Salary:
Headteacher Pay Group 8. Salary negotiable for an excellent candidate. Relocation allowance available.
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Start date:
September 2025
Apply by:
10 February 2025
Job overview
We are seeking to appoint an inspirational and experienced leader to serve as our Headteacher. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a thriving academy grounded in Christian values and committed to academic excellence.
Ripley St Thomas is a high-performing Church of England Academy with a strong Christian ethos. Our mission is to inspire and nurture the spiritual, academic, and personal growth of every student, empowering them to achieve their highest potential.
As Headteacher, you will:
1. Lead the academy’s Christian mission, embodying and promoting our ethos in every aspect of school life.
2. Inspire a culture of excellence, equality, and high expectations for all students.
3. Drive strategic leadership, working closely with the Local Governing Body, Bay Learning Trust, and wider community partners.
4. Ensure the highest standards of teaching, learning, and pastoral care.
5. Build and maintain strong relationships with staff, students, parents, and local church communities.
About You:
We are looking for a leader who:
1. Holds Qualified Teacher Status and relevant leadership experience.
2. Demonstrates a deep understanding of the unique context of Church of England schools.
3. Is an active and committed member of a Protestant Church, with a positive reference from a vicar or minister.
4. Has a proven track record of school improvement and the ability to inspire and lead a team.
5. Is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Why Join Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy?
1. A high-performing academy with a supportive and collaborative community.
2. Opportunities to shape education across the Bay Learning Trust.
3. A relocation allowance is available for the right candidate.
Ripley St Thomas C of E Academy is a mixed, oversubscribed 11-18 comprehensive school with a tradition of academic excellence. The school is a strong Christian community.
Ripley St Thomas C of E Academy is an inclusive school that seeks to promote diversity in the workplace. This is reflected in our Mission Statement where “we aim for all members of our Christian community to flourish spiritually, academically and personally so that they can live life in all its fullness.” We are committed to equal opportunities and promoting the health and welfare of our school community.
Salary: Headteacher Pay Group 8, range dependant on experience. Salary negotiable for an excellent candidate.
Closing Date: 9am on Monday 10 February 2025
Interviews: Two-day process, Thursday and Friday 13 and 14 February 2025
Start Date: September 2025
Expenses will be paid for any necessary travel and accommodation.
Please see the applicant information pack for full details. To arrange an informal, confidential conversation about the role, please contact Caroline Wilson, HR Associate, at
recruitment@baylearningtrust.com
for further details.
About Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy
* Address: Ashton Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4RS, United Kingdom
* Phone: +44 1524 64496
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy is situated in the historic city of Lancaster within easy distance of Morecambe Bay and the wonderful scenery of the Lake District, the Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales.
Ripley was founded in 1864, the gift of Thomas and Julia Ripley, who established the school to provide an education for children from impoverished families. The school was built as a boarding school for 150 boys and 150 girls and has grown to be the largest school in Lancashire with over 1700 pupils, c300 of whom are in the sixth form. Ripley became an academy in 2011.
The academy seeks to combine innovation with its strong traditions. Our buildings provide an excellent symbol of this with our Grade 2* listed chapel alongside a modern glass dining hall and a state-of-the-art new library facility. The working farm, a feature of the building from its earliest days, continues to thrive and all our young people study Agriculture and Horticulture at KS3. The lambing season is one of the highlights of the year!
Our Christian foundation underpins all we do; our desire to develop young people in body, mind and spirit is evidenced by the strength of the academy chaplaincy work, the strong ethos of service and the breadth of our curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Our desire is that every young person should find a niche at Ripley where he/she can succeed, develop and make a positive contribution to the academy community and beyond.
Ripley is a successful and ambitious academy. We have been graded outstanding by Ofsted in all areas. We are a SCITT (School centred initial teacher training) provider. Pupils enter the academy with high previous attainment and leave with results well above the national average. Results are outstanding across nearly all subject areas at each Key Stage. Our A-Level results consistently place us in the top 25% of providers nationally for value-added.
An exciting range of co-curricular provision at the academy offers young people great opportunities to develop and learn new skills. Music and Sport are particular strengths at Ripley with hundreds of young people taking part in practices and rehearsals during the week. A system of leadership challenges through each of the year groups enables pupils to develop the wider skills so essential for success in today’s society. The Duke of Edinburgh award is one of these challenges with almost 400 pupils enrolled; we offer the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. The academy has a long tradition of service with pupils raising significant amounts of money for local, national and international charities and getting involved in charitable ventures.
There are c100 teaching staff and 70 support staff at the academy; all benefit from personalized professional development available to staff at all stages of their career. The staff community at Ripley is very supportive and friendly and makes Ripley a great place to work.
The culture of this school is one of hard work, of service and of commitment to providing the highest quality of educational experience possible for our young people. This is not a school for those who seek a quiet life. We need talented, committed teachers and high-quality leadership to enable Ripley to continue to improve the quality of educational experience for our young people.
Ripley St Thomas CE Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
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