Head of Governance - Initio Learning Trust

About the role

Initio Learning Trust has a fantastic opportunity for a part-time newly created Head of Governance to join their dedicated central team.

Contract:

Permanent, 24 hours per week over 41 working weeks (term time, plus 2 weeks)

Full time equivalent (FTE) Salary:
Grade 13, £49,282 - £55,459 per annum (pay award pending)

Actual Salary: £29,557 - £33,262 per annum

Approx Start:
October 2026

Location:

You will be based at our central office in Broadstone, and on occasions may be required to travel to our multiple school sites located across Dorset and BCP.

As the Trust's senior governance lead, you will ensure we operate within an exemplary, legally compliant and high-performing model. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to drive digital transformation and provide strategic oversight, proactive policy development and robust regulatory assurance for a mature Multi-Academy Trust.

Closing date: 27 August 2026

Interviews: w/c 7 September 2026

Initio Trust values the diversity of our workforce and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; this is a commitment which we expect all staff and volunteers to share. The successful candidate will be required to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with the Governments safer recruitment guidelines.

The pro rata salary shown is based on the number of hours and weeks worked and includes appropriate paid annual leave and bank holiday entitlements.

This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (2013 and 2020)) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account.

The MOJ's guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

The Trust will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. All aspects of social media and internet searches will be conducted. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.

Inito's central team consists of groups of specialists who provide the support, guidance and resources to enable our schools to focus on what they do best; delivering excellence in education.

Please visit our Trust website for further information about our vision, values, leadership and our schools https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

• A supportive and welcoming environment with a genuine commitment to professional development.
• A flexible, equal opportunities workplace.
• Access to the local government or teachers pension scheme.
• Employee benefits including a Health Cash Plan and Cycle to Work scheme.

Initio Learning Trust is a multi‑academy trust based in Dorset. We are responsible and accountable for the education of over 7000 pupils from 3 to 19 years of age and for the employment and support of over 1000 staff in 19 schools across Dorset, from Bridport in the West of the county to Verwood in the East.

We believe in enabling every person to thrive within their role, and our core values of Ambition, Collaboration and Respect underpin the pride we take in offering genuine professional development opportunities for all our staff; and in our focus on staff wellbeing.