Harris Experience Lead

Harris Federation, Croydon, CR0 2RD

14 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  9 March 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  23 February 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Fixed term - Three years
• Full-time equivalent salary: £28,000-£35,000
• Additional allowances:

  Pension Scheme (LGPS) + Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan + Additional Harris Benefits

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic graduate to join our central team as one of three Harris Experience Programme Leads. The Harris Experience is a cultural and academic programme for our most able students in the Harris Federation, aiming to support them in getting placed at top universities and degree apprenticeships. The name ‘Harris Experience' incorporates all of the specific programmes below.

You will be based at the Harris Federation head office in Croydon; however, most of your time will be spent visiting our academies in and around London. You will work closely with the Head of Harris Experience and the other Harris Experience Lead on programme vision, strategy and management.

Specifically, the role is to jointly support our team in leading our various educational programmes: the Harris Experience (HE), the Harris Experience Advanced (HEA), the Harris Scholars (HS) and the Harris Scholars Advanced (HSA), which are already in place from Year 9 through to Year 13.

The HE programme spans three years for each cohort, from Year 9 to Year 11; the HEA programme spans two years for each cohort, from Year 12 to Year 13. These programmes aim to broaden the cultural and academic experiences of some of our brightest disadvantaged young secondary students in the federation, preparing them to apply to the UK's top university destinations and apprenticeships.

You will also be supporting our Harris Scholars (HS) and Harris Scholars Advanced (HSA) programmes which are specialised Oxbridge/medicine programmes. The HS programme spans two years for each cohort from Year 10 to Year 11; the HSA programme spans two years for each cohort, from Years 12 to Year 13.

Educational innovation will be encouraged and will be strongly tied to overall programme goals.

This role is offered on a three-year fixed-term contract, starting as soon as possible.

We would like to hear from you if you:

• Have high levels of literacy
• Are very articulate
• Have strong presentation skills
• Have strong organisational skills
• Have strong IT/data skills
• Have experience with working with young people
• Enjoy teamwork and working in different environments
• Have experience of the university applications process

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

What the school offers its staff

The Harris Federation is a leading education charity with 55 Harris primary and secondary academies across London and Essex. The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We now educate some 38,000 young people and closing the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission.

The Harris Federation has a track record of accomplishment in achieving success through rapid school improvement and has built an unrivalled reputation for running outstanding academies in London.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Flexible working opportunities

Harris Federation is committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. We understand that each individual’s circumstances are unique, which is why we offer flexible working options that can be adapted to meet the needs of both the academy and our employees.

Our approach to flexibility includes a range of solutions, from tailored working hours to part-time arrangements, where appropriate, ensuring that we maintain our high standards of education while supporting the wellbeing of our staff. Whether you are a classroom teacher, support staffor part of our senior leadership team, we work together to find solutions that align with both the operational needs of the academy and your professional development.

Harris Federation and our academies are dedicated to creating an inclusive and collaborative environment, where every member of staff can thrive and feel valued in their role.

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.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing the vision for the HE, HEA, HS and HSA programmes.
• Initial identification of suitable students for entry into HE for Year 9, HS for Year 10, and HEA/HSA for Year 12
• Visiting academies regularly to meet students and/or staff
• Building a relationship with and supporting/training the academies' most able coordinators (MACs)
• Developing programme materials and disseminating good practice at the academies for the most able
• Planning and delivering the federation most able meetings
• Organising and delivering one to one and group sessions with HE and HEA students at academies
• Organising events for the HS and HSA students
• Support the HSA subject societies
• Liaising with academy principals and relevant staff
• Working closely with Oxbridge and medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science students and tracking outcomes
• Organising and delivering the mock interview programme
• Overseeing the Oxbridge, medicine and Russell Group/Sutton Trust 30 UCAS applications and tracking outcomes
• Leading on the guidance for university personal statements, training teachers and working directly with students
• Working on ad hoc Harris Experience events at academies for Years 7 and 8 most able students
• Using UCAS, Bromcom and federation/academy data to track student progress
• Organising and leading the key annual HE, HEA and HS and HSA events
• Managing the output of written, social and visual media to generate positive marketing of the HE, HEA, HS and HSA programmes, eg: bulletins, news articles
• Developing and maintaining university and career-related links with relevant organisations.
• Developing and updating the HE and HEA website.
• Working with federation careers advisers to support the aspirations and destinations of HE and HEA students

Commitment to safeguarding

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

NEW FORMAT Harris Experience Lead Feb 2026.pdf - 312 KB (opens in new tab)

About Harris Federation

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Harris Federation website
• Email address: careers@harrisfederation.org.uk
• Phone number: 0208 253 7777
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/harris-federation

Making an impact
Educating 1 in 41 young people in London, we have a track record of achieving success through rapid school improvement, and a reputation for running outstanding academies. Our focus is on the most challenging schools in London and turning them into places where every young person has access to a high-quality education.

Commitment to young people in London
Unlike other large multi-academy trusts, we are committed to transforming schools in London and the surrounding areas. This focus on localisation means we intimately know the communities we work in and have the expertise to help our young people from these backgrounds to succeed. It also allows us to build a much stronger whole Federation network, collaborating more closely to share best working practices across our academies.

Centralised support
To ensure our academies can deliver exceptional education to our young people, we provide them with a strong support provision. Our dedicated central team supports all 55 of our academies, acting as a central hub with expertise in Finance, HR, Compliance, Estates, Audit, Recruitment, and IT, and many more. This centralised structure takes away much of the educational administration from our academy colleagues, allowing them to focus on what they do best – developing bright futures for our young people.

Experts in education
We are focused solely on education and have a team of experienced senior leaders who drive our ambition to deliver outstanding learning opportunities to as many young people as possible. Our organisation is led by people who have extensive experience working in education and know exactly what it is like to be at the forefront of teaching.

Head office location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Croydon