Assistant Principal - Vocational Learning

St John's College is an award-winning, Ofsted-rated Good autism-specific college for autistic young people aged . We are now seeking an inspiring and strategic Assistant Principal Vocational Learning to join our College Leadership Team (CLT).

About the Role

As Assistant Principal Vocational Learning, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and driving the future of our vocational provision across the college. You will lead the development of high-quality, innovative vocational pathways that empower autistic young people to progress into employment and adulthood with confidence.

A key focus of the role will be the development and expansion of Supported Internships and social enterprises. These programmes follow the DFN Project SEARCH model, a globally recognised framework that supports young people with autism to gain valuable work skills and meaningful workplace experience.

This role can be based at any of our locations, depending on operational need, and will involve working collaboratively across multiple sites in Brighton and Sussex.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a high-quality vocational learning offer, with a strong focus on Supported Internships and social enterprises.
• Provide strategic oversight for the expansion and sustainability of supported internships and future vocational initiatives.
• Lead the vocational elements of the college curriculum, including pre-supported internship pathways.
• Manage, support, and mentor vocational learning staff, ensuring they have the tools, guidance, and resources to excel.
• Work collaboratively across geographically dispersed teams to ensure consistency, quality, and impact in vocational provision.

Why Join St John's College?

• Be part of a values-driven, autism-specialist organisation with a strong reputation for quality and innovation.
• Join a committed and supportive leadership team with a shared ambition for learner success.
• Make a genuine, lasting difference to the lives of autistic young people.

If you are an experienced and passionate leader with a strong background in vocational education and a commitment to inclusive practice, we would love to hear from you. Only applications submitted online will be considered via the recruitment portal

Closing Date: Sunday 22 February 2026

Shortlisting Date: Monday 23 February 2026

Interview date: Thursday

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.