Director of Education (Secondary)

Unity Schools Partnership, Haverhill, CB9 8QP

20 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September 2026

• Closing date

  13 April 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  24 March 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: Full-time, 52 weeks per year
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: Spot salary will be determined within the range of £116,456 to £134,860 per annum

What skills and experience we're looking for

What We’re Looking For

• A proven track record as a Secondary Headteacher, ideally with experience in a MAT or leading across multiple schools.

• Deep understanding of outstanding secondary practice delivering sustained excellent outcomes and with experience of overcoming cycles of underperformance.

• Strategic vision and the ability to influence at the highest level.

• Creativity and innovation to drive forward our internationally recognised CUSP curriculum which is achieving transformational change at KS3 and now developing into KS3.

• A collaborative leader who inspires others and builds strong relationships with a deep commitment to serving our most vulnerable pupils.

What the school offers its staff

Why Join Us?

• Join a high-performing leadership team driving educational excellence and delivering life-changing outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

• Work closely with executive colleagues to set our strategy, with inclusion and the delivery of great outcomes for all pupils at its heart.

• Influence practice across multiple schools and help create a culture of excellence through leaders across a network of schools.

• Enjoy a role where ambition, pace, and ethical leadership are at the heart of everything we do.

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.

Location: Unity Schools Partnership Trust Office, Haverhill, Suffolk (Working with schools Suffolk, and Havering )

Salary: Spot salary will be determined within the range of £116,456 to £134,860 per annum

Job start: September 2026

Contract: Full-time, 52 weeks per year, permanent, Teachers’ Pension

Shape secondary education across the East of England — and transform the futures of thousands of children.

This is a rare opportunity to set the pace for secondary education across the East of England—shaping strategy, accelerating school improvement, and building the conditions for excellence at scale.

If you’re a proven Headteacher and system leader who thrives on ambition, influence and ethical leadership, this role gives you the platform and autonomy to make durable change at scale: guiding practice across multiple schools, developing exceptional people, and aligning innovation with impact.

Join a values led Trust where collaboration is real, challenge is welcomed, and the bar is set high—for you, for our teams, and for the pupils we serve.

You will collaborate closely with the Executive Director of Education (Mainstream), fellow Directors of Education across our Primary, Secondary and Special phases, and wider senior trust leaders to drive excellence, serving as link director for a subset of our 9 secondary schools.

Beyond school improvement, you will play a pivotal role in influencing the strategic direction of a dynamic and expanding Trust of 40 schools. Our vision is bold: to deliver top-quartile performance by 2030, underpinned by ethical leadership, innovation, and a culture of collaboration.

About Unity Schools PartnershipWe are a forward-thinking Multi Academy Trust committed to improving outcomes for all pupils. Our work is characterised by ambition, innovation and collaboration, and we believe remarkable change is possible.

Closing Date: 9.00 am, Monday 13th April

Interviews: 23rd April

For an informal discussion, contact Stephen Astley, Executive Director of Education (Mainstream) at sastley@unitysp.co.uk or call 07711 486791.

Please note: We may interview as applications are received and may appoint before the closing date. Applications must be submitted online via our careers website before the deadline, so we encourage early applications and advise checking the job details on our site.

In line with safer recruitment, we cannot accept CVs. Incomplete application forms may result in candidates not being shortlisted.

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All successful candidates will be subject to rigorous pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS. We are also committed to equality, diversity and fair recruitment practices, and we oppose all forms of unlawful discrimination.

We value inclusive working practices and diverse teams. If you wish to work part‑time or as a job‑share, we will accommodate this wherever possible. We particularly welcome applications from under‑represented groups.

Commitment to safeguarding

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safer recruitment, equal opportunities, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

JD_Director_of_Education_(Secondary)_March_2026.pdf - 204 KB (opens in new tab)

USP_Candidate_Information_Pack_January_2026 (1).pdf - 6.89 MB (opens in new tab)

About Unity Schools Partnership

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Unity Schools Partnership website
• Email address: sastley@unitysp.co.uk
• Phone number: 07711 486791
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/unity-schools-partnership

Academy Trust

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