Director of English & Literacy

Alde Valley Academy, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4BG

15 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September 2026

• Closing date

  15 May 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  30 April 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Head of department or curriculum
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: L11-L15
• Additional allowances:

  L11-L15

Director of English & Literacy job summary

Alde Valley Academy (part of Kingfisher Schools Trust) is a popular secondary school in Leiston, a small town not far from Saxmundham and Aldeburgh and close to the beautiful Suffolk coast.

We are ambitious for our students’ progress, attainment and personal development and strive to create an environment that promotes a keen enjoyment of learning. We take pride in nurturing, motivating and encouraging all our staff and pupils to be the best they can be. At Alde Valley Academy, every day offers the chance to Aspire and Achieve together. As part of our community, you’ll be embraced by colleagues who Lead with Kindness, champion your growth, and celebrate every milestone. Here, Stronger Together isn’t just a slogan, it’s how we work: mentoring one another, sharing expertise in collaborative planning, and offering tailored professional development that helps you thrive at every stage of your career.

We have high aspirations for our students and provide a range of opportunities to enrich their life experiences. We are proud that we provide a highly caring and safe environment for our students and families.

We are looking to employ a talented, ambitious leader to join our successful team as the Director of English & Literacy.

The Director of English & Literacy will take a major role in driving forward the vision of the school with all internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that students achieve well in English and have the literacy skills they need to succeed in all subjects and in later life. This is a leadership level appointment and the successful colleague will run a high performing English Department, shape and deliver a strategy for literacy across the school, and be an integral member of the Extended Leadership Team.

The Director of English is a member of the Extended Senior Leadership Team, and it is anticipated that they will have a track record of success as a middle leader, together with ambition for promotion to Assistant or Deputy Head in the next 3-4 years. This role is therefore one where the skills and expertise of senior leadership are developed in addition to those linked to the leadership of a core subject within the school. Additional whole school responsibilities may be agreed with the post holder and provision made for them to undertake this whilst in post, once outcomes are in a stronger and more stable position

Key responsibilities will be:

• To establish outstanding provision within English across all key stages, including all systems and structures taking account of the school’s vision and values
• Ensuring the smooth and effective running of the department on a day-to-day basis
• Leadership of a Department Improvement Plan which supports the school’s strategic development plan
• Providing robust and inspirational leadership to the department and wider school
• Always maintaining high visibility and a positive profile around the school

The Director of English is expected to take on additional responsibilities that allow them to develop skills in Senior Leadership. The primary whole school responsibility is to develop a convincing and effective strategy for literacy and put this into practice with tangible results. This will be a team approach and colleagues in the department have time and responsibilities to deliver much of this work.

The successful applicant for this role will:

• Be an experienced and highly effective Teacher/Middle Leader, with an excellent track record teaching, outcomes, and leadership
• Be someone who passionately believes that all children can achieve, no matter what their starting point, background or needs.
• Have a commitment to equality of opportunity and the celebration of diversity

We can offer:

• A welcoming and caring staff team
• A supportive team of professionals within the school and as part of Kingfisher Schools Trust
• A range of dedicated staff wellbeing support

Kingfisher Schools Trust offers employees a wide range of benefits, including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development
• Access to a huge variety of training courses through The National College
• Pension scheme (TPS) with generous employer contribution
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Shopping and leisure discounts
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Affordable electric car salary sacrifice scheme

We encourage interested candidates to visit our school so that we can show you around and answer any questions that you may have. To arrange a visit, please contact recruitment@kingfisherschools.co.uk

Please submit your completed application as soon as possible as we may close the advert early if we receive sufficient applications. We can only accept applications which are submitted through My New Term.

Our school is part of Kingfisher Schools Trust. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check will be part of the pre-employment screening process for this role. An application form must be completed in full; CVs alone cannot be accepted.

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

Our school is part of Kingfisher Schools Trust. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check will be part of the pre-employment screening process for this role. An application form must be completed in full; CVs alone cannot be accepted.

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 Alde Valley Academy

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 674 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Alde Valley Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/alde-valley-academy

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