Chief Executive Officer (Catholic Senior Executive Leader)

Contract: Full Time Permanent

Salary: Competitive

Start date: September 2024 (negotiable)

Reporting to: The Board of Trustees

Purpose of the role: To provide principled, dynamic and strategic direction and leadership to St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust across all settings and phases of learning, and to support the individual ethos and Catholic character of all schools in the Trust.

We are seeking to appoint an inspirational and highly motivated Catholic leader who can articulate the board’s vision and values and lead our highly achieving and successful schools comprising St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust. You will be joining the Trust at an exciting time as we begin a period of growth and development.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate their impact on collaborative work in schools to further increase already high standards. As an established and successful educational leader, they will have the drive and ambition to ensure continued success and the vision and skills to deliver school improvement in the years ahead. They will be an excellent communicator who understands the power of collaboration and shares our vision to transform children’s futures, empower families and strengthen communities.

We are looking for applicants who have:

• The capacity to develop the strategic direction and Catholic character of our Trust
• The ability to lead and inspire others and the bring people along with you
• A deep knowledge of the current educational landscape and experience of working with Diocesan bodies, key Government departments, the local community and other schools and Trusts
• An understanding of how multiple factors impact Catholic schools
• The ability to communicate well with all stakeholders and external partners

As this is a reserved post, our CEO must be someone who holds Qualified Teacher status and is a practicing Catholic who considers their faith to be a fundamental part of their identity. The successful candidate should understand the role of a Catholic school leader in nurturing the spiritual development of pupils and staff. You must also recognise the central importance of Religious Education as a core subject in our school's curriculum, especially in the context of a diverse community.

This post would suit an innovative individual who will provide the strategic direction and educational leadership as well as the ability to build external relationships and foster social and professional capital.

If you are excited about this opportunity and feel you have the skills, drive and enthusiasm to lead the Trust at this exciting point in our journey, we very much look forward to receiving your application.

If you would like to discover more about this exciting opportunity or have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Noel Campbell, Chair of the Board of Trustees – enquiries@sbcat.co.uk

Applications must be completed on a CES application form along with a covering letter and returned by email to Rebecca Eastmond - enquiries@sbcat.co.uk by the closing date.

A relocation package will be negotiated for the right candidate.

Closing date: 16 April 2024

Interview date(s): week beginning Monday 22 April 2024

St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust is committed to equality, and to making fair and equitable treatment an integral part of everything we do. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The post is subject to a successful DBS check and pre-employment checks will be undertaken before an appointment is confirmed.

The Trust is committed to equality, inclusion and diversity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

Safeguarding

St Benedict Catholic Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

It is an offence to seek employment in regulated activity if you are barred from working with children. This post will involve regular contact with children, and therefore is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants are therefore not entitled to withhold information about convictions, cautions or bind-over orders which for any other purposes are “spent” under the provisions of the Act. Any information that is “protected” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 will not appear on a DBS certificate and does not need to be declared.

Guidance on this can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974

Successful candidates will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a self-declaration related to their criminal record or any information that would make them unsuitable to work with children.

If you have lived or worked outside of the UK, additional information may be required from you to satisfy safer recruitment checks.