At River Learning Trust, our vision is that every pupil attends an excellent, inclusive school at the heart of its community.

As a Support and Challenge Partner (SCP), you will be a driving force in making this a reality. Working as a key member of our central leadership team, you will ensure our ‘People-First’, ‘Equity’, and ‘Community’ priorities are lived across the secondary phase. 

This sophisticated role is about building leadership capacity in schools, so that students and staff are able to flourish. Working closely with 3–4 schools, you will provide the external perspective, support and challenge necessary to navigate the complexities of modern school leadership. You will work alongside Headteachers to interrogate self-evaluation, ensure strategy translates into momentum, and maintain a laser-sharp focus on narrowing achievement gaps for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.

Beyond individual school support, you will lead a specialist Trust-wide improvement strand (to be agreed with the successful candidate) ensuring best practices are researched and embedded across our community.

We are seeking an experienced, successful school leader with the emotional intelligence to listen and the professional courage to challenge.

If you are a passionate leader ready for a stretching, rewarding challenge starting in September 2026, we want to hear from you.

Discover more about our vision, the role, and how you can make a tangible difference in our Candidate Information Pack.

Please ensure that in the ‘Supporting Statement’ of the application form that you outline both your understanding and experience of system leadership.

Please feel free to contact Tom Boulter, Director of Secondary Education, on tboulter@riverlearningtrust.org, to arrange an informal discussion regarding the role.

Education has the power to change lives, communities and society for the better. At RLT we believe that we can achieve more for our pupils, trainees, staff and communities by working together rather than alone. Schools in RLT are united by a common belief in the benefits of working together, and by our commitment to shared principles.

OUR VISION is for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously and sustainably: to be better faster together.

OUR ‘WHY?’ is that children and young people ‘only get one go’ in school and therefore as part of RLT we aim to ensure the best possible ‘go’ for our pupils.

OUR ‘HOW?’ is through the highest support and challenge for our schools and each other, underpinned by our principles.

Our employees benefit from a wide variety of support including extensive  continuing professional learning and development opportunities, wellbeing and staff networks and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS) for all staff. For more information on what it is like to work for the Trust, and the benefits you could access, please see our “Working in RLT” guide. This role includes regulated activity relevant to children. 

River Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. The Trust is required to conduct a variety of checks and online searches about you as part of their recruitment process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

For all RLT Safer Recruitment Documentation candidates should click on the following link RLT Safer Recruitment Documents for Candidates. Please see our website for up to date policies including our Child Protection and Behaviour Policies. 

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. For further guidance for applicants click on this link List of offences that are not filtered