Network Lead for Secondary Maths

We are looking for an experienced and passionate secondary maths professional to lead and strengthen mathematics teaching and learning across Ark’s secondary school network. Working alongside the existing Secondary Maths Network Lead, the wider Curriculum and Assessment team, and Ark Curriculum Plus, you will provide targeted, school-facing support to maths departments to strengthen curriculum implementation, teaching and pupil outcomes. You will support the implementation of Ark’s maths curriculum and assessment approach, including the KS4 curriculum framework, Precise Planning, common assessment and the effective use of assessment information to address gaps in learning.

You will also support work to strengthen KS3 mathematics, including the Year 7 maths catch-up programme, and develop maths leaders and teachers across the network through professional development, collaboration and the sharing of effective practice.

Working closely with colleagues across Ark Schools and Ark Curriculum Plus, you will contribute to the continued development of Ark’s maths curriculum and resources, using evidence from school visits, assessment and outcomes to identify priorities, provide clear and actionable feedback, and support departments to make and sustain improvements. You will also contribute to wider maths priorities and projects, including teacher deployment, enrichment and curriculum development.

The Network Lead for Secondary Maths will report into Director of Curriculum, Assessment and Professional Development. This role is currently based in West London travel to other sites as needed with flexible working available on a fixed term basis working full time but part time 0.8 FTE would be considered.

Interviews will be taking place w/c 23rd November 2026.

Key Responsibilities:

• Working with maths departments, senior leaders, and Maths Mastery (Ark Curriculum Plus) to ensure that schools’ curriculum and resourcing needs are met, and that delivery of the curriculum is ambitious and tailored to the needs of the department and its intake
• Working with teachers and Maths Mastery to ensure the pilot KS4 curriculum is implemented successfully in schools and to maintain a robust feedback loop as the curriculum is developed
• Work intensely with a small number of focus schools to support outcomes in maths, as directed by senior leaders in the Central team. This is typically in the form of Intensive Programmes (10-week support, combining weekly support via Teams with fortnightly visits) The nature of visits and support might include training, observations, feedback, coaching and work with senior leaders
• Support HODs 1-to-1 and in smaller groups to develop and act on plans to improve outcomes in all key stages
• Developing and sustaining collegiality, and supporting maths teams to learn from each other, through network meetings (once per half term) and Network Days (3 per year)
• Developing smaller networks of teachers focused on key priorities, such as delivering a new course or addressing a common challenge
• Designing and/or selecting network-wide assessments (baselines, termly diagnostic assessments and mocks), in conjunction with maths leaders to ensure there is buy-in for common assessments and that they meet departments’ needs
• Working with the Assessment Lead to ensure that summative assessments are appropriate to schools’ needs (e.g. tailoring or adapting mocks and end-of-year assessments) and that robust age-related grade boundaries are created. Leading training to support schools with marking and recording of data
• Analysis of data after termly assessments (Y7-10, Y12) and mocks, identifying patterns and gaps and using these to inform training, work with schools, and senior leaders in schools and in the central team
• Supporting maths leaders to use network-level data to identify topics to be reviewed in their department’s curriculum or training
• Leading Network Days, three times per year, working with schools and external groups to offer a strong range of training and workshops, responsive to schools’ needs and patterns identified in assessments
• Leading network meetings and training for specific groups, such as HODs, KS5 leads, or other groups with a specific focus (e.g. GTAs, homework leads)

Key Requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• Qualified to degree level and above
• Qualified to teach and work in the UK 
• Experience leading (Head of Department) and teaching Maths within more than one school or across a range of schools in order to raise outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
• Substantial knowledge of the Maths curriculum and related pedagogy
• Substantial knowledge of national policy, legislation, statutory obligations and current national and international thinking in secondary education 
• Experience of raising attainment of all pupils in a challenging classroom environment
• Evidence of raising attainment through data analysis and assessment
• Experience of delivering consistently outstanding lessons
• Experience of delivering CPD to teachers
• Willingness to travel across the network to visit schools in different regions using public transport whenever practicable, and when necessary, work outside normal working day to achieve deadlines
• A strategic thinker, with the ability to consider both the detail and the bigger picture 
• An effective coach and developer of others
• Commitment to and understanding of professionalism in line with the National Teaching Standards 

• Our flexible working model offers the best of both worlds, balancing in person collaboration, either in our state of the art West London office or through visits to our schools, with the flexibility of remote working
• In addition to flexible working arrangements, employees can request to work fully remotely for up to 10 working days a year, whether this be in the UK or abroad
• Our flexitime policy allows you to work your hours around our core hours of 10.00 - 16.00, helping you prioritise your work-life balance and personal commitments
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with each year of service up to 30 days after 3-years’ service. This entitlement is pro rata for part time employees. This entitlement excludes bank holidays
• Full office closure between Christmas and New Year
• As an Ark employee, you will have the opportunity to be part of the TPT (The Pension Trust) scheme, our workplace pension scheme where we make an 11% contribution; you are not required to contribute towards this scheme unless you choose to. Depending on your role you may also be entitled to TPS which is a defined benefit scheme where you contribute a percentage based on how much you earn (as do we) in exchange for a guaranteed amount in your pension pot every year
• Access to high-quality professional learning throughout your career, offering both face-to-face sessions and a bespoke online learning platform
• Access to Ark Rewards scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers, interest-free loans available for season tickets or a bike, gym discounts offering up to 40% off your local gym and free eye tests

There are 34,000 students learning in our network of 48 schools across Birmingham, Hastings, London, Pontefract and Portsmouth. We’ve always believed that, with the right approach, every child has the potential to succeed. We work in the communities where we can make the biggest difference to children’s lives, and all our schools are non-selective. 

It works: our schools achieve great results – significantly outperforming national averages, especially when it comes to driving progress – the best measure for ‘closing the gap’.

We take what we learn in our schools to develop new solutions and approaches that we can share. Over the last two decades, we have developed and incubated more than 20 projects and programmes, supporting them to scale and achieve systemic impact on the life chances of all children. Over 300,000 children currently learn using an Ark curriculum and our Ark Start nurseries are demonstrating a new model for early years education that we hope will become the norm.