Overall Purpose

To pioneer an exceptional education for all at Desborough College and Pioneer Educational Trust.

Key information

Department: Pioneer Educational Trust
Working with: Pioneer Executive Team, Headteachers and Leadership teams, line manager and staff at all levels
Line Managed by: The Director of Education
Working pattern: N/A
Location: Desborough College and across Pioneer Educational Trust when required
Salary: L25–31
Job type: Full Time, Permanent
Notice period: Three months’ notice, and four months in the Summer term, terminating at the end of a school term
Assessment & interview dates: (two-day process): 11th and 12th February 2026
Start date: April or September 2026

Job Overview

Desborough College is on a mission to become the school of choice for boys throughout the area. We believe it has never been more important to deliver a life-enhancing education for boys through a dual focus on both academic achievement and personal development, equipping our boys to be confident in their ability to make a positive impact on the world.

With our current Headteacher moving on, we are thrilled to invite an inspiring leader to join Desborough College’s school community and help shape an amazing future for our boys – a leader who is excited about developing the leaders of tomorrow.

Desborough College has been on a journey of transformation in recent years since we joined Pioneer Educational Trust in 2023. We achieved a ‘Good’ Ofsted in 2024, significant improvements have been made to the buildings and wider estate (including a £1.5m investment into our new dining hall) and strong relationships have been developed with other local schools. We have also been hard at work boosting the school’s reputation with families, building an excellent personal development programme for students and driving improvements in outcomes year on year.

This year, we launched our innovative Six Horizons project, reflecting our commitment to preparing post-16 students for an increasingly digital world. Through carefully planned collaboration with Upton Court Grammar School and the use of digital platforms, Six Horizons enables subject specialists across the Trust to work together, enhancing both academic outcomes and personal development.

As much as we have already achieved, our transformation is only just beginning. We want to continue our upwards trajectory in outcomes and improve pupil numbers further – a challenge facing schools around the country. Leadership at Desborough is never dull and often demanding, but always purposeful and deeply rewarding. It’s an exciting and extraordinarily worthwhile and fulfilling place to be. The team is passionate, professional and deeply committed to its students and the vision to develop ethical future leaders the Desborough way. We are looking for a Headteacher with the energy, passion and dedication needed to harness this momentum and build an even stronger experience for our boys.

At Desborough  College, you’ll be part of Pioneer Educational Trust, where we believe in taking education further. This means providing an exceptional, inclusive education to all children and young people and preparing our learners to thrive at intrapersonal, interpersonal, societal and global levels. Being part of Pioneer means you’re never on your own – you will have the support of the whole Trust alongside you, including specialists in education, HR, finance and operations.

If you want to be part of a community that is knowledgeable, empowered and committed to taking principled action in service to others, we would welcome your application. If you want to lead ethically and work with local, national and international educational communities, then this role is for you.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Deliver an exceptional school culture where all pupils thrive and reach their full potential
• Implement and sustain a consistent and effective behaviour policy that fosters a respectful and safe learning environment.
• Build strong partnerships and work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders
• Be part of a wider Trust team and bring your expertise and knowledge to ensure all pupils thrive and reach their full potential

And when you join us, you will have access to a number of excellent benefits:

• Professional development: We are committed to the growth of all our colleagues. With our CPDL Wednesdays, staff have dedicated time for professional development and collaborative working, ensuring continuous
  improvement and shared best practices.
• Flexible Working: We have been at the forefront of pioneering a flexible working in schools since 2019 focusing on the presumption that flexible working can work unless there is a genuine operational reason that it cannot. This is achieved through our unique, transparent and inclusive flexible job design process. As a Department for Education Flexible Working Ambassador MAT, we share our expertise regionally and nationally.
• Positive work environment: Enjoy a supportive and enriching working environment with free refreshments, free annual flu vaccinations, an Employee Assistance Programme and more.
• Exceptional leadership opportunities: Our vertical leadership principles provide exceptional trust-wide leadership development opportunities enabling you to flourish and be fulfilled.
• Pioneer Summit: All staff attend our collaborative annual Pioneer Summit. A fun packed day of keynote speakers, workshops and activities. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues across the Trust and to recognise and celebrate our achievements.

If you are an innovative leader passionate about raising standards in teaching and learning whose values align with ours, then bring your authentic self to your application.

Vision for the role:

•  To lead Desborough College, ensuring an exceptional education for all
• To role model and foster in staff the behavioural dynamics from the Pioneering Leadership Framework
• To meet and exceed local, regional, and national benchmarks of an exceptional education
• To be deliberately developmental and pioneer new approaches that result in an exceptional educational for all, a great place to work, and ethical, impactful leadership that serves our community

Expectations for the Headteacher:

Pioneer Educational Trust expects the Headteacher to demonstrate that they possess the requisite leadership knowledge, skills, experience, and personal and professional capacities and dispositions to undertake this role. Candidates should demonstrate a deep understanding, alignment, and active commitment to Pioneer Educational Trust’s ethos and work, including our mission, vision, values, policies, practices, and frameworks.

In particular, candidates should demonstrate the following leadership behaviours:

• Seek heat: Having high levels of emotional resilience and the capacity to find joy in complexity, overcome challenges, and learn incessantly.
• Welcome accountability: The ability to confront reality, embrace responsibility, and drive innovative solutions
• Communicate with clarity and candour: The skill to communicate in effective, timely, sensitive, and respectful ways, adapting to audiences, and delivering complex messages with clarity, candour and credibility.
• Build trust: The ability to form, develop, and sustain effective and ethical relationships from across the community, including staff, parents/carers, pupils, governors, trustees, and Pioneer Educational Trust staff
• Use self-awareness to self-regulate: Having accurate self-knowledge 013. and the ability to act with intentionality, flexing leadership approaches as appropriate to the needs of the context, maintaining optimism, joy, and determination when challenged.
• Serve others: Using leadership to serve our communities through intelligent collaboration, building and contributing to diverse networks, and developing and inspiring others to action.

