Salary: Leadership L11 - L16 £76,154.00 - £84,840.00
Location: Carew Academy, 33 Headley Avenue, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 8NQ
Working Pattern: 36 hours per week 52 weeks per year
Carew Academy is an Outstanding special school supporting students aged 7 to 18 with a wide range of abilities and additional learning needs, including those with complex needs.
We are excited to be based in Wallington on a brand-new site in a purpose-built school designed to meet the diverse needs of our students. This new environment offers enhanced facilities and spaces that support our broad and balanced curriculum, which is enriched by opportunities such as residential trips, curriculum visits, and access to a comprehensive range of on-site therapies.
Carew Academy is a vibrant and welcoming school and offers many opportunities for professionals who want a rewarding career enabling young people to achieve their full potential. To find out more about us visit our school website
We are looking for an exceptional and dedicated Assistant Principal - Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) to join our senior leadership team. This is a pivotal role for an experienced leader who is passionate about safeguarding, committed to promoting the welfare of all students, and driven to make a lasting impact across the whole school community. You will play a strategic and operational role in leading safeguarding practice, supporting staff, and ensuring the highest standards of care, protection, and wellbeing for every pupil.
Key Responsibilities:
• Lead and manage all safeguarding and child protection provision across the school, ensuring robust, effective systems and a strong safeguarding culture.
• Provide leadership and supervision to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs), overseeing case management and referrals.
• Act as the main point of contact for safeguarding concerns, working closely with staff, families, and external agencies.
• Develop, deliver, and monitor safeguarding training to ensure all staff are confident and compliant with current legislation and best practice.
• Maintain accurate, secure safeguarding records and use data to inform strategic planning and improve student outcomes
Key Requirements:
• Qualified Teacher Status
• Degree-level qualification
• Level 3 Safeguarding training
• Experience managing safeguarding in a school or relevant setting
• Relevant, recent professional development
• Right to work in the UK
OHCAT is an exciting, forward-thinking organisation, and we offer many benefits to attract and keep our staff, contributing towards maintaining and improving wellbeing, and encouraging our required behaviours, achievements, values, and skills. Below is just a selection of the benefits available to our employees:
Rewards & Benefits:
• Pathways for progression within the trust, ensuring you can grow and thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.
• Pension Scheme - you will be enrolled in either the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), both offering life cover and financial protection for your family.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes (Cycle Scheme, Employee Car Lease Scheme and Home Electronics Scheme)
• Employee Wellbeing - We support employee wellbeing with access to counselling, mental health support, generous leave, flexible working, and enhanced parental leave including Employee Assistance Programme, MyGym Discounts, Corporate Eyecare Scheme
• Employee Discounts (Blue Light Card, Costco Membership, Discounts for Teachers, and more)
• Other (Season Ticket Loan and Employee Referral Scheme)
Find out what makes Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust a truly rewarding place to work – visit our ‘Work for Us’ page to learn more about our values, opportunities and the difference our staff make every day.
Our Trust:
Carew Academy is part of Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust. We are a family of specialist education providers from pre-school through to further education across London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire and fully represent all designations of special education needs and disabilities (SEND). To find out more about us, and what makes us a special place to work please visit our website.
We are committed to promoting and advancing equality of opportunity by attracting and retaining the most diverse range of students, staff and partners.
Working together to transform lives is what we do and across the whole organisation we have a range of experts and practitioners who advocate for children and young people with SEND to ensure they receive the best possible opportunities to achieve their full potential.
As a large specialist education provider we employ over 1500 people across our schools, college and central support team. There is a wide range of job roles available, ranging from teaching and therapy to business support roles and significant career progression opportunities.
It is an exciting time to be part of OHCAT and we are keen to recruit talented people who can play a key role in realising our mission and who want to make a difference. In return, we offer training and development, competitive pay and benefits in a positive and inclusive working environment.
If you wish to discuss this opportunity before or after submitting an application form, please get in touch with the School directly. Visits to the School in advance of applications are encouraged.
Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.
To apply for this role, please click ‘Fast Apply’, you will then be directed to a ‘Login’ page, once signed in, please complete and submit the Application Form.
Please note that CV applications cannot be considered.
To ensure a fair opportunity for all applicants, candidates who have applied for this position in the past 6 months will not be considered.
Closing Date: 30th April 2026
Interviews will take place on: 13th May 2026
To help us manage applications effectively, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient suitable applications are received.