Executive Headteacher

Executive Headteacher

Job Advert

Big Life Schools - Longsight Community Primary

Thank you for your interest in the position of Headteacher at Longsight Community Primary, with an executive function across Big Life Schools Multi Academy Trust.

We are a warm, ambitious, single‑form‑entry primary school, part of a Multi Academy trust, Big Life Schools, and are based in the heart of our community. As we look to the future, we seek an Executive Headteacher who can build on our strong foundations while bringing a fresh vision, energy, and strategic leadership.

This recruitment pack provides an overview of our Trust, school, the role, and the qualities we are looking for. We hope it gives you a genuine sense of what makes our school a special place to learn and work.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Big Life Schools was founded in 2015, following the successful opening of Longsight Community Primary as our first school. Our first school grew out of the community‑led Longsight Children’s Centre. Families were frustrated with the lack of primary school places locally and were having to travel out of area to find schools for their children. Big Life helped them grow their own school, and families have continued to be at the heart of the way our schools have developed.

We opened our second school, Unity Community Primary, in 2015, a two‑form primary, adopting the same approach as Longsight, building on established links within the community.

We have recently taken over management of the Manchester Sensory Support, a commissioned service from the Local Authority, supporting children with vision and hearing impairment, working in partnership with all education settings (aged 0 to 19), parents and families to improve access to appropriate education.

As a Trust we work as part of the wider Big Life Group, a social enterprise which works in partnership with communities to build on local strengths, develop resilience and widen opportunities.

Big Life is a values‑led group, and Big Life Schools shares those values of being courageous, creative, honest, inspiring, thoughtful and valuing difference.

Since opening in 2013, we have continued to work in partnership with our community. We share our building and land with Manchester Children’s Centre, Longsight Nursery, both managed by The Big Life Group, and the Family hub, a service run by Manchester Local Authority.

Our dedicated workforce, and leaders, have supported the positive journey we have been on to date. In 2024 we became a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of excellence, driven by our passionate and skilled leadership team supporting the ongoing development of pupils’ oracy skills.

• School Improvement:
  Continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning, creating a culture of learning.
• People and partners:
  Recruit and develop high performing, happy workforce.
• Engagement: be anchors in our communities, engaging parents, families and the wider community.
• Financial and Operational Sustainability:
  Be financially and operationally sustainable, managing and investing resources effectively.
• Effective Governance:
  High quality governance across all levels of the Trust, adhering to the seven principles of public life.

• Continue to improve outcomes in reading, writing, and maths.
• Continue to enhance the Early Years provision.
• Deepen the quality of teaching & learning with effective CPD and staff wellbeing support.
• Continue to embed a broad, rich curriculum.
• Re‑design the learning environments to maximise learning opportunities.

At Big Life, work is more than a job – it’s about standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder with people and communities, making a difference every day. We fight for equity in health, in wealth and in life, and that commitment starts with our staff.

• Adherence to the STPCD
• A warm and welcoming school community
• Skilled and committed staff
• A supportive governing committee and Trust Board
• Enthusiastic, curious children
• Strong reputation in the community.

We offer more than a…