Headteacher
Location: City of Southampton
Contract Type: Full Time
Start Date: September 2025 or earlier by negotiation
St Anne’s is a 11-18 Catholic School founded by the La Sainte Union Sisters, providing an outstanding education for girls (and boys 16-18) covering the Greater Southampton area. St Anne’s was judged to be Outstanding for its second inspection in a row in September 2022. Inspectors highlighted our diversity but also the way we have kept true to our values.
GCSE results regularly place St Anne’s in the top 10% of schools nationally. Our A Level results are similarly impressive making St Anne’s one of the most successful 6th Form Colleges in the Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire area.
Now part of Gaudete, the family of schools founded by religious orders, we continue to work closely with the LSU Sisters who founded us. We consequently have deep roots in the communities we serve with a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves – the neighbourhoods and society around us, the Catholic community in the city of Southampton, the nation, and the wider world.
While there is a great deal for us to celebrate, our search for a Headteacher also falls at a challenging time for our School. We are currently supporting the police who are investigating the conduct of former members of staff. While our recent Ofsted monitoring visit (June 2024), which was solely focused on safeguarding, has found our processes and culture to be effective – rightly, there are questions being asked about our past. Our next Headteacher will need to continue to work closely with our community to help strengthen trust and relationships.
We are interested in having preliminary, confidential conversations with Catholic school leaders who have the gift for leadership and believe profoundly in the transformative role of Catholic education to improve the lives of others and how to make that a reality.
For an existing Headteacher this could be the next big challenge you seek …or equally the role may appeal to a Deputy Head with still yet untapped potential. Either way, you will be ably supported by a capable SLT and experienced Governors.
In the words of our Head Girls and Student Head of Sixth Form:
“Our school wholeheartedly values compassion, kindness and determination - the qualities we believe our Headteacher should embody, every day. By choosing St Anne’s, you are choosing to be part of a family whose roots stem from a rich history and legacy. Leading our community is a meaningful decision, and we hope you will approach the role with our school motto, Semper fidelis meaning ‘always faithful,’ in mind.”
A requirement of the post is that applicants must be practising Catholics.
Closing: Mon 17 February at 12 Noon
Shortlisting: Tue 18 February
Interviews: Tue 25 and Wed 26 February
If you are an existing Headteacher or an Aspiring Head looking for a new challenge then please email Liam Dowds, our advising Emmaus consultant in complete confidence, for an Application Pack at ldowds@emmausleadership.me or call him on 01737 652 043 for an exploratory chat. DO NOT APPLY ONLINE.
Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and all applicants are expected to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to pre-employment checks, including satisfactory references and an Enhanced DBS check.