37 Best gap year Jobs in United Kingdom (March 2026)

Harris Experience Lead

13 days ago

London

WORKING WITH US The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve. We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve. As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff. Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris. To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the ___ page. ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic graduate to join our central team as one of three Harris Experience Programme Leads. The Harris Experience is a cultural and academic programme for our most able students in the Harris Federation, aiming to support them in getting placed at top universities and degree apprenticeships. The name ‘Harris Experience’ incorporates all of the specific programmes below. You will be based at the Harris Federation head office in Croydon; however, most of your time will be spent visiting our academies in and around London. You will work closely with the Head of Harris Experience and the other Harris Experience Lead on programme vision, strategy and management. Specifically, the role is to jointly support our team in leading our various educational programmes: the Harris Experience (HE), the Harris Experience Advanced (HEA), the Harris Scholars (HS) and the Harris Scholars Advanced (HSA), which are already in place from Year 9 through to Year 13. The HE programme spans three years for each cohort, from Year 9 to Year 11; the HEA programme spans two years for each cohort, from Year 12 to Year 13. These programmes aim to broaden the cultural and academic experiences of some of our brightest disadvantaged young secondary students in the federation, preparing them to apply to the UK’s top university destinations and apprenticeships. You will also be supporting our Harris Scholars (HS) and Harris Scholars Advanced (HSA) programmes which are specialised Oxbridge/medicine programmes. The HS programme spans two years for each cohort from Year 10 to Year 11; the HSA programme spans two years for each cohort, from Years 12 to Year 13. Educational innovation will be encouraged and will be strongly tied to overall programme goals. This role is offered on a three-year fixed-term contract, starting as soon as possible. MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY Your responsibilities will include: • Developing the vision for the HE, HEA, HS and HSA programmes., • Initial identification of suitable students for entry into HE for Year 9, HS for Year 10, and HEA/HSA for Year 12, • Visiting academies regularly to meet students and/or staff, • Building a relationship with and supporting/training the academies’ most able coordinators (MACs), • Developing programme materials and disseminating good practice at the academies for the most able, • Planning and delivering the federation most able meetings, • Organising and delivering one to one and group sessions with HE and HEA students at academies, • Organising events for the HS and HSA students, • Support the HSA subject societies, • Liaising with academy principals and relevant staff, • Working closely with Oxbridge and medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science students and tracking outcomes, • Organising and delivering the mock interview programme, • Overseeing the Oxbridge, medicine and Russell Group/Sutton Trust 30 UCAS applications and tracking outcomes, • Leading on the guidance for university personal statements, training teachers and working directly with students, • Working on ad hoc Harris Experience events at academies for Years 7 and 8 most able students, • Using UCAS, Bromcom and federation/academy data to track student progress, • Organising and leading the key annual HE, HEA and HS and HSA events, • Managing the output of written, social and visual media to generate positive marketing of the HE, HEA, HS and HSA programmes, eg: bulletins, news articles, • Developing and maintaining university and career-related links with relevant organisations., • Developing and updating the HE and HEA website., • Have high levels of literacy, • Are very articulate, • Have strong presentation skills, • Have strong organisational skills, • Have strong IT/data skills, • Have experience with working with young people, • Enjoy teamwork and working in different environments APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation. Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date. When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received. OUR VISION & VALUES Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed. We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Safeguarding Notice The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed. Equal Opportunities The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment. WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level. You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including: • Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression, • Annual performance and loyalty bonus, • Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution, • 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts, • Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare, • Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice, • Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme, • Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts, • 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees

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