Lead the way where it really matters.
Discover what Senior Leadership looks like at the Harris Federation.
Many of our academies serve communities where schools have historically underperformed — yet every day, our leaders and staff are rewriting that story.
The impact is undeniable: disadvantaged pupils at Harris don’t just outperform their peers nationally; they regularly exceed the outcomes of all students across the country.
As a senior leader here, you become part of a collective effort that is transforming education across London and Essex. If you want to lead with purpose, influence meaningful change, and see your work directly shape children’s futures, Harris is where you belong.
Our leaders, both within our academies and across the wider Federation, play a crucial role in delivering outstanding educational outcomes.
Many of our leaders have grown within the trust, progressing through our development pathways and seizing opportunities for promotion. At the same time, we have welcomed many talented leaders from outside Harris who bring fresh perspectives and valuable expertise.
With a vast network of executive professionals to turn to, you will never be alone in your career journey.
We are proud to be a founding multi-academy trust of the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), which places us at the forefront of cutting-edge research aimed at understanding and improving educational outcomes for children.
Our staff have the unique opportunity to take part in research projects; from investigating teacher retention in socio-economically disadvantage areas, to exploring perceptions of generative AI in education. As participants in these projects, Harris staff help to shape evidence-based strategies that make a real difference in classrooms across the country.
Being a course facilitator allows you to refine your own knowledge whilst helping others. This could include leading workshops, contributing to course content, or speaking at seminars, conferences and other events geared towards professional development.
We attract a high level of interest from staff who wish to become facilitators on the programmes delivered through Harris Institute. Facilitating these courses gives teachers and senior leaders the opportunity to share their expertise and help shape the next generation of educators.
We invest heavily in developing our senior leaders, ensuring each one has the tools, training, and support they need to thrive.
Through tailored development pathways, professional coaching, and access to an experienced network of mentors, Harris leaders are empowered to grow their craft continually.
You’ll have opportunities to pursue:
Our extensive NPQ offer spans areas such as behaviour and culture, leading teaching, and SEND leadership — giving you practical, evidence-based skills you can apply immediately to improve outcomes in your academy.
I would recommend working at Harris to any teacher, senior leader, or teaching assistant, especially if you are keen to progress. It’s just so well facilitated here and there are so many more opportunities because we are a large network of academies so there are possibilities everywhere.
Jordan, Head of Academy
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we achieve at Harris. At our most recent leadership conference, Claming the Future, senior leaders from across the Federation came together to explore the challenges shaping education today – and to design practical, forward-looking solutions.
Throughout the day, guest speakers shared fresh insights on change management, Ofsted expectations, and long-term strategic planning. Leaders then joined focused ThinkTanks, where they worked together to analyse real issues and develop actionable strategies they could implement in their academies straight away.
These conferences are a powerful reminder of what makes Harris unique: a diverse, ambitious network of leaders who support one another, challenge one another, and innovate together. It is this community of talented, forward-thinking experts that drives our success – and ensures that no leader ever works in isolation.
