[260708C] Headteacher at The Springfields Academy

Post: Headteacher

Location: The Springfields Academy, Curzon Street, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0DS 

FTE Salary Range: Leadership Scale L25 - L31; £93,424 - £108,202

Contract Type: Permanent,  full time

Contract Hours: 1 FTE Monday to Friday

To view our applicant pack, please use the following link:-  Headteacher & Head of School Applicant Pack

Lead Inclusive Excellence. Shape the Future. Transform Lives.

This is a rare opportunity to join Reach South Academy Trust at a pivotal moment of growth, innovation and national significance in SEND education.

We are seeking exceptional leaders to take up highly influential roles across our specialist provision, including this key post as Headteacher at The Springfields Academy.

These are not traditional leadership roles. They are system leadership positions within a Trust that is redefining inclusive education, locally, regionally and increasingly nationally.

Across Reach South, our specialist schools are built on a simple but powerful model: when children feel safe, experience success and build trust, they learn, achieve and thrive. At Springfields this is realised through the vision for all pupils to lead ‘safe, independent lives’.

Aligned to the DfE White Paper “Every Child Achieving and Thriving" (2026), our work contributes to strengthening inclusive provision, outreach and capacity across the education system.

At the heart of this work is The Springfields Academy, recognised for exceptional practice and positioned amongst the very strongest specialist provisions nationally.

“At Springfields, the opportunity is to lead, elevate and innovate a true Centre of Excellence for autism and SEND, delivering exceptional provision alongside outward-facing system leadership.”
Nicola Whitcombe, Regional Director

About the Role

Springfields is a nationally recognised specialist school for pupils with autism, with a strong track record of high-quality provision and outcomes.

• Established reputation for exceptional practice and impact
• Clear ambition to be a Centre of Excellence for autism and SEND
• Significant outreach work supporting the wider school system
• Highly skilled staff and deeply embedded inclusive culture

This is a career-defining opportunity to:

• Lead a sector-leading school into its next phase
• Strengthen its role as a beacon of excellence in SEND
• Expand regional and system-wide influence through outreach
• Shape innovative, research-informed practice at scale

The Opportunity

As part of Reach South’s specialist education leadership team, you will:

• Lead and inspire a high-performing multidisciplinary team
• Deliver exceptional outcomes for pupils with complex needs
• Contribute to a regional SEND hub model, driving system improvement
• Shape inclusive practice beyond your school through outreach and partnerships

Why Join Reach South?

• Be part of a growing, ambitious Trust
• Work within a collaborative regional model
• Influence Trust-wide SEND strategy
• Lead innovation grounded in values, research and inclusion

Who We’re Looking For

We are seeking an exceptional leader who:

• Has a strong track record in SEND leadership and school improvement
• Is strategic, values-driven and system-minded
• Combines educational excellence with deep compassion
• Is ready to lead beyond their own school and influence the wider sector

School Background:

The Springfields Academy is an academy based in Calne. We aspire to build safe independent lives for autistic young people through support, understanding and enablement. Additionally, we hold the National Autistic Society Advanced specialist award and are recognised as an Ofsted good school. We are an acknowledged centre of excellence for Autism; we are highly reflective in our practices, and are continually working to improve our provision and practices. We provide a personalised curriculum journey that enables our autistic learners to develop skills in areas of need and to overcome their barriers to learning. The drive to build ‘safe Independent lives’ shapes this curriculum and everything else that we do. The Academy has a PAN of 250.

About the Trust:

We are a family of schools working in partnership for the benefit of all our pupils and students. We believe our charitable aim, to advance education, is best achieved through collaboration, both within the Trust and beyond.

We operate 21 academies across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, serving learners aged 3 to 19. Alongside our primary, all-through and technical provision, we are proud to include a strong and integral network of seven special schools and one alternative provision setting.

These settings are a vital part of our community, providing inclusive, high-quality education for pupils with a wide range of needs, including complex learning profiles, autism, and social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as those who benefit from a more personalised approach. Together, we are committed to helping every young person thrive.