Deputy Headteacher

About the role

The award-winning London South East Academies Trust is proud to be the new provider of Alternative Provision in East Sussex.

East Sussex Academy, set across three sites, is on an exciting journey of improvement and transformation to ensure that every child and young person receives the support they need to progress and achieve their personal best. This will be accomplished by improving the quality of education while raising aspirations and expectations for staff, pupils and their families.

The Deputy Headteacher will lead the secondary provision in Hastings, supported by the Headteacher, a strong Senior Leadership Team, and the Trust's wider community of dedicated and talented professionals committed to educational excellence and innovation, including the Director of Quality Assurance and Deputy CEO.

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to join an ambitious and inspirational Senior Leadership Team strengthening and transforming Alternative Provision across the region.

A challenging yet highly rewarding role requiring strong leadership skills, experience of supporting vulnerable secondary-aged pupils, and a commitment to inspiring and empowering every young person to thrive. Success in this role depends on building trusting relationships, acting consistently in the best interests of pupils, and creating a supportive environment in which every learner can flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.

From 1 September 2025, we will be delivering Alternative Provision across East Sussex - supporting children who have been excluded from school or who may be at risk of exclusion. This follows a decision by the Department for Education last year, to transfer the provision (currently named College Central, part of Sabden Multi Academy Trust) to London South East Academies Trust.

Our aim is to ensure continuity and care for pupils during this transition, as we begin an exciting journey of improvement. We are committed to delivering high quality education for pupils, many of whom have had challenging experiences in mainstream settings and need support and encouragement to access learning. Ahead of the school's transfer into LSEAT (at which point it will officially become East Sussex Academy) we are already implementing some bespoke provision and services to support young people and schools across the county.

This includes a Satellite AP, a Government-funded AP Taskforce and an Outreach Service.

Thank you for your interest in East Sussex Academy. We look forward to working with you in the coming months as we strengthen and improve Alternative Provision across the region.

London South East Academies Trust is a growing and ambitious Multi-Academy Trust, currently comprising mainstream, special and alternative provision academies, alongside an outreach service and a music hub. Our schools are located across Bromley, Bexley, Sussex, Lambeth and Surrey, serving a wide range of communities and educational contexts.

Across the Trust, our schools share a strong commitment to raising attainment, encouraging aspiration and supporting social mobility for every pupil, throughout their educational journey and beyond. We take a holistic but personalised approach to education, recognising that children thrive when their individual strengths, needs and circumstances are properly understood and supported. This enables pupils to flourish and achieve their full potential, whatever their starting point.

We believe that great schools are built by great people. As a Trust, we invest in our staff through strong professional development and leadership opportunities, clear expectations and supportive structures. We actively encourage collaboration and the sharing of best practice across schools, supported by high-quality, cost-effective central services that allow leaders and teachers to focus on what matters most: improving outcomes for pupils.

London South East Academies Trust sits within the Elevare Civic Education Group, which also includes a multi-campus further and higher education college, London South East Colleges and a charitable foundation, Elevare Education Foundation. This unique structure provides meaningful progression pathways for pupils and families, as well as broad development and career opportunities for staff across the wider Group.

Our teams are united by a shared belief in the power of education to change lives. By continuing to grow our Trust and welcoming new expertise and perspectives, we aim to strengthen our schools further and extend the positive impact we have on our communities.

London South East Academies Trust is fully committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and to creating a diverse, inclusive and respectful working environment, free from discrimination and harassment. We welcome and encourage applications from all, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age,…