Director of Education

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Job Description

• Unity Schools Partnership
• Address: Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 8QP
• Salary: £116,456 - £134,860 per annum + Teachers' Pension
• Hours: Full time, 52 weeks per year
• Contract: Permanent. Required from September 2026
• Reference: 8651

Unity Schools Partnership is looking to recruit a Director of Education (Secondary).

Location: Unity Schools Partnership Trust Office, Haverhill, Suffolk (Working with schools Suffolk, and Havering).

Shape secondary education across the East of England and transform the futures of thousands of children.

This is a rare opportunity to set the pace for secondary education across the East of England, shaping strategy, accelerating school improvement, and building the conditions for excellence at scale.

If you're a proven Headteacher and system leader who thrives on ambition, influence and ethical leadership, this role gives you the platform and autonomy to make durable change at scale: guiding practice across multiple schools, developing exceptional people, and aligning innovation with impact.

Join a values led trust where collaboration is real, challenge is welcomed, and the bar is set high for you, for our teams, and for the pupils we serve.

You will collaborate closely with the Executive Director of Education (Mainstream), fellow Directors of Education across our Primary, Secondary and Special phases, and wider senior trust leaders to drive excellence, serving as link director for a subset of our 9 secondary schools.

Beyond school improvement, you will play a pivotal role in influencing the strategic direction of a dynamic and expanding trust of 40 schools. Our vision is bold, to deliver top-quartile performance by 2030, underpinned by ethical leadership, innovation, and a culture of collaboration.

You will:

• have a proven track record as a Secondary Headteacher, ideally with experience in a MAT or leading across multiple schools
• have a deep understanding of outstanding secondary practice delivering sustained excellent outcomes and with experience of overcoming cycles of underperformance
• have a strategic vision and the ability to influence at the highest level
• have creativity and innovation to drive forward our internationally recognised CUSP curriculum which is achieving transformational change at KS3 and now developing into KS3
• be a collaborative leader who inspires others and builds strong relationships with a deep commitment to serving our most vulnerable pupils.

Why Join Us?

• join a high-performing leadership team driving educational excellence and delivering life-changing outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
• work closely with executive colleagues to set our strategy, with inclusion and the delivery of great outcomes for all pupils at its heart
• influence practice across multiple schools and help create a culture of excellence through leaders across a network of schools
• enjoy a role where ambition, pace, and ethical leadership are at the heart of everything we do.

About Unity Schools Partnership
We are a forward-thinking Multi Academy Trust committed to improving outcomes for all pupils. Our work is characterised by ambition, innovation and collaboration, and we believe remarkable change is possible.

To find out more

Please read the Job Description (pdf)and USP Candidate Information Pack (pdf)

For an informal discussion, email Stephen Astley, Executive Director of Education (Mainstream) onsastley@unitysp.co.ukor call 07711 486791.

How to apply

To apply, please visitour website

Closing date: 9 am, 13 April 2026.

Interview date: 23 April 2026.

Please note: We may interview as applications are received and may appoint before the closing date. Applications must be submitted online via our career's website before the deadline, so we encourage early applications and advise checking the job details on our site.

In line with safer recruitment, we cannot accept CVs. Incomplete application forms may result in candidates not being shortlisted.

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All successful candidates will be subject to rigorous pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS. We are also committed to equality, diversity and fair recruitment practices, and we oppose all forms of unlawful discrimination.

We value inclusive working practices and diverse teams. If you wish to work part-time or as a job-share, we will accommodate this wherever possible. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups.

About the Team

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING

To apply, please follow the application process detailed above.

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