Due to the growth of River Academy, we are looking to appoint a Head of Year to start in September 2026. River Academy opened in September 2024 with 180 students and seven students in its resource base. From September 2026, student numbers will increase again as the school welcomes its next cohort of Year 7 students. The school is currently oversubscribed, with waiting lists in all year groups, and expects continued high demand for September 2026.

You will join a strong and committed school team, contributing to the delivery of clear routines and the setting of expectations in line with the River Way.

River Academy has a strong focus on calm, purposeful learning environments. Classrooms are quiet, corridors are calm, and systems are designed to reduce workload so teachers can focus on their teaching craft. Tutor time is carefully structured and includes reading, assemblies and settling activities to support learning throughout the day. Students are expected to demonstrate good manners, strong oracy skills, and high standards of personal and academic presentation. Reflecting this focus on consistency and high expectations, River Academy is ranked in the highest decile across all DfE attendance measures, and Sparx homework completion rates consistently exceed 98%.

The Head of Year provides high-quality leadership and pastoral management for an allocated year group, ensuring that all students are known, supported and challenged to make exceptional progress. The role requires a positive and solutions-focused approach that places students’ life chances at the centre of all decisions.

The postholder will uphold and model the highest expectations for conduct, attendance, attitudes to learning and personal development. They will lead the year team, implement school and Trust policies robustly, and ensure that the year group benefits from a highly effective Personal Development (PD) programme, including assemblies and enrichment activities. They will work closely with colleagues across the school, the Trust and external agencies to safeguard students, remove barriers to learning and support smooth transitions between key stages.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• Lead the engagement of students with the school and Trust values.
• Oversee the personal and academic development of all students in the year group.
• Ensure the wellbeing and safety of students, working closely with Inclusion and Safeguarding Leads.
• Line-manage the pastoral team to ensure consistent support and high-quality PD delivery.
• Implement and uphold school and Trust expectations regarding uniform, behaviour and presentation.
• Lead and quality-assure the tutor and assembly programme.
• Organise and evaluate parents’ evenings, information evenings and other year events.
• Support internal and external examinations, including supervision.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date communication for staff, students and parents.
• Recognise student effort and progress through established reward processes.
• Monitor and record incidents, detentions and behaviour patterns.
• Contribute to enrichment, electives and the wider school community.

Student Achievement

• Review student progress after each Data Collection Point in collaboration with the Assistant Headteacher and Standards Team.
• Lead intervention strategies to address underachievement and reduce performance differences.
• Adapt the pastoral and assembly programme to meet the specific needs of the year group.
• Support transitions for students entering Year 7, moving between key stages or preparing for post-16 pathways.
• Work with senior leaders to ensure no student becomes NEET (for Year 11).

Conduct, Attitudes to Learning, Attendance and Safety

• Model assertive and positive behaviour and attendance expectations.
• Uphold the highest standards of conduct and deal with deviations in line with school policy.
• Promote participation in extra-curricular activities and monitor differences in engagement.
• Lead line-ups, lunchtime activities, detentions and celebration assemblies.
• Implement strategies to address non-attendance and punctuality concerns.
• Work constructively with parents to celebrate success and address challenges.
• Identify behaviour and inclusion needs early and lead appropriate intervention strategies.
• Establish and monitor Individual Behaviour Plans, PSPs and risk assessments.
• Maintain accurate safeguarding, attendance, behaviour and communication records.
• Undertake agreed duties before and after school and during unsupervised times.

The Ideal Candidate

Professional Expertise

• Qualified Teacher Status and right to work in the UK.
• Successful teaching experience at KS3, KS4 and/or KS5.
• Evidence of leading whole-school initiatives that improved student outcomes.
• Experience of pastoral support and team leadership.
• Strong understanding of internal and external performance data.
• Effective classroom and behaviour management skills.
• Experience working productively with parents and external agencies.
• Desirable: NPQ or vocational leadership training; experience working with agencies to remove barriers to learning; confidence using data analysis tools.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership and pastoral skills.
• Ability to build rapport with students, colleagues and families.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Confident decision-making and problem-solving.
• Effective communication skills, both oral and written.
• Commitment to extra-curricular involvement.

Approach and Mindset

• A genuine belief in the potential of every student.
• Positive, proactive and willing to learn.
• Team-oriented with a collaborative mindset.
• Calm, consistent and resilient in demanding situations.

About Maiden Erlegh Trust

Maiden Erlegh Trust is a growing community of schools across Berkshire and Oxfordshire, working together to deliver the best possible education for every child and young person. With around 750 staff and 4,500 students across nine schools, including primary, secondary, special, and alternative provision, we are proud of the diversity that shapes our expertise.

We Aim High, Be Inclusive, and Work Together. These values drive our focus on high-quality education for all, through collaboration, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Through the Maiden Erlegh Institute, colleagues access high-quality professional learning at every stage of their career, supported by mentoring, leadership opportunities, and our annual MET Staff Conference—a day that unites our whole team in sharing best practice and learning.

Joining our Trust means being part of a community that invests in people and values expertise; it is about playing a direct role in shaping the lives and outcomes of young people.

You can learn more about working with us and hear from colleagues across our Trust by clicking here to visit our website.

About the School

River Academy is a purpose-built secondary school serving the growing need for school places in the Reading area. Located on Richfield Avenue, the site includes specialist teaching facilities across the curriculum, including a hall, activity studio, learning resource centre, drama studio and sports studio. Classrooms are fully equipped with interactive screens and visualisers.

The school has high expectations for all students, with a clear focus on academic excellence and participation. When fully open, River Academy will serve students of all abilities and backgrounds, alongside an additional resource base for students with moderate learning difficulties.

The school also offers a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities through its after-school Electives programme, available to all students.

To learn more about River Academy, please visit the school website: www.river-academy.co.uk

Benefits

Further information about working at Maiden Erlegh Trust can be found on our website here. Staff wellbeing and professional development are central to how we work, and colleagues across our Trust benefit from a range of opportunities and schemes designed to recognise their contribution and support their growth.

• Pension Scheme: Generous employer contributions, with auto-enrolment into either the Teachers Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme, both Career Average Earning Schemes.

• Annual Leave: We offer a generous holiday entitlement, which increases with length of service.

• ME Day: Colleagues may request one additional day’s leave each year to attend a special personal event, such as a child’s sports day or graduation, or a family celebration.

• Professional Development: We offer a comprehensive programme of professional learning through the Maiden Erlegh Institute, including opportunities to both attend and deliver CPD. Colleagues also take part in our annual Conference, a full day of workshops, networking and learning for all staff.

Colleagues can also access a range of professional development opportunities using Apprenticeship Levy funding, and benefit from professional development networks.

• Hybrid Working: For eligible roles, we support a flexible approach to working arrangements, balancing remote and office-based work where appropriate.

• Perkbox: Colleagues have access to Perkbox, which offers a wide range of discounts and wellness resources and receive 25 Perk points each month which can be exchanged for goods and services.

• Wellbeing and Health: Free flu vaccinations are offered to all staff, and free eye tests are provided to those who are eligible.

• Employee Assistance Programme: Incorporating discount vouchers, access to 24/7 support and more.

• Mental Health First Aid support.

• Recognition and Community: We regularly celebrate staff achievements, milestones and contributions across our schools, reinforcing a strong sense of belonging within the #TeamMET community.

• Employee Referral Scheme.

Additional Information

If you believe this is an environment where you can thrive, develop and make a meaningful contribution to the future of our Trust and its schools, please contact recruitment@maidenerleghtrust.org for an informal discussion.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early as we reserve the right to close the advert and interview at any time.

Maiden Erlegh Trust is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.