Lead Teacher of RS - Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams
Start date: September 2026
Thank you for your interest in the role of Lead Teacher of RS at Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of a growing Free School in Stoke-on-Trent, an academy with bold ambitions, a clear moral purpose, and a relentless commitment to excellence for every child.
Since opening in September 2024, Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams has moved rapidly from vision to reality. What began with a founding cohort of 120 Year 7 students has grown into a thriving, purposeful learning community. In September 2025, the academy proudly transitioned into its permanent, state-of-the-art building, a learning environment designed to inspire, challenge, and support pride, ambition, care and excellence. The academy will continue to grow year on year, expanding to full capacity of 1,150 students by 2030.
As Lead Teacher of Geography you will be instrumental in shaping the culture, curriculum, and classroom practice of your subject area at a formative stage of the academy's journey. This is a role for a leader who wants to leave a lasting legacy, someone ready to influence not just outcomes, but lives.
Why Choose Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams
An uncompromising commitment to professional growth
At Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams, we believe that exceptional schools are built by exceptional professionals. We invest heavily in our people, offering double the standard number of training days and a rich programme of development designed to stretch, challenge, and accelerate your leadership journey.
Strength through collective excellence
As part of Co-op Academies Trust, you will join a powerful network of professionals united by shared values and high expectations.
Support and challenge
Our organisational structures are intentionally designed to remove unnecessary barriers and allow leaders to focus on what truly matters, improving teaching, learning, and outcomes. You will be supported, trusted, and empowered to lead with clarity and confidence.
A curriculum built for depth, rigor, and aspiration
Our curriculum is developed in partnership with Trust-wide subject directors to ensure ambition, coherence, and academic depth. It is designed to open doors, cultivate curiosity, and prepare students for success in education and beyond.
A culture where people matter
We are proud of our strong culture, one rooted in high expectations, shared ways of being, and our PACE values. We care deeply about our staff and students, and we are intentional about creating a community where people feel known, valued, and inspired to be their best.
Extended Learning That Transforms Lives
Our extended academy day provides students with enriched opportunities beyond the classroom, building cultural capital, resilience, and confidence. Through a carefully designed enrichment programme, students discover new passions and develop skills that will shape their futures.
This innovative model also enables an additional two weeks of holiday across the academic year, ensuring shorter, more restorative term times for both staff and students.
If you are an ambitious educator with the vision, expertise, and moral purpose to lead with impact, we would be delighted to hear from you. Join us at Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams and be part of something extraordinary, an academy that is not just growing, but redefining what is possible for young people in Stoke-on-Trent.
If you have what we are looking for, we would love for you to take the initiative and apply to be part of a team that is not just building a school but shaping the future of education in Stoke-on-Trent.
There will be an opportunity to join a virtual information session with the Headteacher on:
* Monday 26th January 2026 at 3:30pm
* Wednesday 28th January 2026 at 5:00pm
* Monday 2nd February 2026 at 4:00pm
If you want to join one of the sessions, please email katie.revill@coopacademies.co.uk
Elizabeth Clewlow
Headteacher
Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams