Aspiring Middle Leaders — Grow in Education Leadership

Join our Middle Leadership Talent Pool. Want to join the Ark network and make a real impact within education? We are building a talent pool of strong existing and aspiring Middle Leaders who might be looking for career advice, want to learn more about Ark, or who are open to joining Ark in the future.

We understand the importance of developing and growing our leaders. Our Middle Leaders work with some of the best Principals and leaders nationally and have access to exceptional training, including nationally recognised qualifications such as NPQLTD, NPQLT and NPQLBC.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone, staff and students, can deliver their best work and achieve their full potential. We want our middle & senior leadership teams to reflect and represent the diverse perspectives of our student body because we know that in doing so, we will be stronger and more effective.

Interested in a career with Ark? To learn more about Ark, the benefits of being a middle leader within our network and to hear about upcoming and relevant opportunities, join our talent pool by uploading an up-to-date CV, career summary or personal statement. Suitable candidates will be contacted to schedule an initial call to discuss their experience further.

Why work for Ark? Joining our team gives you the chance to work for a high-performing multi-academy trust that is making a difference to the lives of thousands of young people where it matters most. We know that teaching is a challenging job, so are committed to providing you with additional benefits, training and support. By joining Ark, you can expect:

• Salary: Our salaries for teaching and leadership staff are 2.5% higher than the main pay scale.
• Pension: Our scheme is generous: a salary average defined benefit pension scheme, meaning you build up a guaranteed amount in your pension, payable for every year of your retirement.
• Training: We offer double the amount of training time within working hours and have additional INSET days to allow time for bespoke training to suit you and your school’s needs.
• Wellbeing: You will have full access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential counselling, financial and legal advice and a range of different support to both you and your family.
• Health: Our gym discounts offer up to 40% off your local gym.
• Other benefits: You will also have access to Ark Rewards – a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers. We also offer interest-free loans to staff of up to £5,000 for season tickets or to buy a bicycle.

Ark is a network of 39 schools, reaching 30,000 students in our primary, secondary and all-through schools in Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth. Our schools are fully comprehensive and we are proud of our diversity, with over 45% of our students eligible for free school meals. Our 2025 results showed continued improvement, with 69 percent of our year 11 pupils achieving grades 9-4 in English and maths and 78 percent of our Year 6 children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined – 16 percentage points higher than the national average of 62 percent.

Our leaders are a team of experts who are working together to overcome some of the biggest challenges in education. As we continue to strengthen the Ark network at every level, we are always on the lookout for great leaders to join us and build on this success.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred.

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.

Join our talent pool today. Click ‘Apply’ to join the talent pool in a few short steps.