Salary:  Up to £120,000 commensurate with experience

Contract: Permanent / Full Time

Closing date: 12.00 pm on 29 January 2026

Interview date: Wednesday 11 February  – Friday 13 February 2026

Purpose:

As a member of the Trust Executive Leadership Team, you will lead the educational strategy for the secondary phase, guided by the Directors of Education. You will be responsible for driving high standards across the phase, enabling excellent outcomes for pupils in schools and supporting colleagues to deliver outstanding education across the Trust.

You will be responsible for reporting to Trust governance on the quality of education and the impact of school improvement activities across the phase. This role is pivotal in ensuring consistency, collaboration and excellence across Trust schools, while retaining each school’s individuality

Duties (further details in the attached appointment brief):

• Develop and implement a comprehensive secondary education strategy in collaboration with the Directors of Education, ensuring alignment with the Trust’s five-year strategic plan and core values.
• Serve as an active member of the Trust Executive Leadership Team, providing detailed reports to the CEO, Board and governance committees on the quality of education and impact of improvement activities.
• Lead the Trust-wide approach to closing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils and those in receipt of Pupil Premium to ensure equitable outcomes across all secondary settings.
• Oversee the quality of education across all secondary schools, identifying institutional strengths and risks while ensuring all settings are prepared for and supported during Ofsted inspections.
• Conduct regular, robust performance reviews at each school using data analysis, site visits and stakeholder feedback to monitor leadership and pupil progress.
• Broker targeted support and interventions through Education Directors and School Improvement Leads to ensure continuous improvement in schools requiring rapid progress.
• Manage the educational due diligence process for new schools joining the Trust and lead their successful integration into the secondary phase.
• Build leadership capacity and professional growth through the line management of Headteachers, focusing on coaching, talent management and succession planning.
• Ensure consistent application of statutory and regulatory compliance across all schools, including safeguarding, health and safety, and financial budgetary controls.
• Drive consistency and collaboration across the secondary phase while actively protecting and celebrating the unique individuality and community context of each school.
• Lead community engagement initiatives and strategic partnerships that strengthen the Trust’s role in regional social and educational regeneration.
• Maintain high-level expertise in national educational developments to contribute to research, publications and the development of evidence-informed Trust policies.

We offer:

• This role is eligible for the Teaching Pension Scheme
• Enhanced CPD, including access to professional networks across the Trust
• Paid induction and training suited to the role
• Confidential access to an Employee Assistance Programme
• Use of the Cycle Scheme
• Paid completion of a DBS check
• Flu vaccination vouchers
• Free eye tests (where the employee is desk-based)
• Honouring of continuous service earned in the Local Authority 

Safeguarding 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts at the Trust are subject to pre-employment checks including, but not limited to, initial and periodic enhanced level checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service.