of this Position.
• The makings of a successful school leader and how would you measure your own success in September 2027.
• What you would do in your first 100 days in post to establish yourself as Deputy Principal within the Academy.
Updates regarding an application, which could include an invite to interview, will be sent to the email address used when registering an account.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.
