Director of Secondary

Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CPD opportunities

Pension scheme (LGPS)

Staff wellbeing and flexible benefits

Life Leave policy

Employee assistance programme (EAP)

Job summary

Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust invites applications for a Director of Secondary to join its executive leadership at a pivotal stage in its development. You will shape strategy, drive improvement and ensure delivery of our mission across the secondary phase, reporting to the CEO and collaborating with the Director of Primary.

You will lead educational excellence, focus on curriculum, teaching and quality assurance, and build leadership capacity across schools while strengthening partnerships

Qualifications

• Successful track record of headship or executive leadership in secondary education.
• Ability to balance support with challenge and build collaboration across schools.
• Strategic educational leadership with commitment to adults and children in the community.

Responsibilities

• Strengthen educational excellence across all secondary schools.
• Improve attendance, inclusion and outcomes for all students, including disadvantaged and SEND.
• Develop leadership capacity and succession planning across the secondary phase.
• Strengthen collaboration within the Trust and with external partners.

Skills

Headship/executive leadership in secon

Job description

A unique opportunity to shape the future of secondary education across our Trust and beyond.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an outstanding secondary leader to join the executive leadership of Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust at a pivotal stage in its development. As Director of Secondary, the successful candidate will be one of the Trust's most senior leaders, working alongside the Director of Primary and reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer. The successful candidate will play a central role in shaping strategy, driving improvement and ensuring that our mission, values and ambitions are realised for every young person in our secondary phase.

Who we are

Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust ("WHMAT") is a caring and inclusive group of 8 academies (1 All Through, 2 secondary and 5 primaries), serving a diverse, multicultural community in East Birmingham. We have approximately 820 employees and over 5000 students (3000 of whom are at secondary) across a 3.5 mile-radius.

Your role

The Director of Secondary will play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of our Trust's development. Building on strong foundations, successful schools and established Trust-wide frameworks, key priorities will include:

• Strengthening educational excellence across all secondary schools.
• Further improving attendance, inclusion and outcomes for all students and especially those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND.
• Deepening the implementation of our strategic frameworks, with a particular focus on curriculum, teaching and learning, inclusion and quality assurance.
• Developing leadership capacity and succession planning across the secondary phase.
• Strengthening collaboration within the Trust and beyond through system leadership and partnership working.
• Helping to shape the future strategic development and influence of the Trust.

Our ideal candidate

• Will have a successful track record of headship or executive leadership in secondary education
• Be an accomplished leader, who is able to balance support with challenge, empower others to succeed and build collaboration across schools
• Be able to combine strategic educational leadership with a deep commitment to both the adults and children of our community

Why join us?

In return, we will offer you:

- A collaborative and inclusive culture, where team members will upskill you and give you regular opportunities to learn from each other in a safe and collaborative environment, both within your schools and Trust-wide.

- An opportunity to undertake structured CPD via access to the National College online CPD platform and/or apprenticeships such as Level 7 Senior Leaders Masters, with regular twilights.

- Access to Career Pathways and Pledge to help you plan for and make your goals a reality via our Professional Growth and Performance (PPG) process.

- A wellbeing culture, with paid and unpaid time off to support life events via our Life Leave Policy, access to a Wellbeing Champion and the opportunity to participate in our annual staff wellbeing survey with Edurio, so we know and can respond to views.

- Access to 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which includes confidential counselling, access to wellbeing advice and a lifestyle app called “My Possible Self”.

- Access to a suite of supportive policies, such as Life Leave, Wellbeing, Career Break and Family Friendly.

- Access to a generous pension scheme known as the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (LGPS).

- Access to a comprehensive employee rewards package including Long Service Awards, Employee Referral Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and contribution to glasses and eye-sight tests for eligible display screen users.

- Opportunity to be part of key Trust-wide collaborative groups such as the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI working group) and Wellbeing working groups, including menopause support and neurodiversity support.

- Onsite parking at all schools.

- Closing date - 9:00am, 1st December 2026

Please direct any queries to Pete Weir at [e-mail]

(NB CV’s will not be accepted)

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we have committed to:

• ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible
• communicating and promoting vacancies
• offering an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job
• anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required
• supporting any existing employee who acquires a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work

As part of our recruitment process, we carry out rigorous online searches in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

Please note that applications must be the creation of the candidate applying. While technology, including artificial intelligence, may be used to help the candidate select certain phraseology, if substantial use of AI is used, the application will be disregarded.

We value our people and are dedicated to making sure that everybody feels empowered to bring their authentic self to work. We have an outstanding opportunity to work at Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust as a Director of Secondary.

We promise to treat all candidates fairly, consistently and with respect throughout the application, assessment, and selection process.

We are also “happy to talk flexible working” subject to the operational requirements of the role.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means 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. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent spoken English is an essential requirement for this role.

Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check is required for all successful applicants.