Principal

Salary: L33-L39 (Outer London), £117,758-£134,339 (negotiable for an exceptional candidate) + Relocation Package + Wellbeing Cash Plan + Pension Scheme (TPS) + Additional Benefits

Start date: September 2026 

Lead with clarity. Build stability. Drive improvement.

At Lift Schools, great leadership makes the difference. We are looking for a Principal to lead Lift Aylward, a large, diverse secondary school with strong foundations and clear potential.

Lift Aylward serves a vibrant community where every child matters and every voice is valued. We are proud of our deeply inclusive ethos, supporting a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals alongside those with additional needs and we are committed to ensuring every pupil succeeds.

This is a meaningful opportunity to step into a significant leadership position at a pivotal moment where you will make a lasting difference, shape futures and transform lives.

About the role

Lift Aylward serves over 1,300 students in North London, including a sixth form. The school has an established structure, committed staff and improving systems, alongside clear challenges to address.

As Principal, you will:

• Provide clear, consistent leadership across the school
• Strengthen behaviour, culture and staff confidence
• Align and develop a large leadership team
• Drive improvement in outcomes and consistency of practice
• Work closely with the Trust to secure long-term stability

This is a leadership role with real scale, complexity and impact.

About you

You are an experienced secondary leader with a strong track record of delivering improvement.

You will:

• Lead with clarity, resilience and sound judgement
• Combine high expectations with empathy and emotional intelligence
• Communicate effectively and build trust quickly
• Use data to inform decisions and prioritise effectively
• Be comfortable leading in a complex environment
• Understand how to operate within a MAT and use that support well

You bring focus, stability and direction and lead with both confidence and care.

About the school

Lift Aylward is a large, inclusive secondary school with a strong sense of community. The school offers:

• An ambitious curriculum and improving outcomes
• A clear, values-led culture
• A diverse student intake
• Strong pastoral support structures
• Established operational and leadership capacity

Recent inspection findings highlight a calm, purposeful environment, strong inclusion and clear progress, with all areas meeting the expected standard.

The school is ready for its next phase, with a clear opportunity to strengthen culture, improve consistency and build long-term success.

About Lift Schools

We are a diverse, inclusive network of 59 schools united by one mission: to deliver an excellent education to every child, in every classroom, every day. We believe every child deserves the best, regardless of background or ability, and we need outstanding leaders to make this happen.

How we'll support you

At Lift Schools, we believe talent drives performance. You’ll benefit from:

• An individual development account of up to £100,000 over five years
• Experiential learning opportunities, including study tours
• One-to-one unlimited executive coaching
• High-quality, evidence-informed professional development
• A year-long induction programme
• The option of a professional sabbatical after five years
• A relocation package if moving for the role

If you are an experienced senior leader or existing Principal ready for a new opportunity, if you are driven, determined, and committed to creating lasting change, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal, confidential conversation or to organise a school visit, please contact Tanya Bentham at recruitment@liftschools.org.

Closing date: Monday 11 May 2026, 9:00am

Interview dates: Wednesday 20 May 2026 (Lift Aylward) and Thursday 21 May 2026 (Ed City, London)

Lift Schools are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Lift Schools embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and there is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.