Chief Executive Officer

Contract type: full time, permanent

Salary: competitive

Start date: September 2024

Closing date: by noon on Friday, 17 May 2024

Interviews: Thursday, 23 May 2024

Due to the upcoming retirement of our CEO, Orchard Community Trust is seeking to appoint an inspirational and collaborative leader to work closely with the Trust Board in leading our Trust through the next stage of its development and growth. We are seeking to appoint an exceptional individual to provide vision and leadership to the Trust Board in the efficient and effective delivery of our strategic aims and to uphold the Trust’s values across the organisation. This includes overseeing all operations of the Trust including school improvement, governance and compliance, the mitigation of risk and building strategic partnerships with stakeholders to ensure both strong educational outcomes for all our pupils and the sustainable development of the Trust.

The successful applicant will work collaboratively with all our schools to achieve the best possible outcomes for all our children and young people. Motivated by impact and supported by an engaged Board and a brilliant executive team, our CEO will further develop practices and disciplines that deliver the best possible outcomes for our pupils and staff and encourage a culture that celebrates success and promotes excellence and opportunity.

They will be aligned with our vision and values, “committed to providing our children with an exceptional education, inspiring them to cultivate a love of learning and empowering them with a strong foundation to thrive and accomplish their goals in life.”

Essential to the role is the ability to develop and maintain a collaborative and co-productive ethos between our schools and the central Trust team, necessitating effective communication skills and meaningful working relationships and partnerships with a range of stakeholders at all levels.

As Accounting Officer, the CEO will be accountable to the Board and the face of the organisation to external stakeholders. A key part of the role will be building a strong working relationship with the former and enhancing the profile of the Trust with the latter.

Orchard Community Trust was formed in 2018 and is based in Stoke-on-Trent. We currently have five primary schools (including one Church of England Aided school), two large special schools and two associate schools. One of our founding principles is to recognise the unique identity and ethos of each our schools whilst ensuring that we maximise the benefits of being part of a multi-academy trust. It is key that our new CEO upholds this principle as we move forwards to our next phase. For further information about our Trust, and how to apply for this key role, please visit www.orchardct.org.uk

An Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this post. We welcome enquiries from everyone and value diversity in our workforce.