Lead Practitioner (English) from 1 September 2026
About This Role
We are seeking a committed and hardworking professional to provide strategic leadership for our English department and drive a whole-school culture of literacy and reading. At Aylsham High, we believe leadership is fundamentally about valuing people; your ability to get the best out of both students and colleagues is central to this role. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of securing excellent outcomes at GCSE English as well as ensuring strong progress in KS3. The successful candidate will also have a strong track record of leading, motivating, and inspiring others to teach effectively.You should be a highly reflective practitioner and strategic thinkerwho leads with humility and integrity, acknowledging when improvements are needed and maintaining a relentless focus on high standards.
This position is designed for an accomplished teacher with senior leadership aspirations. As a Lead Practitioner, you will:
- Sit on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT): Work directly with the Deputy Headteacher to align departmental goals with the wider School Improvement Plan.
- Lead the English Department: Act as the direct line manager for the Head of English and the Second in English, providing mentorship and "critical friendship".
- Curriculum Architect: Design a knowledge-rich English curriculum rooted in cognitive science and robust educational research.
- Drive Literacy: Take full accountability for the school’s reading strategy, including overseeing the library and leading Year 8 reading assessments.
- Model Exemplary Practice: Maintain a teaching timetable that demonstrates the highest standards of evidence-informed pedagogy, such as Rosenshine’s Principles and adaptive teaching.
- Key Stage Progression: Ensure the curriculum is carefully sequenced to build on Key Stage 2 learning by working with feeder schools, maintaining this progression through to Key Stage 4.
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Source: UK Teaching Vacancies Service (teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.