Director of Education (Primary)

Overview

The Aquinas Education Trust are looking to appoint a Director of Education (Primary).

This is a pivotal and high-impact leadership role, working closely with the CEO and Executive Team to secure consistently high standards, strong educational outcomes, and exceptional provision across all primary academies within the Trust.

As Director of Education (Primary), you will provide strategic leadership and oversight of primary education across Aquinas, driving Trust-wide improvement priorities and ensuring the highest quality of teaching, learning, and leadership. You will work in close partnership with Headteachers and senior leaders, offering both support and professional challenge to build capacity and strengthen performance at every level.

A key focus of the role is leading the Trust’s strategic approach to SEND, inclusion, Pupil Premium, and Looked After Children. You will champion inclusive practice as a core driver of school improvement, ensuring that every child is supported to thrive and that equity and excellence are embedded across all our academies.

You will also represent the Trust externally and play a significant role in shaping and delivering our Trust-wide strategy, contributing to our continued growth as a high-performing organisation with a strong moral purpose.

Personal attributes

Our ideal candidate will be:

• A credible and experienced primary education leader who has personally led improvement and understands what it takes to raise standards in real school contexts
• Someone with a deep commitment to every child succeeding, particularly those who are vulnerable, disadvantaged or have additional needs
• A leader who combines strong moral purpose with practical know‑how, keeping pupils’ outcomes at the heart of every decision
• Confident in working at Trust level, able to turn strategy into action and support schools to make lasting, sustainable improvements
• Skilled at reading schools well, using data, evidence and first‑hand experience to identify what is working and where change is needed
• Comfortable providing honest professional challenge, while building trusting, respectful relationships with leaders and teams
• Passionate about developing others, with a track record of coaching, mentoring and growing leadership capacity
• Able to work effectively with trustees and senior leaders, communicating clearly, thoughtfully and with integrity, even on complex or sensitive matters
• Resilient, reflective and adaptable, with the confidence to lead through challenge, change and competing priorities
• Deeply aligned with the Trust’s Christian ethos, values and commitment to inclusion, modelling these consistently in their leadership and conduct

In return, we offer:

• A unique opportunity for a committed professional to influence and shape the education delivered by a Trust with over 5,000 pupils on roll.
• A happy community committed to delivering ‘Life Transforming Learning’.
• A career path for experienced senior leaders that runs adjacent to seeking another headship.
• A position within an extremely skilled and knowledgeable Central Education Team.
• An office base within our Training and Development Centre, located in Bromley (BR2 8HZ).
• Mentoring and experienced leadership by the Trust Executive Team.

Salary & Benefits

Grade:                                     L18-L25 (outer London)

Salary Range:                     £82,816.00 - £97,531.00 p.a.

Location

Aquinas Church of England Education Trust
Magpie Hall Lane
Bromley
London
BR2 8HZ

Supporting documents

• Please click here for the Job Description
• Please click here for an Application Form

How to apply

Please send your application, outlining your suitability for the role against the enclosed person specification and job description, by email to aquinas.recruitment@aquinastrust.org

Alternatively, submit your application to Recruitment, Aquinas Church of England Education Trust, Magpie Hall Lane, Bromley. BR2 8HZ. 

 All sections of the form should be completed as clearly and fully as possible.                        Please note CV's will not be accepted in place of a completed application form.                                Please note a signed copy of your application form will be required prior to interview.

We reserve the right to interview and appoint at any stage during the recruitment process.