Deputy Head of Governance

Cabot Learning Federation, Bristol, BS15 4JT

13 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  5 January 2026

• Closing date

  17 November 2025 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  4 November 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £32,274 - £35,692

Deputy Head of Governance job summary

Job Title: Deputy Head of Governance

Actual Annual Salary: £32,274 - £35,692 (Based on hours and working weeks)

Full Time Equivalent Salary: £35,852 - £39,649 (CLF Grade E). (Based on 37 hours per week, all year round)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday / Term Time Only + 10 additional days

Additional role information: The primary base for this role is Broadoak Academy. Weekly team meetings are held at Winterstoke Hundred Academy, and the team also visits other academies as required. Outside of these commitments, there is flexibility to work from home.

Provisional Start Date: January 2025

Lead Strategic Governance Across Our Federation – Deputy Head of Governance

We are seeking an experienced and highly organised governance professional to join our small, dedicated team overseeing all aspects of governance across the Trust.

As Deputy Head of Governance, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operation of governance processes, with a particular focus on:

• Policy oversight – maintaining the policy schedule and ensuring timely reviews.
• Local tier governance – leading on induction, training, and support for local governance groups.
• Admissions knowledge – leading on Admissions for the Trust
• Clerk team management – line managing our team of Clerks and providing clerking cover for committees and other meetings as needed.

You will bring a keen eye for detail, strong communication skills, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. Flexibility is essential, as the role may require covering meetings at short notice, including some outside of standard working hours.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the strategic governance of a forward-thinking Trust, working closely with senior leaders and governance professionals.

If you are passionate about good governance and thrive in a collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you.

About you:

You will bring:

• Extensive knowledge of governance procedures, policies, and relevant legislation.
• Strong leadership and line management experience, with the ability to coordinate a team and manage cyclical priorities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to liaise with stakeholders at all levels.
• High attention to detail and strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload and meet deadlines.
• A flexible and proactive approach, with resilience under pressure and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• A high level of integrity, impartiality, and professionalism, especially when handling sensitive information.

Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.

Why Work in CLF’s Central Governance Team?

In this role, you'll be a vital part of our Central Governance Team – a key function supporting strategic leadership and compliance across our Trust.

We offer:

• A chance to shape and strengthen governance across a diverse group of academies.
• Opportunities to lead on policy, training, and governance systems development.
• Flexible, hybrid working – from home, our Bristol office, and onsite at academies.
• A collaborative environment with opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• The chance to make a meaningful impact on educational outcomes through effective governance.

Why work at CLF?

We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters and so encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

What we can offer you:

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Generous annual leave.
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!

Recruitment timeline:

• Closing Date: 17 November 2025 @11.59pm
• Shortlisting: 18 November 2025
• Interviews: Week commencing 24 November 2025

For an informal discussion about the role/to find out more, please email CLFs Recruitment Team directly (details can be found on the 'Contact Us' page on CLFs main website, or in the 'Application Instructions' section when applying).

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.

Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.

 

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Cabot Learning Federation are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant will, in accordance with statutory guidance, be subject to a comprehensive pre-employment checking process including references from current and previous employers, health, right to work in the UK and a child disqualification check. The checks will also include an enhanced DBS check and a further check against the appropriate barred list.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Cabot Learning Federation

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Cabot Learning Federation website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/cabot-learning-federation

Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) is a diverse West Country multi-academy trust which is home to 36 schools operating in five clusters in Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset.

The CLF is unique due to its tight geographical concentration, the diversity of the communities it serves, and the variety of educational provisions it offers. We are one of the largest and most respected trusts in the South West and hold national as well as regional recognition due to the breadth and influence of strong practice in our trust.

Our collaborative culture, driven by a strong moral purpose, is key to our success. We believe strong collaboration can drive school improvement and embed excellence in our academies. Our team is united with the common goal of delivering outstanding educational experiences and promoting the life chances of the young people in our academies now and in the future.

Following a recent period of growth, we are proud to serve circa 18,000 pupils who all attend one of our 10 secondary academies, 17 primary academies, an all-through provision, a studio school, a discrete post-16 provision, three special schools and two alternative provisions spanning the age ranges.

The CLF is an equal opportunity employer and is proud to serve a diverse student population and their communities. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. To ensure our leadership team is fully representative of the people we serve, we are encouraging applications for this role from global majority communities.

We are proud to be part of a diverse region and celebrate the richness of cultures, faiths and backgrounds of our students. We aim to develop a curriculum that is responsive to our pupils’ needs and reflects their diverse interests and backgrounds.

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