HEAD OF FUTURES
We are seeking to appoint a Head of Futures to lead and develop a coherent, ambitious and inclusive Futures programme across the whole school, preparing pupils for life beyond Ackworth through outstanding careers education, guidance, partnerships and community engagement. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a strategic whole-school vision that develops aspiration, employability, sustainability and social capital from Key Stage 1 through to Sixth Form.
Ackworth School, a co-educational boarding and day school, was founded in 1779 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). It maintains its ethos and traditions and is still governed by the Society. The school is academically non-selective and provides an excellent range of facilities and co-curricular opportunities, recently achieving fantastic feedback in the ISI inspection (January 2026). The Head is a member of both HMC and the Society of Heads.
As a non-selective school, we offer a broad education that supports all abilities. Our small class sizes mean that our teachers and staff can dedicate more time to delivering a rich and personalised educational experience, allowing all pupils to flourish. Our pupils are one of Ackworth’s USP’s. Visitors to the school never fail to acknowledge how amazing they are and how positive the encounter is. This is something that makes a career at Ackworth such a rewarding one.
The Head of Futures will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the school’s Futures provision, ensuring that all pupils are prepared for life beyond school through a coherent, progressive and meaningful programme of careers education and external engagement. Working across both Coram House and the Senior School, the successful candidate will design and embed a Futures Curriculum from KS1 to KS5, aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks and informed by best practice in careers education and personal development.
This is a non-teaching role with a broad remit that sits at the intersection of personal development, destinations, sustainability, partnerships and community engagement. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leaders, pastoral and academic teams, parents, alumni, employers and external organisations to create meaningful opportunities that raise aspiration and support pupils in making informed choices about their futures.
The role includes strategic oversight of careers education, Higher Education pathways, apprenticeships, employability and post-18 progression, alongside developing strong relationships with employers, businesses, alumni and the wider community. The Head of Futures will also lead on sustainability strategy, ensuring that sustainability is embedded meaningfully within the school’s wider vision and Futures provision.
Working closely with the Director of Sixth Form, Heads of Department, the Development and Engagement Manager and the Autism Resource team, the successful candidate will help ensure all pupils — including those within specialist provision — are supported to develop confidence, independence and readiness for adulthood. The role will also include curating a programme of career talks, workplace visits, mentoring opportunities and partnerships that enrich the educational experience of all pupils.
The successful candidate will hold a good honours degree or equivalent professional qualification and will demonstrate a strong understanding of careers education, progression pathways and partnership development. Experience of working with young people within an educational or youth-focused setting would be advantageous, alongside the ability to build strong professional relationships and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
As a relatively small school, around 430 pupils in total, we enable pupils and staff to immediately become part of our community and we hope that, if this role is something that resonates with your skills and values, you will become a key part of the Ackworth School community.
The actual salary for this role will be between £25,000.00 - £29,950.00 (£31,250.00 - £37,437.50 FTE) based on experience. This will be working Monday – Friday term-time only + 2 weeks (36 weeks per year).
In return we offer:
• a generous fee remission of 50% for the children of our staff.
• all food and refreshments during the working day.
• free on-site parking.
• flexible pension and wellbeing benefits.
• 36 working weeks
• a supportive and friendly environment based on the Quaker ethos of the school.
• a beautiful working location in an ideal location within easy travelling distance of the main centres of Sheffield, Leeds, Doncaster and York.
Completed school application forms should be submitted with a cover letter of no more than one page and should be sent by email to: jobs@ackworthschool.com
Closing Date: Friday 29 May at 9:00 a.m.
Interviews will be held w/c 1 June. We reserve the right to see candidates prior to the closing date so early application is recommended.
Applicants should read carefully the Recruitment, Selection and Disclosure Policy. Our recruitment privacy notice is also available on our website within “Working For Us”.
Ackworth School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all applicants will undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and an enhanced DBS and Barred list check with Disclosure and Barring Service. Applicants should also be in sympathy with the School’s Quaker ethos.
For an informal and confidential discussion, please contact Ellie Spendlove on 01977 233600 or ellie.spendlove@ackworthschool.com