Strategic Lead: Pastoral & Alternative Provision Strategy

The Sigma Trust; Tendring; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Cash Plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Perkbox access

Blue Light Card

Job summary

The Sigma Trust invites applications for a senior post: Strategic Lead for Pastoral & Alternative Provision Strategy. You will shape behavior outcomes, governance, and safeguarding across 12 academies, building a brand-new internal AP and aligning external placements with the Trust’s standards.

Based in the Central Team, this role may be deployed to an individual school initially, and it includes collaboration with Trustees, Governors and external agencies to deliver high-impact

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic leadership for education or multi-site trusts.
• Proven track record in pastoral care, safeguarding and behaviour improvement.
• Ability to design and implement complex provision strategies across multiple academies.

Responsibilities

• Establish Internal Alternative Provision: lead scoping, business case, design, and DfE registration for a new internal provision.
• Drive pastoral and behaviour excellence using data and external evidence.
• Oversee quality assurance and safeguarding for external AP placements across all academies.
• Support vulnerable and at-risk pupils through cross-agency collaboration and interventions.
• Provide strategic leadership and collaboration with academy leaders and local partners.
• Participate in performance and development reviews with line managers.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Pastoral care

Safeguarding

Job description

Join a Community Where Everyone Feels They Belong at The Sigma Trust

Are you a passionate individual who holds high expectations and aims for excellence? Are you ready to use your skills to ensure that across our Trust, every student and colleague feels they truly belong? As Trust Strategic Lead - Pastoral & Alternative Provision Strategy, you won't just join the community - you will help define it

About the Role

The Sigma Trust is seeking an exceptional, inspirational leader for the post of Strategic Lead: Pastoral & Alternative Provision Strategy. Operating across our Trust portfolio of 12 academies, this high-profile role offers a unique opportunity to shape high-impact, research-led pastoral care and lead ground-breaking alternative provision strategies.

In this pivotal post, you will lead the strategic scoping, business case, and operational design to establish a brand-new internal Trust Alternative Provision. You will also drive behaviour excellence, quality-assure external AP placements, and ensure robust safeguarding procedures across all academies.

Although this is a Central Team, Trust-wide position, the successful candidate may well be deployed into an individual school in the first instance.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish Internal Alternative Provision: Lead the strategic scoping, business case development, operational design, and DfE registration for a brand-new internal Trust Alternative Provision, embedding therapeutic reintegration pathways back into mainstream classrooms.
• Drive Pastoral & Behaviour Excellence: Model high expectations and use internal data and external research to design, monitor, and scale evidence-based behaviour strategies and targeted interventions across all trust academies.
• Oversee Quality Assurance & Safeguarding: Establish rigorous quality-assurance frameworks for external AP placements—evaluating safety metrics, academic progress, and cost-benefit analysis—while maintaining high safeguarding standards across all provisions.
• Support Vulnerable & At-Risk Pupils: Partner with school leadership teams and external agencies (e.g., LAs, educational psychologists) to deliver early, high-impact interventions that support pupils at risk of exclusion or facing barriers to learning.
• Provide Strategic Leadership & Collaboration: Liaise regularly with academy behaviour leads and local partners to share best practices, report on trust-wide metrics, and cultivate an open, transparent, and equitable culture. The Trustees and Governors are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.
• Participate in the performance and development review process, taking personal responsibility for identification of learning, development and training opportunities in discussion with line manager.

Please note that an integration period applies to all new staff joining the Trust, to support introduction into the organisation.

Why Choose The Sigma Trust?

We believe in investing in our staff and fostering a culture of collaboration. We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive package designed to support your professional and personal life.

Professional Development:

• A robust CPD training program that empowers you to flourish.
• Unrivalled opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the Trust, sharing ideas and building strong professional relationships.

Employee Benefits:

• A competitive salary and excellent pension scheme
• A Health Cash Plan to help manage your everyday healthcare costs
• Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme to support your well-being
• Exclusive perks like the Cycle to Work scheme, access to discounts via free membership to Perkbox, eligibility for a Blue Light Card, and more

Commitment to Safeguarding & Diversity

The Sigma Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to safer recruitment processes, including the disclosure of criminal records, online checks and other vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across our schools.

The Sigma Trust is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of any protected characteristics. This is embedded in our vision ‘To Be Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts’, where we believe we are strong and more successful working together, creating a workplace which celebrates diversity.