Principal

Salary: L15-L21, £73,105-£83,960 + Wellbeing Cash Plan + Car Scheme + Pension Scheme (TPS) + Additional Benefits

Start date: September 2026 (or earlier if available)

We are seeking an exceptional Principal to lead Lift Charles Warren into its next phase of development, a school with strong foundations, a committed community, and exciting potential to go further.

This is a rare opportunity to lead a one-form entry primary school with a clear identity, impressive provision, and the capacity to make a profound difference for children and families. The role would suit either a first-time Principal ready for their next step or an experienced Principal looking to lead a school with ambition, space to innovate, and strong trust support.

About Lift Charles Warren

Lift Charles Warren serves a richly diverse community with a high level of disadvantage and inclusion needs. The school has a specialist autism resource base, a highly skilled SEND team, and strong partnerships with the local authority to ensure early and effective intervention.

A unique learning environment

Lift Charles Warren benefits from exceptional facilities and outdoor space, including:

• Extensive grounds with Forest School provision 
• A community allotment and wellbeing garden
• Well-equipped libraries and an ambitious art curriculum
• A kitchen area supporting life skills learning
• A podcast studio
• Strong links with Milton Keynes Dons

The school is well resourced, outward-facing, and deeply connected to its community. Parent engagement is strong, with coffee mornings and expert-led sessions supporting families, and a shared commitment to working together for children.

As Principal, you will:

• Lead with clarity, warmth and moral purpose
• Drive precision and targeted teaching and learning, particularly at KS2
• Coach and develop staff to secure consistently strong classroom practice
• Close attainment gaps while maintaining high expectations for all pupils
• Build on excellent personal development and early years provision
• Champion inclusion, wellbeing and mental health through a graduated SEN approach
• Work collaboratively across Lift Schools, never in isolation

You will be supported by a strong central and regional team and benefit from being part of a trust that believes deeply in developing leaders and improving schools together.

We are looking for a leader who:

• Is ready to lead from the front and inspire others
• Has a strong understanding of high-quality teaching and learning
• Is committed to equity and inclusion
• Values coaching, collaboration and continuous improvement
• Sees the potential in every child and every colleague

Who we are

Lift Schools is a network of 58 schools across the country. We are diverse, inclusive and united by a single mission: to deliver an excellent education to every child, in every classroom, every day.

What we offer you

As a Lift Principal, you’ll receive sector-leading professional development and wellbeing support, including:

• An individual development account of up to £100,000 over five years
• Unlimited one-to-one executive coaching
• Evidence-informed professional learning opportunities
• A year-long induction programme
• Study tours and immersive CPD experiences
• Professional sabbatical eligibility after five years
• Relocation package available

Who we’re looking for

We want leaders who are:

• Self-aware – thriving in high challenge, high support environments.
• Network-minded – committed to improving outcomes across all schools.
• Intellectually curious – eager to use evidence-informed approaches to drive success.

Lift Charles Warren is a school with heart, ambition and opportunity. If you are excited by the chance to lead a community-focused school with space to innovate and the backing of a strong trust, we would love to hear from you.

Apply exclusively via the WhatSchool platform.

Closing date: Wednesday 15 April 2026

Interview date: Tuesday 21 April 2026 (Lift Charles Warren) and Wednesday 22 April 2026 (Ed City, London)

Lift Schools is committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.