Lead Practitioner for English
Wootton Academy Trust, Bedford, MK43 9HT10 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September 2026
Closing date
17 May 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
7 May 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- English
Working pattern
- Part time, full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £54,662.00 - £60,442.00 Annually (FTE) Lead Practitioner Scale, Point 3-7
Lead Practitioner for English job summary
We are seeking an inspirational teacher committed to high academic standards who can communicate to young people an enthusiasm for English.
We are seeking to appoint an outstanding and highly motivated Lead Practitioner in English who is passionate about teaching, learning, and raising achievement. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced English teacher to take a leading role in driving excellence across the department and contributing to whole-school priorities, as we welcome two new year groups (7 and 8) this September for the first time.
The successful candidate will work closely with the Head of English and Second in English to further develop high-quality teaching practice and support continuous improvement within the team, and across the school.
About the Department
Our English Department consists of a team of dedicated and specialist teachers with a wide range of experience, from Early Career Teachers to highly experienced practitioners. What unites the team is a shared commitment to delivering outstanding teaching and learning, ensuring that every student develops strong literacy skills and a genuine love of language and literature.
We are committed to removing barriers to learning and enabling all students to achieve their full potential, regardless of their starting point.
Whole-School Literacy and Reading
Literacy is at the heart of our curriculum. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping and delivering our whole-school literacy strategy, working with colleagues across all subject areas to improve students’ reading, writing, and oracy.
You will also contribute to the implementation and monitoring of our reading strategy, promoting a culture of reading for pleasure and ensuring that all students are supported to become confident, fluent readers.
Our English Department Vision
We aim to provide a rich and engaging curriculum that promotes:
A love of reading, writing, and communication
Critical thinking and creativity
Confidence in spoken and written expression
An appreciation of diverse texts and perspectives
Our wider programme includes enrichment opportunities such as theatre visits, author events, creative writing activities, competitions, and student leadership roles.
The Role
As a Lead Practitioner, you will:
Model and promote outstanding classroom practice in English
Lead on whole-school literacy and reading initiatives
Support and develop colleagues through coaching and mentoring
Play an active role in the development of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and trainee teachers
Contribute to professional development across the school and Trust
Lead on teaching and learning initiatives within the department
Work collaboratively as part of the Trust-wide Teaching and Learning Team
This is an exciting opportunity to join a Multi Academy Trust which has a fantastic team of teachers who are dedicated to supporting pupils to make great progress as well as working as a tightly knit team. The Trust puts a very high priority on meeting the professional development needs of its staff to enable them to progress within the Trust.
Closing Date: Sunday 17th May 2026. Please apply at the earliest opportunity. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive applications from outstanding candidates.
Applicants must complete the Trust’s application form via My New Term- we cannot accept CVs. When applying, please complete all sections of the application form and ensure that you do not leave any gaps in your qualification/work history and that you give details of any periods not accounted for by full time employment, education or training. Forms with missing sections and/or gaps may not be considered.
Our vacancies are advertised on the MyNewTerm platform. To apply for these please click the vacancies button, or scroll down further to see our live jobs.
Wootton Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Wootton Academy Trust is committed to diversity in our workforce and welcome applications from all sections of the community. The role is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 and therefore the ability to speak fluent spoken English is an essential requirement for this role. All applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK.
Wootton Academy Trust supports Equal Opportunities Employment.
A NOTE FOR RECRUITMENT AGENCIES - We prefer to hire people directly. We’ll be in touch if we need you!
Further information about the job
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.
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.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About Wootton Academy Trust
- Type
- Multi-academy trust
Head office location
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