Head of School

Are you a school leader who has yearned to lead a school from its inception - without inheriting a legacy? If so, you will recognise this tremendous opportunity to join an excellent Trust at a key time in our development.

The Head of School for MEA Central is a wonderful and unique role for an exceptionally talented and ambitious leader to work with the Trust CEO to lead a brand new Academy: MEA Central.

In partnership with Manchester City Council, the Altius Trust is excited to be opening this Academy and proudly serving the Manchester communities of Rusholme, Withington, Fallowfield and Levenshulme. The state-of-the-art building will open for Y7 only in 2017-18. Our vision is ‘a fantastic future for all’, to ensure every one of our students develops the skills and qualifications necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Our principles, which we call “The MEA Way”, will be adapted as we meet and work with the new community; but we will be bringing our high expectations and business partners to offering MEA Central’s students a fantastic future. The purpose built Academy has been designed to facilitate excellent teaching and learning and also provide fantastic facilities in the arts, sport and digital learning.

We are seeking to appoint a Head of School with the creative skills to maximise the potential of a brand new Academy, enhancing MEA’s national reputation for excellence. The new Head of School will have the confidence and ambition to take responsibility for driving the development of our new Academy, while working closely with the CEO of the Altius Trust to ensure the highest standards of education are offered across our Academies. There is a dedicated and determined Trust leadership team with whom the new Head of School will work collaboratively to move MEA Central forward.

So if you are innovative, a team player, a great leader and you are driven by a strong sense of moral purpose to improve the life chances of young people, then we are the Trust that you are looking for.

We want to recruit to this post as soon as possible so that the successful candidate can begin the process of communicating the vision, values, aims and ethos of the new school to the communities it will serve. This will also allow the development and implementation of a curriculum rationale, design and structures to meet the needs of the all the young people. The successful candidate will also lead and manage associated school staffing structures, ensuring that these are progressed and recruited to prior to the opening of the new Academy.

Equally important during this period of transition will be the development of effective working relationships with all staff in the existing academies, and with all the young people, their families, partners and agencies in the communities around MEA Central.

If you believe that you possess the necessary drive, determination, outstanding leadership skills to match our mission to raise aspirations, inspire ambition and improve outcomes for young people, we would be pleased to receive your application.

The role will be offered at a highly competitive salary based on experience.

Please find attached the Application Form, Job Description, our March 2015 Ofsted Report for MEA and additional information about the Altius Trust.
Any completed forms should be emailed to Rina Hughes, our HR Leader, at r.hughes@meacad.org.uk 

Informal visits to MEA prior to the closing date are also welcomed. Please contact Marlene Skeffington at m.skeffington@meacad.org.uk if you would like to arrange a visit.

Closing date for applications is 5.00pm on Friday 7 October 2016.
Interviews will be held in mid-October with a view to the successful candidate starting in January, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Altius Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment to safeguarding children. All successful appointments are subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced check.