Lead Practitioner (English)

Lead Practitioner (English) job summary

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 thinker who 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.

We believe wholeheartedly in helping teachers improve through professional dialogue rather than top-down monitoring. Every teacher works with an experienced coach to develop their practice. You will lead high-quality CPD and research-based working groups, fostering a team dynamic rooted in openness and honesty.

If you would like to join a successful and well-resourced department in a genuinely warm and friendly school with a tremendous community ethos then we would love to hear from you. We would strongly recommend you come to see our school and find out more about us and this can be arranged by telephoning Mrs Ali Barker, HR Manager, on [contact hidden] ext 154.

How to apply

A job description/person specification and our safeguarding policy are available from ‘Attachments’. Alternatively, further details and an application form are available on our school website - www.aylshamhigh.com/ahsvacancies

To download an application form, click on the ‘Apply for Job’ button.

Completed forms should either be emailed to [contact hidden] or posted to Mrs Ali Barker, [Employer hidden — view at passion-project.co.uk], Sir Williams Lane, Aylsham, NR11 6AN.

Your supporting statement should highlight how your knowledge, skills, and experience make you a strong candidate for the role of lead practitioner for English at [Employer hidden]. We would like you to demonstrate why you believe you have a proven track record of helping your students and your colleagues to achieve consistently strong outcomes. We would also like to understand the values that underpin your approach to education and how these will help you to be successful in this role and as part of our senior leadership team.

Closing date: 5 May 2026, 9am

Interview date: w/c 11 May 2026

Aylsham Learning Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and you will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced DBS check with barred list. If you have information to declare it may be protected under the Exceptions Orders and you may not be required to declare it. You will be asked to make a criminal conviction declaration if you are shortlisted for the post. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

References will be requested for all shortlisted applicants.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Aylsham Learning Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

More details about our commitment to safeguarding can be found on our job advertisements.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.