Create Your Future
Welcome
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for showing interest in this unique role within our Trust and I would encourage you to have a read through this comprehensive recruitment pack for the position. The planned retirement of our present CEO means we are seeking to appoint a new CEO to lead the Trust into its next stage of development. We have reached a pivotal point in our journey and are looking for an exceptional leader who shares our vision for growth, a passion for school improvement, and, most importantly, a commitment to support our young people to be the best they can be.
Our journey began in 2007 with the federation of Gosforth High and Gosforth Junior High with both schools becoming academies in 2010. Since then, we have grown steadily as a multi academy trust, now supporting around 6,000 students across six academies, including two new free schools which opened in September 2021. We are very keen to expand further by attracting schools which share our values and where we can identify mutual benefit.
As we have grown as a Trust, so has the structure that supports it. As Chief Executive, you will be working alongside an experienced Board of Trustees, as well as leading an established Executive Team, Principals, a Corporate Services Team, and over 600 staff across our six schools. At Gosforth Group, we put people at the heart of everything we do and share a passion for delivering the highest quality of education and support for our students.
I believe that our Trust offers a rare, exciting and rewarding opportunity for an exceptional leader to make a real difference to the future of education within the North East. We are regarded as a high performing educational institution capable of supporting additional academies, and we have built an excellent working relationship with the DfE, Local Authorities and the Regional Director. We are looking for someone to build upon these relationships further.
Our new Chief Executive must be someone who is aligned with our values and who demonstrates exceptional leadership capabilities. They may or may not have an educational background, but they must have a passion and drive for taking the Trust further and ensuring that the children and young people who attend our schools have access to an outstanding education so that we can give them the expertise and confidence to succeed. If you feel you have the skills, drive and enthusiasm to lead the Gosforth Group at this exciting point in our journey, then I warmly encourage you to contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership on 07736791138 or at martin.blair@hays.com for a private and confidential discussion about the opportunity.
I look forward to hearing from you and learning how you would work with the Trust Board, Executive Team and our Principals to deliver our vision, achieve our aims and go forward confidently into the future.
George Snaith
Chair of the Board of Trustees
About Gosforth Group
The Trust journey began in 2007 with the federation of Gosforth High and Gosforth Junior High, with both schools becoming academies in 2010. Since then, it has grown as a multi academy trust, welcoming North Gosforth Academy (formerly Seaton Burn Community College) in 2018 and Jesmond Park Academy (formerly Heaton Manor) in 2019. In a very short space of time, these academies have been transformed, as demonstrated in their most recent Ofsted inspections.
In September 2021, the Trust grew further when two new free schools opened, Great Park Academy and Callerton Academy. Both schools are currently in high quality temporary accommodation while their new homes are being built. Both schools are expected to open to students in 2025.
The Team
The Trust Executive Team, comprising a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Project Officer, and Executive Directors of Curriculum & Performance and Teaching & Learning and Communications, has overall responsibility for the implementation of strategies and policies approved by the Trustees.
They are supported by a team of five Principals and a Corporate Services Team consisting of HR, Finance and Procurement, Facilities and Estates, ICT, Governance and Marketing.
Our Vision
Create your future encapsulates our purpose as a Multi Academy Trust: to educate, support and nurture all of our students so they can achieve their potential and fulfil their ambitious aspirations.
Our Values
The values that underpin the vision are:
Honesty
Trust
Reliability
Creativity
Respect for the legitimate rights of others
Care for the vulnerable members of society
Regard for the environment
Kindness towards other people
We believe that a safe, calm, friendly, disciplined atmosphere, in which hard work and co-operation are respected, is the best way to promote these values.
You can learn more about the Trust at https://www.gosforthgroup.org.uk/
The Academies
Callerton Academy
LA: Newcastle
Principal: Katie Innes
Year joined: 2021
NOR: 360
Phase: 11-16
Ofsted: Opened 2021, awaiting result
Website: https://www.callertonacademy.org.uk/
Great Park Academy
LA: Newcastle
Principal: Denise Waugh
Year joined: 2021
NOR: 180
Phase: 9-16
Ofsted: Opened 2021, not yet inspected
Website: https://www.greatparkacademy.org.uk/
Gosforth Academy
LA: Newcastle
Principal: Preit Chahal
Year joined: 2010
NOR: 2000
Phase: 11-18
Ofsted: Good, June 2022
Website: https://www.gosforthacademy.org.uk/
Jesmond Park Academy
LA: Newcastle
Principal: Steve Campbell
Year joined: 2019
NOR: 2000
Phase: 11-18
Ofsted: Good, June 2022
Junior High Academy
LA: Newcastle
Principal: Denise Waugh
Year joined: 2010
NOR: 700
Phase: 9-13
Ofsted: Good, November 2023
North Gosforth Academy
LA: North Tyneside
Principal: Pete Fox
Year joined: 2018
NOR: 600
Phase: 11-18
Ofsted: Requires Improvement, April 2022
The local area
For more information on the local area, from the hustle and bustle of our busy city centre to the scenic coast at North Tyneside or the beautiful countryside of Northumberland, visit the following tourism websites:
The Role
Core Purpose
- Leading and overseeing the efficient, effective and compliant management of the Trust and its academies
- Providing strong strategic leadership towards the Trust’s vision and goals
- The performance of all academies within the Trust
The CEO, as Accounting Officer is also accountable to the Trust Board for:
- Ensuring the Trust fulfils the statutory and regulatory responsibilities set out in the Academy Trust Handbook
- Ensuring the responsible and appropriate use of public funds
- Planning, implementing and monitoring the Trust’s internal and external financial reporting
Salary – £163,894 - £183,478, negotiable dependent on experience.
Recruitment timeline
Closing date – 8am, Monday 18th March.
Interview dates – 26th and 27th March.
Start date – September 2024.
Safeguarding
Gosforth Group value equality and diversity and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be subject to safer recruitment practises including satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check for the appointed candidate.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. This means certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide and you can view our Policy on the Employment of Ex-offenders here.
How to Apply
For an informal and confidential discussion about the role or to discuss the application process please contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership Appointments.
Martin Blair
Hays Leadership Appointments
Tel: 07736791138
Email: martin.blair@hays.com
