Join the Family

Creating the brightest futures for our young people is the number one priority at ̨swag. We need more exceptional people, like you, to help make it happen.  

We are an award-winning multi-academy education trust with passion, purpose and people at our heart. We manage 41 transformative primary, junior, secondary and Post 16 schools up and down the North of England, from Redcar to Nottinghamshire, each celebrating very different identities but driven by a shared vision. Each academy is individually shaped around the community and children it serves.

We’re incredibly proud of how far our kind, creative and talented teachers and support staff go to make life better for our pupils and their families. It’s why we have built such a leading reputation in education and taken failing schools to Ofsted-rated outstanding in a record amount of time. 

So whether you’re looking for an inspiring new teaching challenge, a rewarding job to fit around your family, or a long-term career that is aligned to your values – say hello to ̨swag.

“Working at ̨swag has brought me more work life balance, a network of other professionals to share information and develop good practice with, and layers of support and chances at CPD. There is also unbelievable support when OFSTED come into the Academies for inspection, and I always know that there is help to guide me through any concerns I have with students, staff, sharing of ideas, and systems in place to communicate ideas.”
— Kim Ratcliffe

  • We support colleagues by funding an extensive range of accredited training courses and apprenticeship opportunities up to Masters level. We also offer:

    • Your starting salary plus annual inflation linked increases. The starting salary will be dependent on experience

    • We follow the principles of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document

    • You will be automatically enrolled into the generous Teachers’ Pension Scheme

    • Pay progression happens automatically on the anniversary of the target period appropriate to your role

    • Flexible family friendly policies from day one

    • Enhanced occupational benefits available (such as maternity, adoption and parental leave) with no qualifying period

    • We have our own Workload Charter and are committed to ensuring that Teachers’ workloads are manageable

    • All teachers receive an allotted minimum of two hours CPD each week

    • Access to centralised resources to support with lesson planning and reducing workload

    • Comprehensive induction and training process

    • Automatic enrolment into our Employee Assistance Programme which gives you and your family members free access to:

      • Specialist information on a wide range of work-life issues

      • Emotional support and counselling for a wide range of personal and work issues

      • Legal guidance

      • Financial guidance and debt counselling

      • Child and dependent care support and advice

      • Support for managers

    • We are also a wellbeing employer with a dedicated mental wellbeing strategy and menopause policy along with menopause champions based in our academies

    • Free flu vaccinations

    • Free onsite parking

    • Employee discounts such as competitively priced Synergy Car Leasing

    • Access to various discount sites

  • Join us and become part of an inclusive Trust-wide culture that is caring, open, honest and designed for you to thrive.

    Our priority is to make sure you feel valued, and there are robust staff support structures in place to make sure this happens. As a large Trust with an engine of central support staff working behind the scenes, it means we can shoulder some of the admin tasks like operations, finance and human resource issues, so you can get on with what you do best.

    You (and your family) can also access free independent counselling services if you require support, for whatever reason, and it doesn’t have to be work-related.

  • Your personal wellbeing is just as important to us as the welfare of our students, so we go the extra mile to ensure you are supported with your workload and offer flexibility wherever possible.

    At ̨swag, you get 25+ days holiday, plus bank holidays (for non-term time only employees), and benefit from flexible family-friendly policies. We offer excellent maternity and paternity leave, and more recently, we introduced a policy to support women experiencing menopause.

    And if you move house or wish to expand your experience, you will have the opportunity to work at other academies within the Trust. We’ll move mountains to keep you with us!

  • You don’t have to stand still at ̨swag. There is progression at every corner for both teachers and support staff, from early apprenticeships to more senior roles, with a strong focus on your professional development throughout.

    From the moment you join us, you’ll have endless opportunities to gain additional qualifications and experience, mentored by inspirational and motivated leaders through the . We give you every chance to develop your career and feel happy and motivated in your role, so we can collectively deliver the best possible outcomes for our students.

    For support staff, there are a range of CPD opportunities, including apprenticeships and other vocational professional qualifications that we support, as well as in-house training courses via the ̨swag Institute of Education to upskill staff.

    We are a founding partner of the , ensuring our teachers, whether at the start of their career, or looking to grow in leadership, have access to the very best, innovative and research-led professional development.

  • If you’re reading this, you will know that teachers and school support staff have never been more in demand.

    When you join ̨swag, you can be assured that you are joining a long-established, secure organisation that’s always growing, and where you will feel part of something important from day one. Meanwhile, our above-average pension schemes will ensure you can enjoy your retirement when you do eventually leave.

    Working in academies gives you a job for life.

    Click here to view case studies of people who have progressed.

“Honestly, I didn’t see myself ever working in a school environment. Unexpected circumstances led me to where I am now, but deciding to work in schools has been the best move of my life. I have been here for the past 18 years and will possibly be here for the next 18. You will never know if it’s for you unless you give it a go!”
— Michelle Baxter
“I enjoy that every day is different and presents a new challenge. I feel valued and that the work I do has an impact for the students and my colleagues. I feel working as part of a Trust provides a range of opportunities and support mechanisms to ensure that staff feel encouraged and motivated to do their best. I appreciate the Trust’s ethos around Students First, Raising Standards and Transforming lives and see this happen every day.”
— Hayley Rudd

Joining ̨swag as an Early Career Teacher

We have supported hundreds of early career teachers (ECTs) in the initial years of their career. We have an ambition to nurture the best teachers in the whole of the UK. 

As an ECT at ̨swag, you will benefit from:

  • A highly innovative training programme through the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT)

  • Subject-specific professional learning opportunities with our specialist subject directors

  • Support with career planning 

  • The opportunity to work with inspiring colleagues who raise standards every day and transform young people’s lives.

We are proud to be an integral member of the NIoT, hosting its North and East campus at ̨swag Academy Redcar and ̨swag Academy Adwick. 

The NIoT will lead the country in identifying best practice in education and developing cutting-edge, evidence-based teacher training and professional development programmes. All ̨swag employees will benefit from the work of the NIoT, which draws on the expertise of some of the most outstanding school leaders in education today. 

You can find out more about the NIoT and the programmes they offer, which have been designed to fit around the pressures of school life, by visiting.

Thank you for your interest in being part of ̨swag. The reason for our success is the people who work here, both teaching and support staff, so if you want to be one of those people, welcome to our Trust.

All candidates are treated fairly, irrespective of race, gender or gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religion and belief or age.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion within our Trust, employing people from a range of different backgrounds to share their experiences, help shape best practice, and educate the wider workforce. For more information on our EDI policy, please contact Natalie Parkin - n.parkin@outwood.com.