Lead Headteacher/School Improvement Lead

More than one location, Enhance Academy Trust

18 days remaining to apply

Start date details
22nd April or 1st September 2025
Closing date
13 January 2025 at 9am
Date listed
10 December 2024

Job details

Job role: Headteacher
Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage: Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
Working pattern: Full time: Full Time.
Contract type: Permanent
Pay scale: L24 (£87651) - L27 (£94332) (starting salary negotiable)

What skills and experience we're looking for

Are you an ambitious leader with a proven track record of delivering sustained and measurable school improvement? Are you looking for your next step?

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead and work alongside a great team of Headteachers in a supportive and forward thinking Trust. The successful candidate will be pivotal in shaping new ways of working as the Trust grows to 16 primary schools and begins to work in a Hub model.

We are seeking to appoint a Lead Headteacher who will work alongside our Director of School Improvement, Deputy CEO and school leaders promoting sustained improvement across one of our Hubs.

As Headteacher, you will be the overall strategic leader who will provide vision and outstanding leadership to ensure that adults and children in your own school flourish and achieve their potential.

In your role as Lead Headteacher/School Improvement Lead, for part of the week you will work collaboratively with leaders in other schools within your Hub providing them with the appropriate balance of support, robust external challenge and professional development to enable them to implement appropriate strategies that lead to improved and sustainable high-quality performance.

You will also play a key role in developing the Trust’s strategy in a key area as a member of the Trust's Executive Team.

For more information about this exciting role and our Trust, please contact Mark Randall, our CEO:

mark.randall@enhanceacad.org.uk

What the school offers its staff

Some quotes from our Headteachers:

Over the past academic year, the Trust have supported our academy to continue to move forward at all levels. Up to date, relevant and well considered advice and guidance is always available and appreciated. Trust leaders ensure that views of school leaders are always valued and opportunities for personal and professional growth are actively encouraged. Children at Sandal Magna are consistently achieving better at all phases than at any other time in the academy’s history; the Trust is a key part of that success and should take an enormous amount of credit for their impact.

When I interviewed for the Headteacher role at Horbury Bridge Academy, two key questions were posed: how could we join an Academy Trust while preserving our unique identity and ethos, and how could we retain and develop great teachers? Joining Enhance Academy Trust has been the answer to both. The Trust’s collegiate working and collaboration have led to rapid improvements while ensuring the unique character and values that define Horbury Bridge remain at the heart of everything we do. As a result, our outcomes for pupils are exceptionally strong—academically, spiritually, and holistically—ensuring every child is fully prepared to embrace the next stage of their education with confidence and ambition.

Having been a Headteacher of a Local Authority school before joining Enhance, I can fully appreciate what the Trust offers to its schools. The support, whether it be school improvement, financial, HR or estates, is second to none and helps to drive schools forward to ensure that the children get the very best. The Central Team know each school very well and understand the different contexts that our schools serve.

The support and challenge provided through external and school improvement visits from Enhance Academy Trust have been instrumental in driving meaningful change. These visits offer clarity on our goals and ensure that our leadership remains proactive and aligned with current national initiatives. The tailored advice and guidance empower our school to not only meet expectations but to thrive. This invaluable partnership truly enables schools to flourish.

This year, the Trust are offering coaching sessions to all Heads of School. As a current Head of School, I have completed two coaching sessions this academic year, facilitated by an existing Headteacher - these sessions have been extremely beneficial. The sessions are allowing me time to reflect on my practice, discuss key barriers or difficulties and, unlike mentoring, not being told how to deal with them but being challenged and guided with how to come up with a clear strategy to move forward. Having these sessions shows me that the Trust value their leaders and they want to continually offer development and support, which both means a lot to me on my personal journey and the impact I can have within my school but also aligns with allowing all members of the Trust to flourish.

Enhance Academy Trust is a successful and growing Church of England Multi-Academy Trust.

The Trust currently comprises of 13 Primary academies and a Post 16 Creative and Performing Arts free school based in Wakefield and Kirklees. We will grow to 16 Primary academies in September 2025.

The Trust’s vision is simple: to deliver exceptional educational outcomes to enable our children and young people to live well in the ever-changing world around them. We also aim to allow our academy leaders and staff to develop the individual character of our academies so they can best serve their local communities.

As a Trust, we embrace effective collaboration and partnership to further improve the life chances of our children and young people.

Commitment to safeguarding

Enhance Academy Trust has an absolute commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check via the DBS. The Trust values the diversity of our workforce and welcomes applications from all.

Applying for the job

Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to mark.randall@enhanceacad.org.uk

CVs are not accepted.

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.

Upload additional documents

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

School Improvement Strategy 2024-2025.pdf - 4.26 MB (opens in new tab)

November 2024 Lead Headteacher JD & PS.pdf - 896 KB (opens in new tab)

About Enhance Academy Trust

Type: Multi-academy trust
Website: Enhance Academy Trust website (opens in new tab)
Email address: mark.randall@enhanceacad.org.uk
See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/enhance-academy-trust (opens in new tab)

Enhance Academy Trust is a Church of England Multi-Academy Trust comprising of thirteen primary schools located across Wakefield and Kirklees and a post 16 performing arts free school.

The Trust works very closely with its academies and encourages them to help each other whilst at the same time allowing them a reasonable amount of autonomy. It has kept to this model whilst expanding and wants to continue to follow similar principles in the future.

Our vision is to deliver improved educational outcomes and learning skills to enable our young people to live well in the world around them. We also aim to allow our academy leaders and staff to develop the individual character of our academies so they can best serve their local communities.