Assistant Principal

Are you ready to help shape the future of education? Lift Schools is looking for an Assistant Principal who is passionate about making sure every child receives excellent teaching, in every classroom, every day.

Lift Schools is built on a clear mission: providing an excellent education for every child. We create inclusive learning environments where students thrive, supported by skilled teachers who receive meaningful development opportunities. Our values guide everything we do, and we believe in working together to achieve shared goals. Would you like to be part of a team where your contribution makes a real difference to children's lives?

Your new school
A promotion of a senior leader within Lift Ryde has meant a rare and exciting opportunity has arisen to join our highly determined, focused leadership team as Assistant Principal. We are a thriving, oversubscribed school with exceptionally high standards, and our results speak for themselves. Above national average KS5 results where SENd and Disadvantaged students out perform their peers. At KS4our outcomes at both 4+ and 5+ are broadly inline with the national average with many subjects above the national average. Our curriculum is broad and balanced with state of the art facilities allowing us to deliver a GCSE and KS5 offer that ensure all students move into their desired post 16 and 18 destinations. We make a promise that every child will have a trip/ off Island experience and last academic year ran over 400 experiences. We are proud to serve our community whilst maintaining our highly inclusive approach, we are looking for a driven leader who shares our unwavering commitment to outstanding pastoral care, academic excellence and student outcome to join us. 

Living and working on the Isle of Wight offers a truly unique lifestyle that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else. Enjoy miles of fantastic beaches, a vibrant local community, significantly lower housing costs, and a quality of life that gives you the perfect work-life balance. Lift Ryde is set in spacious grounds and had a completely new state of the art building in 2017 whereby all staff have access to a free on site gym with a range of fantastic equipment. 

The school is led by Will Doyle, Principal who is proud to serve a community he grew up in and a school in which he attended as a child. Will is driven by a desire that every child can achieve and is proud that Lift Ryde is highly inclusive. Judged as ‘Good' by Ofsted in November 2022, Lift Ryde is a school that pupils feel proud to attend, with a calm and orderly environment. Staff are also proud to work at the school and recognise that leaders are considerate of their workload.

About the role
As Assistant Principal, you'll be a key member of our Senior Leadership Team. You'll help guide the school's strategic priorities, working closely with colleagues to create positive learning environments. This is a chance to make a lasting impact on students, staff, and the wider school community. What kind of legacy would you like to create?

Key responsibilities

• Support the school improvement plan and guide daily operations
• Coach and develop middle leaders and teaching staff through appraisal and training
• Help shape whole-school strategies in areas such as curriculum, student welfare, or behaviour
• Model high-quality teaching and support colleagues to create engaging, inclusive lessons
• Use student progress and performance data to identify strengths and inform improvement plans
• Build and maintain positive relationships with parents, carers, and external partners

What you'll need to succeed 
You'll be a qualified teacher with Qualified Teacher Status and experience as a middle leader. You'll have a track record of achieving excellent progress for all children, no matter their starting point or background. Can you show how you've supported colleagues to grow and improve their practice?

We're looking for someone with excellent communication skills, who can work with others to solve problems and achieve goals together. You'll be curious, reflective, and motivated by a genuine desire to improve the lives of children and young people. Does this sound like you?

How we support you
At Lift Schools, we believe talent drives performance. We offer you:

• Career development and training: Access a wide range of statutory and developmental training to boost your career.
• Our partnership with One World powers our innovative Instructional Excellence Program. We also offer a comprehensive range of CPD programs, including Ambition Institute's Early Career and NPQ offerings, tailored to both individual and network needs.
• Generous benefits: From your pension plan to healthcare and financial support, we've got you covered.
• Lifestyle perks: Enjoy discounted gym memberships and travel deals.

Who is Lift Schools?
Lift Schools is made up of 62 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 33,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential.

To arrange a tour or have a confidential conversation please contact our Recruitment Manager, Jessica Billows on jbillows@liftschools.org or 07415655433