Deputy Principal in Croydon

Oasis Academy Coulsdon is seeking an exceptional Deputy Principal who can turn values into impact. Someone who understands that a truly great school is built on belonging, high expectations, and unwavering belief in the potential of every child. This role is a deliberate bridge to future headship, offering whole-school leadership, trust-wide development, and the scope to shape systems that endure.

Our community is richly diverse with a large SEND base; we are proud of our inclusive culture where needs are met with expertise, warmth, and ambition. We’re trauma-informed by design and restorative in practice, prioritising relationships, teaching behaviour, and creating the conditions for growth and learning. Most importantly, these elements are all underpinned by high expectations. As staff, we have high expectations of our students, and we ask our students to have high expectations of us. We want a Deputy Principal who can drive these principles forward, not as initiatives, but as the backbone of how we lead, teach, and support.

The work you’ll lead:

• Culture & standards: set, promote, and expect high standards across the board; behaviour, attendance, safeguarding, and professional conduct. We want students and staff to know what excellence looks like and how to achieve it.
• Inclusion & SEND: lead a high-quality, evidence-based provision across our large SEND base; securing ambitious pathways, providing adaptive teaching, and ensuring robust progress monitoring for all learners.
• Trauma-informed, restorative practice: embed approaches that teach regulation and repairing relationships to keep students learning.
• Teaching, learning & curriculum: work closely with the Teaching and Learning Deputy Principal to shape interventions for students who need them, based on their specific requirements.
• People & professional growth: coach staff, from ECTs to middle leaders, to thrive. Build capacity through feedback, deliberate practices, and leadership development coaching that readies colleagues for broader responsibility.
• Operational excellence: use data intelligently to diagnose, plan, and evaluate impact.
• Community & Trust collaboration: contribute to Trust-wide networks, leverage shared expertise, and strengthen family partnerships.

What Success Looks Like:

• A visible, consistent culture where high expectations feel fair, predictable, and aspirational.
• Improved outcomes for students with SEND, evidenced in progress, attendance, and engagement.
• Reduced exclusions and improved readiness to learn through embedded restorative practice.
• Clear, coherent teaching routines and curriculum intent, with stronger teacher confidence and consistency.
• A coaching programme that grows leaders and teachers, with improved retention and readiness for promotion.

Our offer to you:

• Leadership development designed to prepare you for headship from our engaged leadership team locally and across the Trust - mentoring, Trust-wide programmes, and cross-academy networks.
• A values-led environment where inclusion, equity, and excellence are non-negotiable.
• A collaborative Leadership Team that backs you to lead boldly and thoughtfully.
• The opportunity to make a lasting difference for young people and families in our community.
• Personalised benefits in everything from holidays to gym memberships.
• Flexibility to manage your work-life balance in a way that works for you – no one-size-fits-all approach here.

Who You Are:

• An inclusive leader who sees potential before profile and believes in ambitious outcomes for all.
• A strategic thinker with a big-picture view. You’re able to join the dots across culture, curriculum, operations, and community.
• A skilled coach who grows people, builds trust, and uses evidence to improve practice.
• A cool and collected problem-solver, able to be clear, calm, and credible under pressure.
• A reflective practitioner with integrity and strong safeguarding literacy.
• Ready for headship, and eager to learn at pace.

How To Apply:

Sound like the perfect role for you? Apply now! We strongly encourage academy visits and informal conversations ahead of submitting your application. Please begin your application to see contact details and arrange this. To start your application, click ‘Apply’. We will review applications as they are submitted. Closing date: 23:59 22 February. Interviews: 9 and 10 March. Please make sure you are available to attend both interview days if you are shortlisted. Detailed information will be shared in interview invitations. Should you have any queries about the application and/or interview process, please begin your application to see contact details.

Safeguarding Statement: Oasis Academy Coulsdon is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We particularly welcome applications from underrepresented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.