Lead Practitioner in Torquay, United Kingdom

We are seeking to appoint a Lead Practitioner to join our extended leadership team. Candidates will be skilled in the classroom, articulate and dedicated to bringing positive outcomes for young people in our school community. The successful candidate will be both an exceptional teacher as well as inspiring, intelligent and thoughtful in their approach to leading others.

This post has a whole-college focus. The successful applicant will work as a small team with senior leaders to support the development of teaching and learning across the College. Lead Practitioners have two central responsibilities in addition to their own teaching: to work with staff individually to guide their practice and to facilitate small group CPD and coaching. They work closely with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure the College offers the right support to all staff.

The post is open to applications from experienced teachers of all national curriculum subjects. We are particularly keen to hear from interested English, History or RE teachers but we are looking to appoint an exceptional teacher, and this matters more than the subject offered. The post holder absolutely must model great teaching themselves. They must also have a good understanding of how children learn and what makes great teaching to allow them to work alongside others to address their development needs.

This is a fantastic opportunity for talented teachers to impact more widely on students’ success beyond their own classrooms. If you are ready for the next step in your career but wish to focus completely on developing teaching and learning, this could be the ideal opportunity for you.

The College is a close community, with a shared desire to be the best we can be. As a School we are committed to the professional development of our staff and invest heavily in ensuring our teachers grow and flourish as practitioners.

We offer:

• the opportunity to be part of a successful and supportive Extended Leadership Team;

• excellent professional development and a wide range of professional opportunities, including significant leadership development opportunities;

• a high level of support for all new staff;

• the opportunity to work to your own initiative whilst receiving ample guidance and support;

• the opportunity to take a leading role in ensuring teachers retain their professional autonomy;

• a friendly, supportive environment;

• a modern, purpose-built building and excellent facilities;

• an exceptional staff benefits package including a ccess to the Local Government Pension Scheme, a car and cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme, a free flu jab each year, blue light card benefits and free gym access. We also offer a comprehensive staff wellbeing service which offers access to 24/7 nurse and GP support, access to physiotherapy, counselling and mindfulness sessions.

The successful applicant will:

• put children and young people first;

• be an exceptional classroom practitioner, who is able to teach a national curriculum subject at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5;

• be able to use a strong pedagogical understanding to guide teachers to develop their practice in a genuinely useful way;

• have experience of developing the work of colleagues at various professional stages;

• have the ability to motivate and inspire others;

• have an up-to-date knowledge of the emerging issues in education;

• be confident to work with a high degree of autonomy whilst also being collaborative and an effective team player;

• be a committed, highly-competent, reflective and resilient individual;

• have a sense of humour and good interpersonal and communication skills.

The Spires College is a co-educational 11-18 Bilateral School with a selective stream. We are a friendly, caring school which puts the needs of our children at the heart of all we do.

For further details about the post including details of how to apply, please visit the college website: or contact [email protected] using ‘Lead Practitioner Enquiry’ as the subject.

The closing date for applications is 9am on Tuesday 13 October 2026. Interviews are scheduled for w/c 19 October 2026.

The college is committed to safeguarding and to the promotion of the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure with barred list information.