Job at a glance
About Us The City of London Academies Trust is driven by a mission to deliver exceptional outcomes and transformative life chances for every pupil, regardless of their background. We are seeking an exceptional, high-calibre leader with a proven track record in complex settings. At COLAT, we are driven by an unwavering ambition to secure the highest possible outcomes for some of London's most disadvantaged pupils.
We aim for all our schools to match the performance of the highest performing schools in the country. Our operating model, informed by the practices of the country's most successful schools, is designed to deliver consistently high standards and outstanding outcomes. Our success is rooted in a clear and distinctive educational philosophy. We operate a structured approach, grounded in the belief that excellent behaviour creates the conditions for exceptional learning.
We prioritise uncompromising standards, ensuring that every lesson is calm, focused and purposeful. Our curriculum is knowledge-rich, academically rigorous and highly ambitious, with a programme of enhancement, designed to secure strong outcomes for pupils, particularly those facing the greatest disadvantage. We are proud of what has been achieved, but we are not complacent. We are a learning Trust, committed to building on the strengths of our current model while remaining open to ambitious thinking about how best to prepare young people for a rapidly changing world.
We want our pupils to leave school not only with strong academic outcomes, but with the confidence, knowledge, resilience and character to thrive in adult life. Through our sponsorship by the City of London Corporation, we are uniquely placed to open doors for our pupils and expand their horizons. We want to maximise these opportunities, while continuing to strengthen the wider offer available to students, including our basketball and football academies, and our cultural provisions.
We are also determined to lead thinking about how best to educate children with additional needs. We believe that, where schools create the right environment and equip teachers with the right tools, the overwhelming majority of pupils can thrive. Our next CEO will be expected to build upon this strengths-based and resilience-focused approach across the Trust. The national education landscape is changing, and we want COLAT to help shape that future, not simply respond to it.
We are seeking a leader who can engage confidently with the Government's education agenda, influence it where appropriate, and ensure that the Trust continues to lead the way in providing the best possible education for our students. We strongly believe that our approach to date has benefitted our students, but we are aware we live in a rapidly changing world and are open to how we evolve. We intend to grow from 12 to 20 schools by 2030, and this growth must strengthen rather than dilute what makes COLAT distinctive.
We are looking for a CEO who can lead our expansion with clarity, discipline and ambition, ensuring that every school in the Trust continues to provide an excellent education and exceptional opportunities for pupils, including those in the most economically deprived families. About the Role This is one of the most significant opportunities in education for an exceptional leader. Our new CEO will inherit a strong platform for success: a high-performing Trust, a clear educational philosophy, a talented workforce and the unique connection with the City of London Corporation.
Working closely with the Trust Board, you will shape the future direction of the organisation, ensuring every strategic decision remains focused on improving outcomes, expanding opportunities and transforming the life chances of young people. Leading a high-performing Executive Team and our academy leaders, you will drive the next phase of the Trust's growth and development. You will provide the strategic vision, challenge and support required to ensure our acad