The posting
Job Title: Assistant Principal
Contract: Fixed Term Contract until 31 August 2027 (maternity contract)
Actual Salary: L3 - L8 (£56,298 - £63,688)
Start Date: January 2027
Bring your vision, resilience and passion for learning to a school where excellence, equity and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do.
Summerhill Academy is seeking an enthusiastic, dynamic and committed Assistant Principal with teaching responsibilities to join our Senior Leadership Team. Working closely with the Principal and wider leadership team, you will play a key role in both the strategic direction and day-to-day operation of the academy, helping to drive whole-school improvement and ensure the best possible outcomes for every child.
Located in St George, Bristol, Summerhill Academy is a junior school at the heart of a diverse and vibrant community. We are proud to offer a broad, inspiring and ambitious curriculum that reflects the needs of our pupils and provides opportunities for every child to flourish.
Our commitment to high standards of teaching and learning is underpinned by a kind, caring and inclusive environment where every child is valued, supported and encouraged to succeed. We want our pupils to leave Summerhill Academy with a strong sense of community and purpose, equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to achieve their full potential and thrive in the future.
As Assistant Principal, you will work collaboratively with the leadership team to build on the academy’s existing strengths, maintain its high standards and lead further improvement. This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the continued success of the school, providing additional leadership capacity and supporting the effective delivery of our shared vision. A key priority of the role will be the induction, mentoring and professional development of colleagues who are new to the academy, including Early Career Teachers (ECTs). You will take on the role of dedicated Induction Tutor and mentor, providing high-quality guidance, support and challenge to help colleagues develop their practice and confidence. You will also work closely with teachers across their respective year groups to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning and ensure consistently positive experiences and outcomes for our pupils.
We are looking for a leader who combines ambition with compassion, brings energy and fresh thinking to their work, and is committed to developing both people and practice. If you are passionate about educational excellence, inclusive leadership and making a lasting difference to the lives of children and colleagues, we would love to hear from you.
Why CLF?
We are a diverse and inclusive community of 37 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.
- Shared CLF curriculum, written and curated by trust experts, reducing individual teacher workload.
- 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: w/c 2 November 2026
Closing Date: 8 November 2026 @ 11.59pm
Shortlisting Date: 9 November 2026
Interview Date: 17 November 2026
We welcome visits from potential candidates.
If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact our Operations Manager Phoebe Coke at Summerhill Academy – Phoebe.Coke @clf.uk
How to apply:
Please complete a full application form via the Eteach website. As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through the application form.
Please note: There is a requirement on page 24 of the Candidate Information Pack 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.
Updates regarding an application, which could include an invite to interview, will be sent to the email address used when registering an account.
Skilled Worker sponsorship: This role may be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship, subject to the candidate meeting the applicable Home Office eligibility and salary requirements. Full-time and 0.8 FTE positions will generally meet the required salary threshold; for other part-time working arrangements, eligibility will depend on the salary applicable to the role and the candidate's working pattern. To help us assess whether sponsorship may be available, we encourage candidates who require sponsorship to provide their current salary information when completing the application form.
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.
