Founding Principal in High Wycombe

Founding Principal

MacIntyre College, Buckinghamshire

£65,000 per annum | Permanent | 35 hours per week | 44 weeks per year

Loudwater, Buckinghamshire | Preferred start: January 2027

Build a College. Shape its future. Lead what you create.

How often do you get the opportunity to build a new College from the ground up and then lead it?

MacIntyre College will open in Buckinghamshire in September 2027 as a new specialist post-16 provision for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism. We are looking for an ambitious education leader to join us ahead of opening and turn our vision into reality.

As our Founding Principal, you will have a genuine opportunity to shape the College from the outset. You will develop the curriculum, recruit and build your team, establish the culture and learning environment, and lead the practical work required to ensure the College is ready to welcome its first learners.

Then, from September 2027, you will lead the College you have helped to create.

The opportunity

Preparation for Adulthood will sit at the heart of MacIntyre College, supporting young people towards greater independence, employment, community inclusion, health and fulfilling adult lives.

Joining during the founding phase, you will lead across:

• the vision, culture and Preparation for Adulthood offer
• curriculum development, assessment and EHCP delivery
• DfE and Ofsted registration and operational readiness
• recruitment, induction and development of the College team
• safeguarding, health and safety, quality assurance and governance
• high-needs funding, commissioning and financial management
• relationships with local authorities, including referral and placement pathways
• partnerships with families, employers, health professionals and the wider community

This is a role with significant autonomy and influence, but you won't be building the College alone. You will report to our Director for Children & Young People, join the CYP Executive Leadership Team and have the support and expertise of colleagues across MacIntyre.

#IND

Who we're looking for

You may already be a Principal or Headteacher, or you may be an ambitious Deputy or Vice Principal ready to take the next step into your first Principal role.

We are open-minded about where you have built your experience. You could currently be working within specialist FE, SEND or post-16 education, alternative provision, or another high-needs education setting.

More important is your ability to bring strong educational leadership together with the practical judgement and drive needed to build something new.

We would particularly like to hear from leaders with experience of:

• leading education for young people with EHCPs and complex needs
• curriculum development and quality improvement
• Ofsted inspection and regulatory requirements
• SEND and safeguarding
• high-needs/post-16 funding, commissioning and working with local authorities
• building trusted relationships with young people, families and partners
• leading people through change and turning strategy into delivery

Experience of establishing a new provision would be valuable, but it isn't essential. What matters is that you can see the opportunity in starting with a strong vision and helping us turn it into an exceptional College.

Why MacIntyre?

MacIntyre has been supporting children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and/or autism for 60 years.

Our new College builds on our established work with young people in Buckinghamshire and gives the successful candidate something increasingly rare in education: the opportunity to influence almost every aspect of a new provision before the doors open.

You will have the freedom to shape something meaningful, backed by an established national organisation and colleagues who share your ambition for young people.

Interested?

If this opportunity interests you but you're not sure whether your experience quite fits, we'd still like to hear from you.

We particularly welcome conversations with experienced Deputies and Vice Principals who may be considering their first Principal role. For an informal and confidential conversation about the opportunity before applying, please contact Sue Presence

sue.presence@macintyrecharity.org, 07971 567699

Preferred start: January 2027. We recognise the notice periods that apply to senior roles within education and would welcome a conversation with exceptional candidates about their availability.

Closing date: 1st November 2026

Interviews: W/C 9th November 2026

Please download our Candidate Information Pack for more information about MacIntyre College, the role and our plans for September 2027.