Careers Leader

The Pingle Academy, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0QA

20 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September 2026

• Closing date

  25 June 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  4 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £25,800.00 - £29,262.00 Annually (Actual) £33699 - £38220 FTE

Careers Leader job summary

Here at The Pingle Academy, we are on an exciting journey to raise standards and improve outcomes as we pursue excellence for every student.

At the heart of this ambition is our unwavering commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and exceptional pastoral care. We believe that every child should feel safe, valued and a true sense of belonging within our academy community. By knowing our students as individuals and understanding their unique needs and circumstances, we create an environment where young people can thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

Providing students with high quality careers advice that fuels their ambition, inspires them to aim high; that supports students leading fulfilling careers and lives is key to this role. We believe high quality careers education sets the tone for learning within our academy. Experiences and opportunities that broaden horizons - opening both minds and doors are critical to preparing students for their lives beyond our academy.

We are proud of our warm-strict culture, where relationships are built on trust, respect and high expectations. Our staff work tirelessly to nurture, challenge and support students to achieve their very best. Visitors consistently comment on the warm welcome they receive and the calm, purposeful atmosphere that exists throughout the academy.

As a truly inclusive school, we are committed to ensuring that every child and young person has the opportunity to fulfil their potential and achieve highly, regardless of background or starting point. We are proud to serve our community through our thriving Sixth Form and ERS provision, supporting students at every stage of their educational journey.

We believe in working hard, being kind and choosing wisely. Every day, we have the privilege of making a positive difference to the lives and futures of the young people we serve.

About this Role

We are seeking to appoint an exceptional, experienced and highly committed non-teaching Careers and Aspirations Lead lead

This is a pivotal role, responsible for ensuring the highest standards of information around careers, progression and opportunities for our students are planned and implemented.

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of careers provision across the academy, ensuring that this essential provision is coherent, age appropriate, aspirational and linked to both the local and global work force in an ever changing world. It is essential that every student receives the support they need to succeed and transition from and to each phase of their journey.

Working closely with senior leaders, pastoral teams, external agencies, market force leaders and business and our key stakeholders - students and families, you will lead the academy’s career provision, ensuring robust systems, processes and tracking are in place to guide our students, particularly those most vulnerable into suitable pathways.

You will work closely with a key senior leader to shape the provision and lead on the implementation co-ordinating wider one to one support focussing on the wider complementary offer within our academy.

The successful candidate will:

• Bring significant experience of career education, ideally within an educational or related setting.

• Have a strong understanding of the Gatsby Benchmark and understand the difference between compliance and excellence with knowledge of labour market information.

• Awareness of progression routes, including:

• Further education

• Higher education

• Apprenticeships

• Technical qualifications

• Employment pathways

• Have the ability to lead, influence and support colleagues in maintaining the highest standards of ICAG practice.

• Have the ability to oversee the administration of work experience at KS4 and KS5

• Have knowledge of Unifrog and utilise its potential

• Have strong organisational, communication and record-keeping skills.

• Be able to scrutinise information through rigorous data analysis, identifying potential NEETS and destinations

• Possess a solution-focused and resilient approach.

• Bring warmth, integrity and the ability to build strong, trusting relationships with students, families, colleagues and local business links.

• Be ambitious to forge international connections to broaden and ignite our offer

Why Join Us?

You will join a passionate and dedicated staff team who are committed to supporting one another and providing the very best education and care for our students.

Positive relationships between staff, students and families are a key strength of our academy. We are proudly inclusive and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. The successful candidate will play a central role in strengthening our partnership with families, ensuring students and parents feel heard, supported and valued.

As an important part of the local community, we work closely with partners and organisations to improve opportunities and outcomes for young people. We are looking for a safeguarding professional who shares our commitment to serving the community and making a lasting difference to the lives of children and families.

If you are passionate about the life chances of young people and want the opportunity to shape their careers experience. If you are committed to improving outcomes for young people and ready to play a key role in an ambitious and inclusive academy, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Why Work for Affinity?

