Head of School

Your career #EMATters! East Midlands Academy Trust is recruiting for an exceptional and ambitious Head of School to lead Naseby C of E School Academy into its next phase of development. As Head of School, you will play a pivotal role in driving forward our vision, nurturing a culture of excellence, and ensuring that Naseby C of E School Academy continues to be a place where children thrive, staff flourish, and the community feels proud.

The Head of School role includes a classroom teaching commitment of two days per week. The successful candidate will combine strategic leadership responsibilities with regular teaching, maintaining a strong and visible presence in pupils’ day-to-day learning and modelling high-quality teaching and learning across the school. We are looking for a leader who thinks beyond the classroom – someone who understands that exceptional primary education transforms lives. At EMAT, we recognise and value our diverse workforce and are proud to be a trust where innovation, inclusivity and impact sit at the heart of everything we do. We would particularly welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate an understanding of, and commitment to, the distinctive ethos and values of Church of England education.

About EMAT: EMAT is an exciting, innovative, and growing organisation where we strive to do things differently, aligned with our core values and purpose: that every child deserves to be the best they can be. Our Trust was incorporated in July 2012 to establish, maintain, manage, and develop academies and free schools as world-class centres of excellence. We are a collaborative partnership that currently includes an all-through school in Northampton, a secondary school in Oundle, and five primary schools in Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. By working for our Trust, you’ll be able to take advantage of a wealth of professional development and support opportunities, as well as a range of employee benefits.

• Continuous professional development and training opportunities.
• Career and leadership opportunities within our growing family of schools.
• A confidential 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
• A corporate eye care plan.
• Flu jabs for all staff.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Access to health and wellbeing benefits, including an online GP.
• Access to an employee lifestyle savings platform.
• Generous family leave.

About the School: The school is situated in the centre of the village and is within easy walking distance of the Parish Church (All Saints), the Village Hall, Methodist Chapel and other village amenities. Children from the nearby village of Haselbech and other surrounding villages attend our school. We cater for children aged 4 to 11. The school is an important part of the village community and links are fostered between the churches, community groups and residents, parents and the wider community.

The school was built in 1843. It consists of a school building, a schoolhouse, a modular classroom and library bus. Within the school building are three classrooms and The Hub (our small hall). The schoolhouse accommodates the main school office, the Head of School’s office, a meeting room, the school kitchen, The Nurture Room and the staff room. Outside we have a large, enclosed grass paddock with a trim trail, Forest School area, Prayer Shed and a tarmac playground used for PE lessons and play times. We also have a small garden and vibrant astroturf which the children use as part of the outside learning environment.

General Roles and Responsibilities: As Head of School, you will provide clear, confident and compassionate leadership, working closely with and under the direction of the Executive Headteacher to secure continued success and improvement. You will:

• Provide vision and strategic leadership aligned with Trust values and academy improvement priorities.
• Lead the day-to-day management and organisation of the academy.
• Secure high standards in teaching, learning, behaviour and curriculum design.
• Hold staff to account for standards and quality.
• Lead performance management for teaching staff.
• Oversee curriculum organisation, including timetabling.
• Use assessment effectively to track pupil achievement and drive improvement.
• Lead defined whole-academy responsibilities and contribute to academy improvement planning.
• Work collaboratively with the Executive Headteacher and EMAT’s central team.

The essential quality of the Head of School is the ability to model an unwavering commitment to the highest possible standards, sustaining improvement and securing strong outcomes for all pupils. As a leader within EMAT, you will also contribute to trust-wide initiatives, professional networks and collaborative improvement strategies.

For more information or an informal conversation, please contact: hannah.fajemiyo@central.emat.uk

EMAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). References will be taken up before interviews are offered. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, or age. EMAT encourage a “Speak Up” culture where colleagues are encouraged to raise any concerns relating to risk or wrongdoing. You will be responsible for ensuring that colleagues are supported where necessary to raise concerns without blame or recrimination and should pro-actively raise concerns should they come to your attention.