Executive Principal: Sir John A Townsley BA (Hons) NPQH
Chair of the Board: Mr D Morgan
SJT/MR/caw
October 2016
An outstanding opportunity for an outstanding candidate.
Dear Colleague
We are delighted that you are considering applying for the position of Principal at what will be
from September 2017, The Stephen Longfellow Academy. This is the third free school being
sponsored by The GORSE Academies Trust, itself an Outsanding organisation.
This is obviously a key post and the successful candidate will work directly to the partnership’s
Executive Principal, Sir John Townsley and our Director of Primary Education, Mr Mark Randall.
The quality of alternative provision in the Leeds city region is woefully inadequate. At best it
could be described as a disjointed gathering of initiatives, some run by private organisations
others with the support of the local authority. There are insufficient places for children who are
most in need of therapeutic, psychological and psychiatric support and for those who do
manage to secure some specialist mental health support it is often at the cost of their academic
education. Additionally the incoherent range of provision which is available for secondary age
students is almost non-existent for primary age pupils. As an example there are only 24 PRU
places available in the primary sector for the whole of the Leeds local authority which is the
second largest unitary authority in England.
Our work as a Trust over the course of the last three years has taught us a great deal about the
importance of establishing exceptionally effective alternative provision for all children including
those in primary age education. It is in fact our view that it is essential that the kind of support
that children who have experienced significant trauma and difficulty in their lives need those
issues to be addressed as early as possible; all too often we see young people emerging and
in need of significant additional support in the later part of the secondary stage of education
when it is all too often too late to provide the support that is required. That is why The Stephen
Longfellow Academy will offer an equal number of places to primary age pupils as it does to
students from the secondary stage.
In total The Stephen Longfellow Academy will offer 300 alternative provision places. It will be
divided into 4 schools each one facilitating 75 places. The first school will accommodate
children in Key Stage 1, the second will offer the same in Key Stage 2. A third school will
facilitate 75 Key Stage 3 places and the fourth and final school will offer 75 Key Stage 4 places.
Each school will be overseen by its own school leader who will work directly to the Principal
and Vice Principal of the academy. The schools will be entirely separate with their own staff,
facilities and secure zones within the overall building.
The Stephen Longfellow Academy will have as its motto ‘We will never give up on you’. It will
process no permanent exclusions. The academy will ensure that children from some the most
troubled and challenging backgrounds in the Leeds city region enjoy and benefit from a fine
academic education whilst at the same time being properly supported through psychiatric and
therapeutic support which is of the highest standard.
1
Should you be successful in this application, you will find yourself joining an institution which is
unashamedly ambitious, proud of its many achievements and single minded in its determination
to establish and build truly brilliant schools.
Above all else, along with the Governing Body we are looking for a colleague who is passionate
about working with young people of all abilities and has already displayed the talent and drive
required in delivering outstanding whole school leadership. The successful candidate will need
to be an exceptionally good teacher, a pragmatist, a visionary and someone who sees through
to full completion the initiatives that they implement and lead. We are looking for someone who
is resilient enough to thrive in the challenging environment of leadership in an outstanding team.
How To Apply
Interview timetable
Closing Date – Wednesday 19 October 2016 (12 Noon)
Interview Date – Monday 31 October 2016
You will be required to submit an application form and supporting statement. Your supporting
statement should be no longer than 3 sides of A4 and should explain why you are applying for
this post and provide evidence of your proven experience and skills, abilities and knowledge.
You also need to set out your view of the challenges facing The Stephen Longfellow Academy
and how you would oversee its journey to becoming an Outstanding institution.
Please return your electronic completed application to: Email: [email protected]
We very much look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Sir John Townsley
Executive Principal
Black Bull Street, Leeds. LS10 1HW
T 0113 3945262
E [email protected]
W www.tgat.org.uk
Mr Mark Randall
Director of Primary Education
The Morley Academy
The Farnley Academy