Lift Schools is one of the largest and most ambitious multi-academy trusts in England. With schools across five regions, our mission is clear: to provide an excellent education for every child, in every classroom, every day.

English sits at the heart of that mission. We believe that strong foundations in English and literacy unlock opportunity, academic success and lifelong learning. Due to maternity cover, we are seeking an expert English leader to drive subject-specific school improvement in our North region. We are flexible to consider 0.8 (26 hours) or 1FTE (32.5 hours) options for this post with a start date between October and January 2027.

About the role

As Regional English Leader, you will sit right at the heart of our northern school community, bringing energy, vision, and deep subject passion to every classroom. Working alongside our National Lead for Secondary English and our North Regional Education Director, Nigel Whittle, you will collaborate with dedicated Principals and Heads of Department to build thriving, high-performing English teams that inspire thousands of young people every single day.

The role consists of 2 days of teaching at Lift Firth Park, and the remaining days will be based from home with travel to our other regional Schools (Middlesbrough and Hull - travel is funded by us).

How you will make an impact:

Drive Strategic Excellence: Lead the implementation of our regional English strategy, empowering teaching teams to deliver rich, engaging, and ambitious learning across every school.
Coach & Inspire Leaders: Provide warm, expert guidance and practical counsel to English leads, helping them nurture talent, grow confidence, and elevate teaching standards.
Lead from the Front: Roll up your sleeves and teach in local classrooms for part of every week—modelling exceptional practice, staying rooted in the joy of teaching, and bringing strategy to life.
Champion Shared Success: Partner closely with school leaders to take joint ownership of student outcomes, fostering a culture of collaboration, high expectations, and shared values.
Shape National Expertise: Develop a specialised area of national subject expertise, sharing best practices and driving transformational impact across our entire network.

This is a dynamic, hugely influential role where strategic vision meets real, hands-on connection. Together, we are building extraordinary places to learn and work, ensuring every single child receives the world-class English education they deserve.

What we are looking for

We are seeking a credible secondary English leader to drive teaching excellence, capacity building, and student outcomes across our northern schools. This dynamic role blends regional strategy implementation and joint subject accountability with practical, hands-on support, including dedicated weekly teaching time in local classrooms. We would love to hear from you if you have;

Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success as a secondary English leader with a strong history of improving teaching standards and student outcomes.
Deep Subject Expertise: Significant knowledge of effective secondary English education, with the ambition to develop national-level expertise across the network.
Collaborative Leadership: Ability to work alongside Principals, Heads of Department, and regional directors to provide expert counsel and build team capacity.
Strategic & Network Mindset: Strategic vision to implement regional English strategy while fostering shared values and joint accountability for performance.
Hands-On Practice: Willingness to lead by example through maintaining a partial weekly teaching timetable in a regional school.

Who is Lift Schools?

Lift Schools is made up of 62 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 35,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential.

How we support you

We want you to feel supported, valued and able to grow throughout your career with Lift Schools. From high-quality professional development and career progression to wellbeing support and opportunities to connect and collaborate across our network, we invest in you so you can do your best work.

Discover how we'll support you to thrive, develop and grow your career in the way that's right for you: How we support you

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Regional English Lead (North)