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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive transformational school improvement and empower leaders to achieve sustainable success.
- Company: Archway Learning Trust, a growing Multi-Academy Trust dedicated to educational excellence.
- Benefits: Collaborative environment, professional development opportunities, and the chance to make a real impact.
- Why this job: Lead innovative change in education and shape the future of schools across the region.
- Qualifications: Proven headship experience and a passion for driving school improvement.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team committed to fostering collaboration and reducing barriers to learning.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
Archway Learning Trust is a growing Multi-Academy Trust with academies across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Derbyshire, serving students from nursery to university preparation and beyond. Comprising both Church of England academies and schools with no designated religious character, the Trust is committed to the transformative power of education and fostering collaboration among its schools. Through school-to-school support, the Trust focuses on reducing barriers to learning, streamlining workloads, and fostering a strong community of academies. The central team provides strategic leadership, shares best practices, and offers trust-wide support while honoring the unique identity and context of each individual academy and its community.
About the Role
This is a significant and exciting opportunity for an experienced, values-driven leader with proven headship experience. As a Trust Leader, you will operate with both strategic reach and deep professional credibility, working closely with Principals and senior leaders to secure sustainable school improvement. You will act as a trusted partner - offering incisive challenge, high-quality support, and confident leadership - ensuring that improvement is not only achieved but truly embedded and owned by school leaders themselves. You will lead and collaborate with a dynamic team of Vice and Assistant Principals for School Improvement, as well as Trust specialists, all within a forward-thinking Central Education Team shaped by professional trust, evidence-informed practice, and system leadership.
Role Description
- Drive transformational school improvement across the Trust—partnering with Principals to deliver lasting impact and excellence.
- Lead with credibility and challenge, empowering school leaders to embed sustainable success and own their journey forward.
- Act as School Improvement Partner for identified academies.
- Build strong professional relationships with Principals founded on trust, transparency, clarity, and challenge.
- Provide coaching, strategic dialogue, and evaluative challenge to support:
- Accurate self‑evaluation across all areas of the Quality of Education;
- High‑quality improvement planning aligned to Trust priorities;
- Sustainable improvement in outcomes, behaviour, and culture.
Monitor progress against agreed priorities and identify emerging risks. Support preparation for Ofsted inspections, ensuring schools can articulate intent, implementation, and impact effectively. Escalate concerns appropriately and contribute to Trust‑level decision‑making when additional support is required.
Trust‑wide Leadership
- Design and embed Trust‑wide frameworks and expectations.
- Ensure shared language and consistent practice across academies.
- Align school priorities with Trust strategy alongside Principals, Vice‑Principals - School Improvement, and the Director of Secondary Education.
- Provide strategic leadership across curriculum, assessment, inclusion, SEND, behaviour, and personal development.
- Use qualitative and quantitative evidence to evaluate impact and refine strategy.
- Work closely with the Director of Secondary Education, Trust Lead for Safeguarding, and Trust Lead for Data & Insights.
Quality of Education & Professional Learning
- Contribute to Trust strategy for teaching, learning, curriculum, leadership development, and inclusive practice.
- Support schools to improve classroom practice through evidence‑informed guidance, professional dialogue, coaching, and targeted CPD.
- Promote consistency and excellence in curriculum intent, sequencing, assessment, and pedagogy.
- Strengthen leadership at all levels across schools.
- Work with Vice and Assistant Principals - School Improvement to ensure coherence between Trust strategy, school‑level implementation, and daily practice.
- Share research‑informed practice and emerging evidence in curriculum, inclusion, and school culture.
Data‑Evaluation & Accountability
- Use performance data, QA evidence and wider intelligence to identify strengths, risks, trends, and inequities, inform improvement priorities and strategy, and target support proportionately.
- Contribute to Trust QA cycles, school reviews, and thematic evaluations.
- Produce high‑quality evaluative reports for the Director of Secondary Education, CEO, and Trust Board.
- Ensure all improvement activity is evidence‑led, evaluative, and focused on sustainable impact.
Culture, Collaboration, and System Leadership
- Model the Trust’s values and leadership behaviours.
- Promote a collaborative, relational, capacity‑building approach to improvement.
- Support schools to develop sustainable systems that reduce reliance on central support.
- Contribute to the wider Strategic School Improvement Team and cross‑Trust initiatives.
- Work proactively and positively within complexity, ambiguity, and change as the Trust grows.
- Engage with external partners and system‑leadership opportunities.
Time‑Limited Strategic Deployment
At the direction of the Director of Secondary Education, the TLSI may be deployed to lead or support time‑bound strategic improvement projects. In these deployments, they will:
- Deliver clearly scoped projects that strengthen leadership, systems and strategic coherence.
- Act as a peer leader, offering expert challenge and guidance.
- Set clear entry and exit criteria, ensuring ownership returns to school leaders.
- Evaluate and report impact to senior Trust leaders.
These deployments are exceptional, strategic, and evaluative, and do not replace ongoing SIP responsibilities.
Standard Expectations for Trust Leaders
- Model the Trust’s mission, values, and strategic intent.
- Lead with clarity, courage, and high challenge while maintaining strong relationships.
- Uphold and develop Trust policies, systems, and frameworks to ensure alignment across academies.
- Contribute to Trust‑wide development with a system‑leadership mindset.
- Build leadership capacity at Principal and senior leader level.
- Provide professional oversight and evaluative challenge through the Trust’s QA function.
- Represent the Trust externally and uphold its reputation for integrity, excellence, and inclusion.
Trust Leader - School Improvement employer: Archway Learning Trust
Contact Detail:
Archway Learning Trust Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Trust Leader - School Improvement
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the education sector. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to current Trust Leaders or school improvement specialists. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to highlight your headship experience and how you've driven school improvement in the past. Use specific examples that demonstrate your impact and leadership style.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Research Archway Learning Trust thoroughly—know their values, mission, and recent initiatives. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to their goals and support their academies in achieving sustainable success.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our community. Don’t forget to follow up after applying; a little persistence goes a long way!
We think you need these skills to ace Trust Leader - School Improvement
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Education: When writing your application, let your passion for education shine through! We want to see how much you care about making a difference in schools and communities. Share personal stories or experiences that highlight your commitment to school improvement.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to fit the Trust's values and mission. Use language from the job description to demonstrate that you understand what we're all about. This shows us that you're not just sending out generic applications!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured responses that get straight to the heart of your experience and skills. Avoid jargon and make it easy for us to see why you're the right fit for the role.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly. Plus, you'll find all the information you need about the role and our Trust there, making it easier for you to tailor your application.
How to prepare for a job interview at Archway Learning Trust
✨Know the Trust Inside Out
Before your interview, take the time to research Archway Learning Trust thoroughly. Understand their mission, values, and the specific challenges they face in school improvement. This will not only help you tailor your responses but also demonstrate your genuine interest in the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a Trust Leader, you'll need to exhibit strong leadership qualities. Prepare examples from your past experiences where you've successfully led teams or driven school improvements. Highlight how you foster collaboration and build trust with colleagues, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Prepare for Challenging Questions
Expect questions that challenge your approach to school improvement and leadership. Think about how you would handle difficult situations, such as resistance from school leaders or setbacks in improvement plans. Practising your responses can help you articulate your strategies clearly during the interview.
✨Engage with Evidence-Based Practices
The role requires a strong focus on evidence-informed practice. Be ready to discuss how you have used data and qualitative evidence to drive improvements in the past. Share specific examples of how you've evaluated impact and refined strategies based on evidence, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.