General Teacher + Leader of Upper School
| Company: | Teaching Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Hours: | Full-time |
| Location: | Leeds, LS11 8PG |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Posting date: | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Closing date: | 2 Nov 2026 |
Summary
What skills and experience we're looking for
The Stephen Longfellow Academy is seeking to appoint an exceptional and ambitious colleague to the role of General teacher & Leader of Upper School. This is a key leadership position within the academy and an exciting opportunity for an accomplished practitioner to make a significant impact on student outcomes, curriculum development and whole-school improvement.
We are looking for an inspirational leader who combines excellent classroom practice with a proven ability to drive improvement. The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership for upper school, ensuring that all students benefit from an ambitious curriculum, excellent teaching and the highest standards of support, challenge and aspiration.
Working closely with senior leaders, you will lead and develop Curriculum Leaders and wider staff teams, championing a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. You will play a crucial role in raising achievement, improving attendance and behaviour, and ensuring that every student is supported to achieve their full potential and progress successfully into further education, employment or training.
We are looking for someone who:
• Is an outstanding classroom practitioner with a strong track record of securing excellent outcomes for students.
• Has successful leadership experience and the ability to inspire, support and challenge colleagues.
• Can analyse performance information effectively and use it to drive improvement.
• Has a detailed understanding of curriculum development, teaching, learning and assessment.
• Demonstrates a commitment to inclusion and ensuring all students can succeed.
• Has the vision, determination and leadership skills to make a substantial contribution to academy improvement.
• Shares our unwavering belief that every child can achieve highly, regardless of background or circumstance.
Applicants should also have:
• A detailed knowledge of current developments in education including the effective use of the Pupil Premium.
• The ability to put vision into practice
What the school offers its staff
What we offer you:
As a trust, we want to ensure that professionals at every stage in their career have the opportunity to enjoy expert support and training. We are pleased to offer a generous benefits package to our team – as we work together to create a rewarding future for all including:
• Membership of the teacher pension scheme.
• A commitment to continued investment in our professionals, supporting every member of staff throughout their career in the trust.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential professional advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Discounts and online offers at major high street/online retailers.
• £2k Cycle to work scheme.
Further details about the role
About us:
The Stephen Longfellow Academy is an Alternative Provision setting based in the South of Leeds that has changed the face of Alternative Provision, both locally and nationally. Opened in September 2017, The Stephen Longfellow Academy serves schools across Leeds to support some of the most vulnerable young people in the city to re-engage with education by following a bespoke curriculum offer that reopens the doors of opportunity that were, at one point, firmly closed. This is because our exceptional team of staff create personalised pathways that combine an academically rich curriculum with personalised therapeutic support. This allows significant numbers of students to re-engage in mainstream education or successfully enter further education, employment or training.
Inspected in October 2019, inspectors told us that, ‘Leaders want the very best for pupils and have established an effective alternative provision in a short period of time. They are working together well to make this school even better for the benefit of its pupils and their families.’ They also judged all areas of the academy to be Good. We will continue to further improve our provision with this exciting role.
If you would like to know more about our academy, please visit our website at https://www.stephenlongfellow.leeds.sch.uk/about/principals-welcome/
How to Apply:
If you are as excited about this role as we are, you can download the Job Description, Person Specification, and Application Form from the GORSE Academies Trust website (www.tgat.org.uk/jobs), request them by email at janine.findlay@stephenlongfellow.leeds.sch.uk, or call us on 0113 468 5999.
Please note if you submit an electronic application, we will not require a hard copy. CVs are not accepted.
Closing date for applications: 2 November 2026, 9am
Interviews will take place: TBC
We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to full employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and barring service check. We promote diversity and aim to establish a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds.
Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK – either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
Please note that, as a sponsor licence holder, we only provide sponsorship for teacher vacancies.
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.