Chief Executive Officer CEO

Lumen Learning Trust is looking to appoint an exceptional, driven CEO to lead the Trust and build on the success achieved since its conception in 2013. The successful candidate will deliver and sustain educational excellence across our seven Trust schools, whilst ensuring accountability to our committed and conscientious Board of Directors.

They will seek to set the strategic direction of the Trust, ensuring fulfilment of the Trust’s vision and values. Alongside fulfilling the required statutory and regulatory responsibilities, the role includes maintaining the Trust as a centre of educational excellence and success, developing partnerships with pupils, parents, the local community and key stakeholders - including the DfE and statutory partners. The new CEO will support the Trust’s Headteachers to lead the organisational and educational change necessary to sustain success and ensure strength of performance, inspiring children to reach their full potential. With a proven track record of building positive and respectful relationships in the education sector, they will be responsible for upholding public trust and maintaining high standards of ethics, behaviour and professional conduct.

The successful applicant would ideally start on 1st September 2026 working alongside our current Executive Principal until her retirement at Christmas 2026.

Qualifications and Training - Degree in Primary
Education with QTS, NPQH, NPQEL

Experience

- Senior Leadership and management experience in a Trust, or education.

- Working with, and developing strong relationships with, external stakeholders including other statutory partners ie Local Authority, Health or Police.

- Experience of leading school-to-school support in the context of RISE, or local authority school improvement team.

- Experience of leading schools in challenging circumstances and strengthening pupil outcomes in those schools.

- Line-management experience, leading reportees towards successful outcomes and professional development.

- Financial experience, including resource and budget management, income generation and effective financial monitoring.

Skills and Knowledge

- Wide repertoire of leadership skills.

- Ability to flex leadership style and apply skills in order to build effective working relationships and bring about best performance in others.

- Understanding of strategic planning, tools and techniques.

- Understanding of curriculum and assessment design, development and delivery.

- Financial management, planning and monitoring.

- Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills.

- Ability to communicate a vision and inspire others.

- Understanding of child protection and safeguarding issues.

- Strong understanding of Early Years provision and the role it plays in providing strong foundations for future success.

Personal qualities

- Understanding of and commitment to the concept that education is emancipatory.

- Ability to work creatively and innovatively whilst bringing team members along positively.

- A commitment to getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the Trust.

- A commitment to enabling a culture of collaboration between schools in order to enable the best possible pupil outcomes.

- Enthusiasm and commitment to leadership, and promoting a respectful, supportive working environment.

- Is resilient and courageous, whilst keeping relationships positive in the face of challenges.

- Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively.

- Commitment to maintaining confidentiality at all times.

- Commitment to safeguarding and equality, ensuring that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways that exploit the position.

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Source: UK Teaching Vacancies Service (teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.