Trust Deputy School Improvement Director (Secondary)

Position Type:  Full Time, Permanent Post

Line Manager:  School Improvement Director

Travel Required:  Yes

Closing Date:  8 December 2025 at 9:00am

Interview Date: 12 December 2025

We are a growing Multi-Academy Trust comprising eleven schools: six secondary and five primary.

Each school within our Trust has its own distinctive values and ethos, united by the overarching principle of “Striving for Excellence”. Our aim is to create an environment where every child and young person can thrive academically, personally, and socially, experiencing the true joy of learning.

This is an exciting time for Areté Learning Trust as we continue our journey following a recent merger. We are committed to delivering inclusive, high-quality education and driving sustained school improvement across the Trust.

We are seeking to appoint a Trust Deputy School Improvement Director (Secondary) to work in partnership with Headteachers across our secondary schools. The successful candidate will provide both support and challenge to strengthen curriculum, teaching, learning, and achievement. The role will ensure excellent outcomes for all students, with particular attention to those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged, so that every child can reach their full academic and personal potential.

This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious leader to take on a strategic role and make a lasting impact. At Areté Learning Trust, we value integrity, kindness, collaboration, and high expectations, and we are committed to supporting our staff through professional growth and a culture of excellence. In addition we offer recognition of previous service with other schools, academies and local government, CPD, training  courses and webinars, expenses and travel costs in addition to a full range of employee benefits.

If you would like a confidential, informal conversation about this exciting opportunity, please contact Bethany Reilly, Executive P.A. via email breilly@arete.uk  to arrange an informal conversation with our CEO, Mark McCandless, or School Improvement Director, Katie Hunter.

What We Can Offer

• Recognition of previous service with other schools, academies and local government
• Enrolment into the Teachers' Pension Scheme
• Comprehensive training package with The National College
• Expenses and travel costs
• Comprehensive suite of employee benefits

About the Trust

Areté Learning Trust currently has 11 schools and educates over 7,000 young people in and around North Yorkshire from ages 2-18.  Our learners are at the heart of everything we do.

At Areté Learning Trust we work together and collaborate to ensure that all of our learners and our staff team have the chance to reach their potential.

Our Trust is committed to promoting:

•       High standards and expectations

•       Integrity, kindness and good manners

•       Respect for individuality and difference

•      Collaborative working to secure excellence

To realise our aspiration for every child to be the best they can be, we need to ensure that as a Trust we are ‘Striving for Excellence’.

Why work for us?

We want everyone who works within ALT to feel valued and see how their work fits into the bigger picture.

We seek employees who are prepared to take personal responsibility and constantly challenge the norm to improve performance.

In return, we are committed to providing an empowering and supportive learning environment for all staff.

Areté Learning Trust is committed to being the ‘Employer of Choice’.

Essentially this means that we want our schools and our central team to be great places to work. We want our staff development opportunities to be first class and we want to enable staff who are ambitious to grow their careers with us. To give our learners the best education and opportunities we are committed to recruiting and retaining the very best people in all areas of our organisation.

Regardless of role, we seek staff who:

•       Have high expectations of themselves and the people they work with.

•       Are committed to our Trust values.

•       Show initiative and are responsive to change.

•       Have strong interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire and motivate others.

•       Are creative in their approach to problem solving.

•       Are able to influence effectively, whatever their role.

•       Are team players.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds; for more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy statement (https://www.arete.uk/careers).  If you are ready for the next step in your career and you feel that your skill set makes you a good fit for this very exciting opportunity, then we look forward to receiving your application.

Application Process

Please complete the online application form to apply for this role. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.  You should use the information supplied within the Job Description & Person Specification to make the best of your application by identifying some specific pieces of work you may have undertaken in any of these areas. Your application may be viewed in regard to some or all of the skill specific areas over the course of the selection process.  Applications via agencies will not be considered.

Interviews will take place on Friday 12 December 2025.

The Areté Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting our children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  All posts are subject to a safer recruitment process which includes enhanced criminal records and barring checks, scrutiny of employment history, robust referencing and other vetting checks.  Online searches may be done as part of due diligence checks.

Our safeguarding system is underpinned by a range of policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the Trust. On joining you will be required to undergo continuous professional development to maintain safe working practice and to safeguard our children and young people.