Head of Academy - Full-time

Olive Academy Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells

• Ref:KCC886-1129-37L
• Posted:23/03/2026
• Pay:Leadership L19 to L23 (£80,655 to £88,951)
• Start Date:Tuesday 1 September 2026
• App Close Date:20/04/2026 at 09:00
• Interviews:Wednesday 29 April & Thursday 30 April 2026

Advert

We are seeking an exceptional and inspirational senior leader to become the next Head of Academy at OA-Tunbridge Wells. You will bring significant experience as a deputy or headteacher, with a proven track record of driving whole school improvement, leading cultural change, and delivering high quality education for pupils with complex SEMH and SEND needs.

We are looking for someone who can provide confident, motivational leadership to staff, pupils and families, ensuring our academy is a beacon of best practice in alternative provision. You will be skilled in strategic and operational planning, curriculum design, safeguarding leadership, and using data intelligently to secure rapid progress for every learner.

The ideal candidate will be resilient, collaborative and deeply committed to inclusion. You will believe in the transformative power of education, champion our values, and build strong partnerships with the community, local schools and external agencies. Above all, you will bring the passion, integrity and high expectations needed to re‑engage vulnerable pupils in learning and help them thrive.

Information about the school

Welcome to OA – Tunbridge Wells, an alternative provision academy where students can grow both academically and socially, and where enrichment is an important part of our core curriculum.

The Olive Academies family, recognises and respects the potential of every student, supporting them to be the very best they can be.

We believe in the Olive Way and our core values:

Ambition: All challenges can be overcome and education is an important lifelong journey.

Reflection: Learning from experiences and developing a capacity to improve further.

Determination: Not giving up on those who have not experienced success.

Conviction: Everyone has the capacity to reach their potential.

We want all our students to leave us as resilient and fully confident young adults, who will make a significant contribution to wider society in the future.

Our broad and balanced curriculum underpins our ethos of creativity, innovation and mastering of the basics: reading, writing, communicating and mathematics.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me by emailing info.tunbridgewells@oliveacademies.org.uk if you would like to visit OA - Tunbridge Wells or need any further information.

Tony Machin Executive Headteacher

Job Contact Information

• Name:Tony Machin
• Address:Olive Academy - Tunbridge Wells, Pagoda Centre, Off St. John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9TX
• Telephone: 01892 519841
• Email: tony.machin@oliveacademies.org.uk

Documents

Below are documents that have been added to this vacancy.

• Head of Academy - Job Advert
• Head of Academy - Job Pack
• Application Form
• Safer Recruitment & Selection Statement
• Candidate Privacy Statement
• Equalities Monitoring Form