Chief Executive Officer

Role:Chief Executive Officer

Location
:

Coventry

Salary
:£125,000-£140,000

Start Date
:

September 2026 or January 2027

We are seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer who will shape the next phase of our Trust’s journey, strengthening our culture of belonging, driving standards, and ensuring longterm school and Trust sustainability.

Working alongside the Trust Board to build and develop ourvision of“Growing Confident Learners by Leading Learning and Excelling Together”,the new CEO will provide the strategic vision,ambition and operational clarityto take Castle Phoenix forward.

About Castle Phoenix Trust

Castle Phoenix Trust is avaluesdriven organisation with a strong belief that“together we are stronger”.We empower each school tomaintainitsuniquenesswhilst eachbenefitsfrom shared alignment, leadership development and strong systems and structures across the Trust.

Ourcurrentstrategic priorities focus on:

1. Creating a Culture of Belonging

Through effective leadership, inclusiveclassroomsandhigh expectations to improve pupil outcomes and staff engagement.

2. Growth and Expansion

Strengthening and scaling central services, onboarding new schools, and refining systems to support

Trustwide excellence.

3. Financial Sustainability

Embedding Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning (ICFP),strengthening financial systems, forecasting, and ensuring all schools set andmaintainbalanced budgets.

You will lead a Trust with a clear mission and awelldevelopedimprovement model built on collaboration, leadership development, shared systems andhighqualitylearning and teaching.

The Role

As CEO, you will be the strategic leader of the Trust, shaping culture, driving improvement, developing people, and ensuring that every child feels seen, heard, valued and able to thrive. This includes:

• Leading the Trust’s strategic development and delivering the ambitions and KPIs set out in our three-year strategic plans.
• Ensuring all schools,particularly those in challenging circumstances,improve outcomes,attendance and inclusion, with a focus on vulnerable learners.
• Strengthening Central Services and ensuring they are efficient, effective andhavehighimpact.
• Driving the Trust’s growth and expansion strategy, including due diligence, onboarding and succession planning.
• Securing the Trust’s longterm financial resilience through strong financial management, ICFP implementation and robust oversight.
• Championing our culture of belonging and continuing to refine leadership capacity across all schools.

Essential Requirements

The successful candidate will be an exceptional,values-driven leader who can demonstrate:

Experience

• Senior Trust-level leadership.
• Educationsectorexperienceis desirablewitha track recordof improving standards in at least one school.
• Experience working in challenging circumstances, securing rapid and sustainable improvement.
• Experience of leading change and implementingorganisationwide systems aligned to a strategic plan.
• Demonstrable impact on standards, inclusion,safeguardingandoutcomes.

Skills & Knowledge

• Strong understanding of data, performance measures, and using analytics to drive improvement, reflecting the Trust’s focus on data dashboards and performance KPIs.
• Desirable to have acomprehensiveunderstanding of inclusion, SEND, and strategies to improve engagement.
• Highlevel financial acumen, including
  
  Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning, budget setting,forecasting and risk management.
• Ability to lead and inspire a culture of belonging, collaboration, andhigh expectations across diverse contexts.

Personal Qualities

• Strategic thinker withstrongmoral purpose,integrity and resilience.
• Ability to build strong relationships withkey stakeholders;
  
  Headteachers, Trustees,communities and external partners.
• Commitment to developing people, talentpathwaysand leadership capacity.

What We Offer

• A Trust with strong values,a clear visionand a collaborative culture.
• Committed trustees, engaged leaders and a growing family of schools.
• A culture that values professional growth,innovation and excellence.
• The opportunity to shape a Trust that is expanding its reach and impact.
• Highly skilled central services and a strong platform for sustainable growth.
• Pension contribution
• Free…