The Sir Robert Woodard Academy, part of the Woodard family of schools, is an oversubscribed and well-established 11 to 18 Academy, located between Worthing and Brighton and serving the students of Lancing, Sompting and Shoreham. The Academy sits proudly within the local community.

At SRWA we focus on delivering high quality inclusive teaching and learning which fires the imagination and supports all students to fulfil their potential, in line with our Academy motto of ‘Aspire to Achieve’. We believe that students succeed when the environment is safe, kind and respectful, and we aim that every student is known and nurtured, with a sense of belonging.

We are excited to be recruiting for an exceptional Assistant Principal to join our Senior Leadership Team from September 2026.

Working collaboratively as part of the senior leadership team, the successful candidate will play a key role in the next phase of the Academy’s development, as we continue to build on the school’s progress and successes. These successes were recognised in January 2026, when the Academy was proudly evaluated under the new Ofsted toolkit as being at ‘Strong Standard’ in four areas and ‘Expected Standard’ in three, further building on the Academy’s 2021 rating of ‘Good’ in all areas.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the exciting next phase of the Academy’s development. They will contribute to the leadership and overall strategic management of the school, in order to improve students' outcomes in all aspects of their education.

We are looking for an ambitious and dynamic individual who can think strategically and deliver with impact. The specific responsibilities of the new Assistant Principal will depend on the strengths, skills and experience of the successful candidate, therefore, we invite applications from candidates with proven leadership experience and a demonstrable record of whole school impact across one or more aspects of school life. We encourage candidates to demonstrate their experience and impact fully in their application, as well as indicating any preference for the area(s) of school leadership where they feel they can add the most value. The responsibilities of members of the Senior Leadership may then vary over time, remaining closely in line with the aims and objectives of the Academy.

 The successful candidate will:

●    Have the skills and capacity to make a significant contribution to the leadership team

●    Be an innovative and inspirational professional, who quickly gains the respect of others

●    Be able to inspire others, with evidence of recent, impactful, whole-school success

●    Be a strong, visible presence who leads by example and contributes to a positive culture

●    Be experienced in implementing change in relation to whole-school improvement in standards

●    Have made a significant contribution to at least one key area of whole-school development

●    Have extensive management experience as a member of SLT or as an impactful middle leader

●    Be able to empower others, hold staff to account and drive improvement where necessary

●    Be able to successfully develop strong positive relationships with all stakeholders

●    Lead by example and model high expectations as an excellent classroom practitioner

●    Have experience in giving constructive lesson observation feedback

●    Hold a strong belief that our students have the potential to be the best at whatever they challenge themselves to be 

●    Be fully committed to inclusive education and to fostering a sense of belonging in students

●    Display excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills.

 At SRWA, our people are at the heart of our success. We invest in our staff with wellbeing support, coaching, mentoring and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level, including senior leadership.

 SRWA teaching staff benefit from the following:

• a collaborative approach and strong collegial relationships;

• the opportunity to join and/or benefit from Action Research Groups;

• proven student progress;

• excellent student behaviour;

• an extensive CPD programme tailored to skills and experience at all levels;

• strong links with Brighton and Sussex Universities and Woodard group schools;

• an established STEM group including work with RICARDO Engineering, a world leading company supporting SRWA;

• free employee assistance programme, dedicated staff wellbeing space and 1-1 mental health booster sessions available;

• free use of the Academy’s onsite gym;

• free on site car parking and easy access to local public transport;

• cycle to work scheme;

• free flu jabs.

 A Staff Well-being survey in May 2025 revealed our staff consider these areas ‘outstanding’:

Academy ethos and overall sense of common purpose

Staff morale and job satisfaction

Support from line managers and colleagues

Caring teachers

Appreciation of staff contribution and opportunities for staff to develop.

 From the January 2026 Ofsted Inspection Report (Full and Final Report attached):

This is a warm and welcoming school where pupils truly thrive. Pupils are happy. They attend regularly and behave well. Pupils are kind and respectful.

Pupils' needs are thoroughly understood, which helps them to feel well cared for and safe. Positive relationships are evident throughout the school.

Leaders have developed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum.

Staff are highly ambitious for all pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged. Pupils have high aspirations and recognise the importance of their education.

 Our commitment to Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities

The Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share in this commitment. All posts will be subject to full safeguarding and vetting checks. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a criminal record self-declaration form and to give consent for an online search to be carried out against their name.  

The successful applicant for this post will be engaging in ‘regulated activity’, therefore they will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS Check. Individuals on the children’s barred list should not apply.  

Please be aware that the DBS check will reveal both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings, and any other information held by local police considered relevant to the role, unless any such information is ‘protected’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended). 

The Academy is committed to equality of opportunity. We positively welcome applications from suitably qualified individuals from all sections of the community.  We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at our Academy is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Closing date: midnight on Sunday, 12th April 2026

Interviews: Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd April 2026

Visit to the Academy: A tour will form part of the interview process; however, if you would prefer a pre-application visit, then we can provide this on Wednesday 25th March: 10.15am-11.00am; attendance must be registered via email to personnel@srwa.co.uk