About Class 13
Class 13 is a Lambeth-based education charity committed to
putting equity and relationships at the heart of education
.
We imagine a world where every young person feels seen, valued, and safe in school. Our work focuses on transforming school environments by rooting out systemic inequities and building more inclusive and equitable environments for children, educators, families, and communities.
We don't offer quick fixes. We work alongside school communities to create lasting, systemic change. Our four key principles guide everything we do:
1. Affirming
the full humanity of every individual.
2. Nurturing critical thinking
3. Building community
4. Encouraging democratic engagement
About this role
This is a joint role delivered by Class 13 as part of two interconnected programmes in Lambeth. One is a long-term embedded pilot working deeply with two local schools to reimagine school culture from the inside out. The other is part of a borough-wide initiative commissioned by SEL ICB and supported by Black Thrive to improve emotional wellbeing for Black and mixed heritage children.
Both strands aim to create more human, equitable school environments—and we are seeking someone committed to walking alongside families, schools, and systems to help make this happen.
While the role is relational at its core, it also involves managing light but essential administrative and reporting tasks particularly during key programme milestones. This includes maintaining accurate records, preparing summaries of engagement sessions, and handling transcripts to ensure learning is captured and shared.
Role Summary
We are seeking a deeply reflective and relational
School & Community Engagement Partner
who isn't afraid to ask bold questions or sit with uncomfortable truths.
This role isn't about quick fixes or ticking engagement boxes—it's about nurturing trust, challenging old habits, and reimagining what school can be. You'll be at the heart of a long-term transformation project, working deeply with two Lambeth schools while also contributing to a broader borough-wide initiative that invites families, staff, and communities to imagine something better—together.
At its core, this work is about shifting power. About listening with care, convening with purpose, and walking alongside parents, carers, teachers, and school leaders as they navigate what change can look like when it's built on affirmation, curiosity, and collective responsibility.
You'll help strengthen the connection between schools and families through sustained relationships, collective inquiry, and shared action. Some of your work will be intensive and embedded, walking alongside schools to shift culture from the inside out. Other aspects will stretch wider gathering insight, surfacing patterns, and shaping ideas that ripple beyond a single setting.
This is not a traditional outreach role. It's connective tissue—bridging classrooms, communities, and change. You'll be a steady presence: listening, facilitating, building trust, and helping schools reflect not just on what they do, but why.
The
School & Community Engagement Partner
will report to the Head of Programmes and the primary lead work closely with school leadership, teachers, and local organisations to transform parent-school relationships.
Main Responsibilities
1. Deepen relationships and build community
* Build consistent, trust-based relationships with parents, carers, staff, and wider community members, particularly those who have been historically marginalised by school systems
* Be a visible and approachable presence at parents' evenings, community events, school gates, and day-to-day school life
* Support families to move from being consulted to being co-creators ensuring their insight shapes decisions, practice, and school culture
* Foster connections not just between families and schools, but across families themselves, creating the conditions for mutual support and collective action
2. Walk alongside schools as they shift culture
* Work closely with staff across both pilot schools supporting reflection, relationship-building, and democratic practice
* Collaborate with school leaders, governors, and the wider Class 13 team to surface insight, challenge deficit thinking, and support community-led transformation
* Contribute to family-led policy change projects, helping create space for shared decision-making and power-sharing in schools
* Support the rhythm and routines of the embedded pilot showing up consistently in school life, from attending assemblies to noticing small shifts in culture
* Lead structured interviews with teachers participating in the programme, creating a relational space to gather reflective insights using agreed guides.
3. Facilitate wider listening and engagement
* Deliver structured engagement sessions in local schools as part of the SEL ICB programme, using the Appreciative Inquiry model (training provided)
* Work with staff and parents to map what currently exists, identify challenges and possibilities, and co-develop practical, community-rooted solutions
* "Reflect on what you're hearing and noticing, and share learning that can support change—locally and across the wider network.
4. Learn, reflect, and grow
* Participate fully in Class 13's foundational learning programme (4 full-day sessions)
* Engage in self-directed learning as part of the ICB programme
* Contribute to monitoring, reflection, and participatory evaluation of both the embedded pilot and the wider borough programme
* Maintain accurate records of meetings, interviews, and engagement sessions, including producing clear summaries and contributing to project documentation.
* Join monthly peer forums and learning spaces across the borough to share insight, deepen practice, and support collective learning
Skills & Experience
Essential
* A background in community engagement, education, youth work or organising—particularly with parents, carers, or families
* Strong facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to hold space for difficult conversations with care and clarity
* Deep listening skills and the ability to build relationships across difference, especially in school or public sector contexts
* Experience supporting individuals or groups to move from consultation to co-creation, shaping outcomes together
* Confidence navigating school spaces (including SLT, teachers, governors, parents, and young people)
* Strong organisational skills and comfort managing multiple priorities across different sites
* A deep commitment to equity and justice, and a willingness to reflect on your own practice
* Ability to manage and organise documentation, transcripts, and basic reporting to meet programme and funder requirements.
* Experience in conducting structured interviews or qualitative research in education, youth, or community contexts.
Desirable
* Experience working in, or alongside, schools or youth-facing institutions
* Professional training or qualifications such as teaching, social work, youth work, counselling, or therapeutic practice
* Familiarity with participatory or dialogic approaches like Appreciative Inquiry, community organising, or restorative practice
* Knowledge of how power, race, class, and other intersecting forces shape families' experiences of school
* Multilingualism or strong cultural understanding of Lambeth's diverse communities
Class 13's Commitment to Equity
Class 13 is committed to creating an
inclusive and diverse workplace
. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds.
We recognise the value of
lived experience
, If you meet most of the criteria but are unsure if you're the right fit, we still encourage you to apply.
We are happy to discuss and provide
reasonable adjustments
throughout the recruitment process to ensure accessibility.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit:
* Your CV
* A cover letter outlining your experience and suitability for the role
* A response to the following question
(maximum 300 words)
:
Reflect on a time when a relationship, professional or personal shifted your perspective on an issue. What did you learn from that experience?
We're asking this to understand how you approach relationships, reflection, and learning—core elements of our work at Class 13.
If you have any questions or require the application in an alternative format, please contact
.
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