Executive Director – Effingham Schools Trust

The Governing Body seeks to appoint an outstanding candidate to strengthen the cohesion of the Trust’s schools and to maximise the benefits and leverage the opportunities that it offers.

Job type: Part-Time (3 days per week), Permanent

Apply by: 22 April 2025

Job summary

In 2019, neighbouring schools St Teresa’s and Cranmore formed the Effingham Schools Trust partnership to create a diamond model school, delivering all the advantages of both single-sex and co-education to girls and boys. Manor House subsequently joined the Trust in September 2023, forming a dynamic educational triumvirate. The partnership allows each school to focus on its strengths whilst retaining its individuality, offering all pupils an extraordinarily rich variety of shared events, facilities and resources. September 2025 will see the opening of the new co-educational Sixth Form, the final part of the forward-looking educational strategy that the Trust has created. It is a powerful organisation with great potential, given that it educates over 1400 pupils and has a combined turnover in excess of £25M.

The role of Executive Director becomes available in September 2026 following the retirement of Mike Farmer, after seven years of distinguished leadership as the inaugural postholder. The appointee will need to sustain the current positive trajectory of the Trust and to develop strategies to face future challenges. The Trust is a Catholic foundation and the trustees are looking to appoint a Catholic to this senior role.

The new Executive Director will work closely with the leaders of St Teresa’s, Cranmore, Manor House and the Effingham Sixth Form. The challenge and reward of this overarching role will be to facilitate and nurture effective communication, collaboration and strategic outlook between the constituent parts, whilst also recognising and celebrating each school’s individual and distinct character, heritage and autonomy. The Executive Director will be expected to be high-profile both internally and externally, maintaining the visibility of the role across the schools, raising the profile of the Effingham Schools Trust nationally and being a beacon for Catholic education.

This exciting opportunity will suit candidates with strong interpersonal and communication skills, resilience, energy and creativity, who can demonstrate successful strategic leadership experience at headship level. The appointee will possess considerable business acumen, logistical skills and financial understanding to enable them to oversee and develop a significant educational group.

A generous salary will be offered to reflect the importance of the post and the experience and qualifications of the appointee. Other benefits include membership of a Defined Contribution pension scheme, private health insurance and fee remission for the Executive Director’s children attending any of the Trust’s schools.

The deadline for this application is 10.00am (UK time) on Tuesday 22 April 2025.

Applications should be made electronically to RSAcademics. To submit your application, please click on “Apply Now” on the right side of this page and upload your documents according to the instructions provided.

You should submit the following (both in PDF format):

1. a completed application form
2. a covering letter addressed to Mrs Annette Turner, Chair of Governors. The letter should explain your reasons for applying.

If you have any questions about uploading your application documents, please contact Jonathan Barnes, Head of Operations (Leadership Appointments) at Jonathan can also be reached by calling our Head Office on +44 (0)1858 383163.

Effingham Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

The safeguarding responsibilities of the role are indicated in the candidate information.

RSAcademics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools.

Preliminary Interviews will take place with RSAcademics via Teams on Monday 28 April and Tuesday 29 April.

Long List interviews with the Governors’ panel will take place via Teams on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 May.

Short List interviews with the Governing Body will take place at St Teresa’s School on Wednesday 21 May 2025.

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