We are seeking an exceptional National Primary Education Director, who is an inspiring and credible leader with the vision, expertise, and passion to drive transformational improvement across our primary academies nationwide.
This is a rare opportunity for an accomplished and highly respected former Primary Headteacher or senior Trust leader to shape the future of primary education across our Trust. You will bring substantial leadership experience, a proven track record of securing high standards and sustained school improvement, and the ability to inspire, support and challenge school leaders to achieve excellence.
Working closely with Headteachers and Trust leaders, you will champion outstanding teaching, curriculum excellence, inclusion, safeguarding, and pupil outcomes across our academies. You will play a pivotal role in developing leadership capacity, identifying talent, and driving sustainable improvement through collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
This is a career-defining opportunity to make a lasting national impact on children, families, staff, and communities. In return, you will join an ambitious and highly supportive national team committed to delivering exceptional educational experiences for every child. This is at the heart of everything we do.
Key Responsibilities include:
- Lead and support outstanding educational provision across a number of primary academies.
- Provide strategic leadership, challenge and support to Headteachers and senior leaders.
- Drive high standards in teaching, learning, curriculum development and pupil outcomes.
- Contribute to Trust-wide school improvement priorities and strategic initiatives.
- Be the national lead across the Trust for literacy and oracy.
- Promote inclusive practice, safeguarding excellence and positive school cultures.
- Champion leadership development, succession planning and talent management.
- Work collaboratively with national and regional leaders to secure sustainable improvement.
If you would like an informal discussion about working for Shaw Education Trust in this role, please contact Neil Warner, Deputy CEO (See attachment for email address)
At Shaw Education Trust, we believe every role has the power to transform a life. Whether you’re supporting behind the scenes, inspiring in the classroom, or leading with vision, you will be part of something truly meaningful.
Our values — opportunity, integrity, community, and equity — guide everything we do. Our vision is “Opening doors to the world through the power of learning.” We bring this to life through our mission: working together to inspire communities where every school is valued, every voice matters, and every learner thrives.
We are a dynamic and growing family of primary, secondary, and special schools, proudly serving communities from Birmingham to Bury.
Our people are our greatest asset, and we are deeply committed to their development through high-quality training, apprenticeships, talent development programmes, and research opportunities, we empower our staff to thrive as skilled, confident professionals. We champion wellbeing, value every voice, and foster a culture where you feel supported, motivated, and inspired to make a real difference.
You will join a collaborative network of schools where shared expertise and a strong professional community drive success. Every academy within our Trust has an equal voice, and every colleague plays a vital role in shaping tailored learning experiences that raise aspirations and build brighter futures.
If you have the passion, dedication, and drive to help shape lives and create futures filled with promise, we would love you to join our team.
Together, let’s make the remarkable happen.
We believe every child has the potential to be extraordinary.
Shaw Education Trust offer the following employee benefits with your Teaching or Support Staff employment:
- An excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (Support Staff) / Teachers Pension (Teaching Staff)
- Support Staff only based on working full time, all year - Generous holiday entitlement from your first day of employment (37 days holiday rising to 39 days after 5 years’ service including Bank Holidays)
- Trust Leadership Contacts based on working full time, all year - 41 days holiday including bank holidays, with a maximum of 16 days to be taken in term time and flexible working during school holiday times
- Access to Medicash Health & Wellbeing Plan: Enjoy health services designed to support your well-being.
- Free DiscountForTeachers Scheme for all staff (Support and Teaching), Exclusive discounts to save money with a wide selection of discounts and exclusive offers from hundreds of the biggest brands.
- Free Eye Tests
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to our Institute of Education and fantastic opportunities to help you grow, contribute and flourish in your role and in the Trust.
We know our people are the key to our success and so we’re committed to ensuring the employment experience at Shaw Education Trust is a rewarding one.
Colleagues within the Trust benefit from: Access to a full range of courses both in-house and professionally accredited. These courses include a variety of the National Professional Qualifications and the Early Carer Teacher Programme delivered by Shaw Education Trust as a delivery partner for Ambition Institute.
- Experienced leadership and subject-specific support.
- Guidance from former HMIs and serving Ofsted Inspectors within the Trust.
- Access to the Trust’s Institute of Education and SCITT.
- Opportunities to work with different schools within the Trust as a Professional Advocate.
- Participating in peer reviews.
- Access to a suite of online courses.
- Placement projects within our family of schools.
Start date: January 2027, or earlier if possible
Location: SET Head Office with travel across the SET Academies
Shaw Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment, click here to review Safeguarding and Pupil Protection Policy https://www.shaw-education.org.uk/our-trust/key-information
This position is subject to robust vetting procedures, including an online search for all shortlisted candidates, in line with our Trust’s commitment to safer recruitment.
An enhanced criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), formerly known as the CRB, is required. You will be asked to disclose all relevant unspent and, where applicable, unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions, and convictions.
Shaw Education Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer. We are fully committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection processes promote equality, diversity, and inclusion at every stage.
In accordance with our safer recruitment policy CVs alone will not be accepted.
We reserve the right to appoint before the closing date as we review applications on an on-going basis and interviews may be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, therefore, we encourage early applications.
Successful candidates will be subject to a fully Enhanced DBS check along with other relevant employment checks.