At a Glance
- Tasks: Engage with students facing barriers, improve their academic outcomes and overall school engagement.
- Company: Top-10 multi-academy trust known for inclusion and student success.
- Benefits: Gain hands-on experience, exposure to leadership, and a pathway to future public sector roles.
- Other info: Challenging yet rewarding role ideal for future leaders in education and public service.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in young people's lives while shaping educational practices.
- Qualifications: Recent graduates with strong critical thinking, communication skills, and a passion for social impact.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
We are seeking exceptional recent graduates who are motivated by social impact and interested in public sector leadership in the future. This is a demanding, high-impact role for individuals who combine intellectual ability with empathy, resilience, and the confidence to work directly with young people facing the greatest barriers to success.
Location: Downham Market & Cambridge
About the role: For the majority of the week, you will work face-to-face with students who are hardest to reach - including pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and Free School Meals - focusing on improving both academic outcomes and their broader engagement with school.
You will:
- Build trusted relationships with students and become a go-to adult for those at risk of disengagement;
- Design, deliver and refine initiatives that improve attendance, engagement, confidence and achievement;
- Work closely with school staff to identify barriers to learning and test practical, evidence-informed solutions;
- Use insight from daily frontline work to shape and improve wider inclusion practice.
One day each week, you will step back from frontline delivery to work alongside school and trust leaders, including Heads of School and the Executive Team. During this time, you will:
- Shadow senior leaders and contribute to strategic discussions;
- Learn how system-level decisions are made in a high-performing multi-academy trust;
- Support our trust-wide inclusion and engagement strategy, focused on improving outcomes for the most disadvantaged young people.
About us: We are a top-10 multi-academy trust nationally for student outcomes and are recognised for our sector leadership on inclusion and disadvantage. We play a leading role in the Department for Education’s RISE programme and are actively shaping national thinking on how to support young people most at risk of disengagement. Our work aligns closely with the challenges set out in the Milburn Report on NEETs, and we are committed to remaining at the forefront of tackling this issue at both school and system level. This role offers a rare opportunity to contribute directly to that work - bringing insight from the frontline into strategic conversations that influence practice beyond individual schools.
Who we’re looking for: This role is not about a specific degree or background. We are looking for graduates who demonstrate:
- Strong intellectual capability and the ability to think critically about complex problems;
- Excellent communication skills and the emotional intelligence to build trust with young people;
- Resilience, professionalism, and a commitment to high standards;
- A genuine interest in inequality, education, and future leadership in the public or social sector.
You should expect this role to be challenging, stretching and deeply rewarding. It is particularly well suited to those considering future careers in public service, policy, education, or system leadership.
What you’ll gain:
- Intensive experience working with young people facing the greatest disadvantage;
- First-hand exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision-making in a high-performing trust;
- The opportunity to shape and influence inclusion work at school, trust and system level;
- A strong foundation for future leadership in education or the wider public sector.
Graduate Inclusion Leadership Associate in Cambridge employer: Eastern Learning Alliance
As a leading multi-academy trust, we offer an exceptional environment for recent graduates passionate about social impact and public sector leadership. Our commitment to inclusion and educational equity is reflected in our supportive work culture, where you will gain invaluable experience working directly with disadvantaged students while collaborating with senior leaders to influence strategic decisions. With a focus on professional growth and meaningful contributions, this role provides a unique opportunity to shape the future of education in Downham Market and Cambridge.
