Director of Primary Education

Maltby Learning Trust, Rotherham, S66 8AA

17 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  January 2027 or sooner

• Closing date

  29 June 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  12 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Head of department or curriculum
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
• Working pattern: Full time: 32.5 hours per week
• Contract type: Permanent
• Pay scale: Leadership 26 to 30 (£95,735 to £105,595 per annum)

What skills and experience we're looking for

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Place Partnership as Director of Primary Education. We are seeking to appoint an exceptional and highly credible leader with a strong track record in primary education to provide strategic leadership across our primary academies. Working closely with Principals, senior leaders and wider Trust colleagues, the postholder will drive school improvement and help secure the highest possible standards for our children and young people.

The postholder will provide strategic oversight of educational standards across the Trust’s primary phase, ensuring high-quality teaching, curriculum and assessment. The role will support and challenge academy leaders to deliver sustained improvement, with a particular focus on the key foundations of primary excellence, including early reading, phonics, writing and mathematics. Through rigorous monitoring, informed support and timely intervention, the postholder will ensure academies continue to improve and that strong outcomes are secured for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

It is essential that the postholder is an outstanding people leader, able to guide, support and challenge senior academy colleagues with confidence and clarity. The postholder will maximise the potential of staff across academies, developing leadership capacity, strengthening skills and knowledge, and embedding the Trust’s values and behaviours as a consistent thread running through all aspects of school improvement. They will play a central role in fostering a culture of trust, collaboration and shared accountability, breaking down siloed working and enabling academies to benefit from stronger networks, shared expertise and increased access to resources.

Stakeholder engagement will be a key feature of the role. The postholder will build and maintain strong professional relationships with Principals, senior leaders, teachers, Governors, Trustees and external partners, ensuring open communication, shared understanding and collective ownership of improvement priorities. They will represent the Trust with credibility and professionalism, contribute to collaborative networks within and beyond the organisation, and work closely with colleagues at all levels to ensure that strategy is understood, implemented and translated into impact in classrooms.

For further information about the role, please refer to the Recruitment Brochure.

The successful candidate will be:

• An outstanding strategic educational leader, with substantial senior leadership experience in primary education and a strong track record of securing school improvement.
• Passionate about high-quality teaching and learning, with strong expertise in curriculum, assessment and the key drivers of success across the primary phase.
• Visible and influential, with the ability to build trust quickly and work effectively with Principals, senior leaders and wider academy teams.
• A confident leader of leaders, able to provide challenge, support and development that strengthens capacity, accountability and long-term sustainability.
• Committed to strong outcomes for all pupils, with a clear understanding of the importance of inclusion, equity and high expectations for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Analytical and evidence-informed, able to evaluate performance, identify priorities and use data and professional insight to guide improvement.
• Collaborative and system-minded, with the ability to foster strong partnerships across academies and promote consistency while respecting each academy’s unique identity.
• Calm, resilient and solutions-focused, with the ability to lead with clarity and purpose in complex or challenging situations.
• Values-led and professionally grounded, modelling integrity, optimism and an unwavering commitment to the wellbeing and success of children and young people.

What the school offers its staff

This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking and ambitious organisation, driven by a genuine passion for the wellbeing, care and education of young people.

Place Partnership represents the voluntary merger of two strong and successful Trusts in South and West Yorkshire: Maltby Learning Trust, established in 2014, and Accord MAT, founded in 2016. Both organisations shared a clear ambition - to grow our families of schools, extend the impact of our work, and ensure more children, families and communities could benefit from high-quality education. We recognise that by coming together, we will create a larger organisation with greater capacity to deliver exceptional learning experiences, strengthen school improvement, and contribute more meaningfully to the wider education system. From 1 September 2026, we will comprise 12 academies, supporting children and young people from early years through to Post 16.

Benefits:Pension Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme and CPD

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

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

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.

Recruitment+Brochure+-+Director+of+Primary+Education+1+compressed.pdf - 1.92 MB (opens in new tab)

About Maltby Learning Trust

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Maltby Learning Trust website
• Email address: kparker@maltbylearningtrust.com
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/maltby-learning-trust

Arranging a visit to Maltby Learning Trust

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email kparker@maltbylearningtrust.com.

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