Ark
Primary Assistant Principal

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Primary Assistant Principal
This role is for a leader who shares our mission to ensure that every child leads a life of genuine choice and can drive their own destiny through an excellent education.
Location: Enfield – easily accessible from central, north, and east London, as well as surrounding areas.
Salary: Ark Leadership Scale (Outer London) L7-L11 £65,205-£71,510 Depending on experience.
Working pattern: Full time
Contract: Permanent
Start date: January 2027
Closing date: Friday 16th October
Interviews: Thursday 22nd October
We will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis, and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.
As Assistant Principal, you will have high expectations and be focused on delivering excellent outcomes for all pupils. You will have the opportunity to lead across key areas of school improvement, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, inclusion, attendance and safeguarding. You will play a key role in ensuring that all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have additional needs, are fully included and supported to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will be centrally involved in the overall leadership and management of the academy and will help to establish a school culture that is both nurturing and rigorous.
At Ark John Keats, all leaders teach. We believe the strongest leaders remain closely connected to the classroom and lead through their direct work with children. The Assistant Principal will maintain teaching commitment and play a central role in securing excellent teaching, learning and outcomes for pupils.
To support leadership development and succession, the specific responsibilities of the Assistant Principal will be reviewed annually. Areas of responsibility and teaching commitments will be determined in line with the Academy Improvement Plan, school priorities and the experience, strengths of the successful candidate. This provides opportunities to develop expertise across different aspects of school leadership whilst making a significant contribution to whole-school improvement.
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We are looking for a leader whose values align closely with those of Ark John Keats Academy. The successful candidate will share our belief that every child can achieve highly and our commitment to removing barriers that prevent children from succeeding. They will be driven by our mission to ensure that all children lead lives of genuine choice and can drive their own destinies through an excellent education. Above all, they will place children at the heart of every decision, demonstrating kindness, effort, aspiration and tenacity in the pursuit of exceptional outcomes for every pupil.
Benefits
- Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale.
- Twice as many training days as standard.
- Generous pension scheme.
- Access to Ark rewards – a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers.
- Interest-free loans – up to £5,000 available for season ticket or to buy a bicycle.
- Gym discounts – offering up to 40%.
- Access to Employee Assistance Programme – providing free, confidential counselling, legal advice and a range of different support.
Find out more about the benefits of working for Ark at arkonline.org/careers/why-work-with-us.
About Us
Ark John Keats was founded in 2013 with one class of reception children. We are now a fully-fledged all-through school, running from nursery to year 13, with over 1700 children. Our secondary school is oversubscribed, with a waiting list for every year group. Our community is composed of supportive and committed families who buy into our vision and work with us to ensure their children achieve all they are capable of in the future.
We aspire for all our children to have the academic knowledge necessary to enable them to progress to university, for pupils to have a love of learning and curiosity about the world, and for them to be polite, well-mannered young people who take responsibility for their choices and drive their own destinies.
Ark John Keats is part of Ark Schools, a hugely successful network serving pupils from deprived communities. Our network shares a belief in our six pillars, find out about them here.


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Visit arkjohnkeats.org/jobs to learn more about us.
How to get to us?
Travelling by rail from central London:
Our nearest overground station, Turkey Street, is a 10 minute walk from the school and stops at Seven Sisters, Stoke Newington and Hackney Downs on the way to Liverpool Street. National Rail services are also a 10 minute walk and stop at Tottenham Hale and Hackney Downs before finishing at Liverpool Street.
Travelling by car:
We are easily reached by car, with most of North East London accessible within 30 minutes. There is free on site parking for staff.
Diversity and inclusion:
We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.
Safeguarding statement:
Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.
Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link.
Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this role may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. We strongly encourage to submit your application at your earliest convenience.
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