Headteacher

Desborough College, a boys school and a proud member of Pioneer Educational Trust, is seeking an exceptional Headteacher to lead the College into its next phase of development. This is a rare opportunity for a values-led and ambitious leader to shape an environment where young men are challenged, supported and inspired to achieve highly and contribute positively to society. 

We are seeking to appoint a Headteacher with the vision, credibility and emotional intelligence to inspire confidence across the whole community. The successful candidate will be a visible and principled leader, able to combine strategic clarity with warmth, humility and presence. They will understand the distinctive responsibility and opportunity of leading a boys’ school, and will be committed to developing character, aspiration and a strong sense of purpose alongside academic excellence. 

Desborough College has a strong identity and high expectations for its pupils and staff. The next Headteacher will build on this foundation while bringing fresh perspective, intellectual curiosity and the courage to lead change where it will have the greatest impact. They will champion inclusion, equity and wellbeing, ensuring that every boy is known, valued and enabled to succeed. 

This role will suit an experienced senior leader who is motivate by service and impact. You will be an outstanding communicator, skilled in working with governors, trust leaders and external partners, and confident in leading a school within a collaborative and aspirational multi-academy trust. You will also value the opportunities offered by Pioneer Educational Trust to share expertise, develop leaders and strengthen practice across schools. 

Desborough College and Pioneer Educational Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Being part of Pioneer means you’re never on your own – you will have the support of the whole Trust alongside you, including specialists in education, HR, finance and operations.

If you want to be part of a community that is knowledgeable, empowered and committed to taking principled action in service to others, we would welcome your application. If you want to lead ethically and work with local, national and international educational communities, then this role is for you.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Deliver an exceptional school culture where all pupils thrive and reach their full potential

• Implement and sustain a consistent and effective behaviour policy that fosters a respectful and safe learning environment.

• Build strong partnerships and work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders

• Be part of a wider Trust team and bring your expertise and knowledge to ensure all pupils thrive and reach their full potential

And when you join us, you will have access to a number of excellent benefits:

Professional development: We are committed to the growth of all our colleagues. With our CPDL Wednesdays, staff have dedicated time for professional development and collaborative working, ensuring continuous improvement and shared best practices.

Flexible Working: We have been at the forefront of pioneering a flexible working in schools since 2019 focusing on the presumption that flexible working can work unless there is a genuine operational reason that it cannot. This is achieved through our unique, transparent and inclusive flexible job design process.  As a Department for Education Flexible Working Ambassador MAT, we share our expertise regionally and nationally. 

Positive work environment: Enjoy a supportive and enriching working environment with free refreshments, free annual flu vaccinations, an Employee Assistance Programme and more.

Exceptional leadership opportunities: Our vertical leadership principles provide exceptional trust-wide leadership development opportunities enabling you to flourish and be fulfilled.

Pioneer Summit: All staff attend our collaborative annual Pioneer Summit. A fun packed day of keynote speakers, workshops and activities. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues across the Trust and to recognise and celebrate our achievements.

If you are an innovative leader passionate about raising standards in teaching and learning whose values align with ours, then bring your authentic self to your application.

If our vision and values resonate with you, then apply now to be part of a community that is knowledgeable, empowered and committed to taking principled action in service to others. Join us on our mission to take education further and transform lives.

Anderson Quigley is delighted to be supporting Desborough College with this appointment. For a confidential conversation about the role, please contact Hayley Mintern at hayley.mintern@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7596 954 387 or Alasdair Redwood at alasdair.redwood@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0) 7394 012 383

At Desborough College, you’ll be part of Pioneer Educational Trust, where we believe in taking education further.  This means providing an exceptional, inclusive education to all children and young people and preparing our learners to thrive at intrapersonal, interpersonal, societal and global levels.  

For further details about the role, please visit: https://andersonquigley.com/desborough-college-headteacher/#welcome

Assessment & interview dates (two-day process): 11th and 12th February 2026

Start date: April or September 2026