Chief Education Officer (C Ed O) Ethos Academy Trust

Chief Education Officer (C Ed O)

Ethos Academy Trust

Salary: L25- L31: £89,830-104,040

Contract: Full time – full year

Location: Ethos Academy Trust. Office base at Reach Academy, Batley.
Please note : This role requires significant travel to various school sites and should not be considered office-based. However, aspects of remote work are supported, offering flexibility where possible.

We are looking to appoint an experienced and motivated Chief Education Officer to improve and support young people’s education.

The Trust comprises five Alternative Provision Academies and a specialist Free School based in Yorkshire. Excitingly, we have further planned growth which will see our size increase considerably.

Our story began in 2018 when our three founding Kirklees schools (Ethos College, Reach Academy and Engage Academy) formed Ethos Academy Trust. Since then, the Trust has doubled the number of Academies, whilst quadrupling pupil numbers.

We are a mixed community of Alternative Provisions and a Special School, operating across three Local Authorities within West and South Yorkshire. Our work extends beyond our Academies to add value to the wider system through the offer of support to other schools and associated services.

We celebrate and support the uniqueness of our academies in meeting the needs of their local communities. Our nurturing ethos, underpinned by our clear mission, vision and core values, enables our pupils, their families and our staff teams to thrive.

We provide extensive support and educational opportunities for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) and wider needs. Trust staff work in partnership with schools, parents/carers and other professionals to support and promote the educational and social inclusion of pupils.

We are seeking an experienced individual who is relentless in their focus on school improvement and is open to new ideas and innovations. We require someone who can demonstrate diligence, tenacity, enthusiasm, drive and self-motivation and respond positively to pressure whilst maintaining accessibility and consistency.

This is a senior role leading the educational function across the Trust. This strategic position is responsible for helping to raise the aspiration of all, delivering on the mission of the Trust.

The Chief Education Officer will:

• Have overall responsibility for reporting to the CEO and the Board of Trustees on the strategy, improvement initiatives and performance of each academy.
• Support the CEO to devise and implement the agreed strategy; project managing and demonstrating leadership in respect of the Trust’s central services and delegated model to schools.
• Ensure that the academies (under the day-to-day leadership of their respective Headteacher/Head of School make impactful and sustained improvement, with minimal disruption to progress; ensuring that aspirations and standards continue to rise over time.
• Work with each academy to ensure they are prepared for regulatory inspections and monitoring visits. In conjunction with each Headteacher/Head of School, ensure improvement strategies (including those identified through inspection and monitoring visits) are mapped out, actioned and followed up.
• With the SENDCOs/Executive Headteachers, engage in local and national SEND related activity and secure access to key groups.
• Support the day-to-day operations of the Trust, working closely with members of the Executive Team, Central Team and school leaders to deliver sound operation services.
• Deputise for the CEO in their absence, working with others who share this responsibility.

Above all, we are seeking someone with a tenacious drive to provide a top-class education to our young people.

To find out more and register your interest for the role, please visit

If you have any questions or queries about the role, please do not hesitate to get in touch by contacting Laura on 07931 384683 or email

• The closing date for applications is: Monday 31st March 2025 at 9am
• Remote tasks will take place on: Wednesday 2nd April 2025
• Interviews will take place on: Thursday 3rd April 2025

Visits to one of the Trust’s academies is strongly encouraged. If you would like to undertake a visit please get in touch via the above contact details.

Safeguarding Statement

Ethos Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including an Enhanced DBS check (including Children’s Barred List) and past employment references.

Applicants are required, before appointment, to disclose any conviction, caution or binding over including ‘spent convictions’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.