Teaching Improvement Lead

Are you an experienced and successful secondary senior leader with a commitment to using evidence-informed approaches to secure quality teaching and outstanding outcomes for all pupils? Are you ready to play a key role to ensure excellent practice in a high-performing multi-academy trust? Could you use your passion for teaching and learning, alongside Steplab, to develop professional learning that drives rapid and sustained improvements.

About Steplab

Steplab is a cutting-edge platform designed to support professional development, enabling teachers to refine their practice through targeted, evidence-based feedback. It provides tools to break down teaching improvement into manageable steps, evaluate progress, and deliver measurable impact on pupil outcomes. Experience with Steplab will allow you to align with our commitment to embedding effective coaching systems across our schools. 

About Star Central

Star Central, which is based at our head office in Blackburn, Lancashire, provides leadership, strategic direction and support to Star Academies, Star Institute and our schools.

The Star Central team includes experts from a range of professional backgrounds, who work together to provide an outstanding support service to the Star community. We support our schools to provide educational and operational excellence and to cultivate a strong Star community, with the aim of nurturing today’s young people and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for an experienced secondary school senior leader with the ability to drive improvement in teaching across a designated cluster of schools (Eden Girls’ School, Coventry, Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham, Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham East and Starbank Secondary School).

You will play a crucial role in the trust-wide strategy to secure gains in pupil outcomes, developing leaders and securing systems to ensure we maximise the achievements of all of our young people. The position requires an individual who can work both strategically and operationally, modelling best practice and embedding an instructional coaching approach. You will have a track record of supporting colleagues to improve their teaching practice and you will be proficient in providing actionable developmental feedback.

Experience with Steplab, including its use in delivering instructional coaching and evaluating professional development impact, will be a significant advantage. For the right candidate, there may be exciting opportunities to collaborate with Steplab, contributing to its development and integration within our trust.

You will have:

• Credibility as an experienced and successful secondary school senior leader with a demonstrable track record of success, particularly with improving teaching. 
• The ability to develop teachers’ practice through instructional coaching.
• The ability to work with school senior leaders and central leaders to develop pedagogy sustainably. 
• A comprehensive knowledge of pedagogical techniques and evidence-informed practice.
• The ability to plan and deliver high-quality CPD.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Full commitment to our vision and values.

About Star Academies

Star Academies is a high-performing multi-academy trust that runs more than 30 primary and secondary schools. We are a values-based organisation that works to improve the life chances of young people in areas of social and economic deprivation to help them succeed at the highest levels of education, employment and the professions. Every single day you’ll be rewarded with the opportunity to shape a young person’s future - our STAR values embody what we believe is needed to succeed.

Professional development is key to our ongoing success, so we continually invest in our employees through our professional development hub, Star Talent Academy. With a wealth of training, mentoring and progression opportunities across a large, growing group of academies, joining our team of leading education experts could propel your career to the next level. 

We can also offer you a range of rewards and benefits, including competitive salaries and pension schemes, generous holiday entitlements and healthcare cash plans.

Find out more

Please download the job description and person specification below for further information about the role.  For an informal and confidential discussion about the role please contact Star Central by calling 0330 313 9800.

Key Dates

Closing Date: Friday, 17 January 2025 at midnight.

Interview Date: Week commencing 27 January 2025. Interviews may take place in either Birmingham or Blackburn

Proposed Start Date: Tuesday, 1 April 2025.

Application Process

To apply for this vacancy please use the 'Apply for job' link below. You should ensure your application form and supporting statement address all elements of the person specification. We will only consider candidates who meet the vast majority of the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

Our Commitment

Star Academies is committed to safeguarding, safer recruitment and promoting the welfare of pupils. Our comprehensive recruitment and selection processes aim to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Successful candidates are subject to rigorous pre-employment checks.

We are equally committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity. We aim for our workforce to be representative of society and that each employee feels respected and able to give their best. We are committed to providing equality and fairness in our recruitment and employment practices and not to discriminate on any grounds. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.