At Affinity, we pride ourselves on being a great place to work, a workplace where everyone belongs, progresses, and thrives. We recognise that our colleagues are our greatest asset, and we are committed to ensuring they feel valued, supported, and empowered.

As a Trust, we are privileged to employ inspirational people who make a positive difference every day. In return, we continually strengthen our offer of a supportive, inclusive, and ambitious working environment, one that promotes mental and physical wellbeing, builds confidence, and fosters pride across our organisation.

Our People Strategy

Our People Strategy is built around three core pillars:

Belongs - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We cultivate an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity, champions equality, and ensures all staff feel respected, valued, and genuinely part of our community.

Progresses - Staff Development and CPD

Our Professional Growth Model empowers colleagues to take ownership of their development. Our strong investment in CPD sets us apart and ensures every colleague has the opportunity to grow and succeed.

Thrives - Wellbeing

We know that mental and physical wellbeing are essential to feeling supported and performing well. That’s why we place strong emphasis on creating an environment where colleagues feel healthy, valued, and able to thrive.

What are the Benefits of Joining Affinity?

• Investment in your professional development and CPD through our Professional Growth Model

• Removal of performance-related pay

• A commitment to dignity and respect in the workplace

• Opportunities for collaborative working through leadership and staff networks

• A Trust-wide approach to reducing workload

• Wellbeing initiatives supported by our Wellbeing Champion Network

In addition to these core benefits, we also provide an excellent wider package that includes:

• Employee Assistance Programme and mental health support services

• Access to Benenden Health’s self-pay private healthcare service

• Discounted gym membership with Everyone Active

• Cycle to Work scheme

• BHSF health cash plan

• Eye care vouchers

• Flu vaccination vouchers

Additional Information:

Please note that we do not hold a sponsorship licence and, therefore, are unable to employ individuals residing outside of the UK or candidates living within the UK who require continued sponsorship to work in the UK.

Please note: Completed applications should be received by 09:00am of the closing date. We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Please ensure to regularly check your junk/spam folder for any correspondence in relation to the progress of your application. Due to the volume of applications we receive, it is not policy to give individual feedback at this stage.

We welcome a broad range of perspectives with a commitment to equality of opportunity by recruiting a diverse workforce, and creating an inclusive environment and a culture of belonging for everyone in Affinity Learning Partnership. Therefore, we encourage applications from underrepresented communities irrespective of age, disability, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, marriage or civil partnership status, or neurodivergent status. We are happy to make reasonable adjustments wherever possible through the recruitment process should this be required.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and this position is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK.

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

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and this position is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK.

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.

About The Pingle Academy

• School type: Academies, None, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 1375 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: The Pingle Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-pingle-academy

The Pingle Academy is a successful and well-respected comprehensive school which became an academy in May 2017 as part of Affinity Learning Partnership. We currently cater for 1429 students aged 11–19 and have been over-subscribed for the past five years. The academy enjoys an excellent reputation.

Our academy is truly inclusive and includes Enhanced Resource Sections for students with mild learning difficulties and students with more complex needs. In addition, we have our own alternative provision, which caters for a small number of students who find mainstream classes challenging. Our staff share responsibility for creating a safe and pleasant place to learn and work and are proud of our efforts to educate and care for all our students, whatever their abilities, to ensure that every student’s potential is fulfilled.

We are proud of our caring and inclusive community, and our values of WORK HARD, BE KIND, CHOOSE WISELY are present in all aspects of academy life.

In 2019, the academy enjoyed its best-ever results both at GCSE and A Level. In October 2021, OFSTED judged the academy as GOOD in all areas.

Our priority is to help parents/carers prepare their children for adult lives in a rapidly changing world. We aim to provide a broad and stimulating curriculum; we set high expectations for work and behaviour, and we encourage students to aspire to these standards with confidence.

We value our staff, ensuring that we look after and care for their wellbeing through professional development, mental health provision and supporting staff with their workload.

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