Key Responsibilities:

• Meet and exceed all of the Teacher and Headteachers standards, including the ethics and professional conduct expected of headteachers.
• Deliver an exceptional school culture by establishing and modelling a culture of high expectations and inclusivity, ensuring all pupils thrive and reach their potential.
• Lead on the development of high-quality teaching by providing staff with strategic and targeted professional development opportunities that improve classroom practice.
• Oversee the design and delivery of a broad, balanced, ambitious, and inspiring curriculum that is meets the needs of all pupils and is underpinned by effective assessment.
• Implement and sustain a consistent and effective behaviour policy that fosters a respectful and safe learning environment.
• Ensure early identification and effective inclusion and support for pupils with SEND, working collaboratively and effectively with staff, families, and external agencies, and ensuring all statutory duties are fulfilled.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning by implementing a high-impact professional development programme for all staff.
• Ensure the efficient management of school resources, including staffing, budget, and facilities, to create a sustainable and inspiring learning environment.
• Develop and implement a clear school improvement plan, using data analysis and research-informed strategies to drive decision-making and expert skills in implementation to address priorities and sustain
  improvement.
• Build strong partnerships with parents, carers, colleagues across Pioneer Educational Trust, governors, trustees and the wider community to enhance pupils’ education and well-being.
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring a culture of safeguarding and health and safety. Ensure all statutory duties and actions aligned to Pioneer Educational Trust’s safeguarding policy are implemented effectively and in a timely manner, including ensuring collaborative and constructive working with key partners and agencies, such as LA safeguarding teams, social workers, the LADO, etc.
• Work closely, positively, and collaboratively with Pioneer Educational Trust, school governors, and trustees to ensure transparency, accountability, and strategic alignment with the school’s vision and ensuring all statutory responsibilities are met.
• Act within Pioneer’s Code of Conduct at all times, working to collaborate with colleagues and other stakeholder groups.

General responsibilities:

• Fulfil all general responsibilities (such as covering for absent colleagues, emergencies, attending meetings and training, etc.) as appropriate to the role.

Professional competence and behaviour:

• Undertake appropriate and regular training and development to maintain knowledge and improve practice;
• Keep up to date with industry and education relevant legislation;
• Act within Pioneer’s Code of Conduct at all times.

Ethical standards and integrity:

• Act within the framework for ethical leadership in education, i.e. The Nolan Principles
• Act in line with the Pioneering Leadership framework

Data Protection and confidentiality:

• Safeguard all confidential and personal data acquired as a result of professional relationships and not use it for personal advantage or for the benefit of third parties.
• During the course of your employment you will have access to data and personal information that must be processed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Data Protection Act 1984 and General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) (2018).
• The post holder must be aware that any information held by Pioneer, in theory, could be requested by the public, including emails and minutes of meetings. It in, therefore, essential that records are accurately recorded and maintained in accordance with Pioneer’s policies and procedures.
• During the course of your employment you may see, hear or have access to, information on matters of a confidential nature relating to the work of Pioneer and our family of schools or to the health and personal affairs of students and staff. Under no circumstances should such information be divulged or passed on to any unauthorised person or organisation and you will be required to know when or what information can be shared and in what circumstances it is appropriate to do so.

Safeguarding: 

Pioneer Educational Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and young people to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service checks. The post holder is required to demonstrate their commitment to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people in Pioneer and our family of schools. All staff are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in relationships with children and young people and with al members of Pioneer’s community and outside agencies, and exercise sound professional judgment, which always focuses upon the best interests of the students and Pioneer.

Inclusive Recruitment:

We’re passionate about diversity because it drives innovation, sparks creativity, and delivers better results. Our goal? A workforce that reflects the rich diversity of the people and communities we serve. We value different experiences, perspectives and expertise, and we create an environment where everyone can grow and thrive.

When we hire, we actively seek out diverse talent. Our recruitment process is designed to be inclusive and accessible. As part of this commitment, we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria or the role. Need reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process? Just let us know — we’re here to help.

Flexible Working:

We understand the importance of balancing work and life. That’s why we embrace flexibility. If you’d like to explore flexible working options, simply mention it in your application or at any stage of the process (and beyond). Pioneer Educational Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This post is subject to satisfactory references, Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check and evidence of essential qualifications and proof of legal working in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

Additional notes:

Whilst every effort has been made to outline the main responsibilities of the post each individual task undertaken may not be identified. Employees are expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job profile.

Pioneer will endeavour to make any necessary reasonable adjustments to the job and the working environment to enable access to employment opportunities for disabled job applicants or continued employment for any employee who develops a disabling condition.

This job description should not be taken as an exhaustive description of the role and is, rather, indicative of the types of responsibility covered by this job. This job profile is current but may be modified, with agreement, by Pioneer to reflect or anticipate changes in the job commensurate with the grade and job title.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

All of the following criteria are considered essential unless otherwise noted.

Education & Qualifications

• Level 6 qualification or equivalent.
• NPQH or further professional qualification or willingness to work towards it. Desirable
• Qualified Teacher Status.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development relating to school leadership/curriculum development.

Experience

• Significant and successful experience as a senior leader (e.g. Deputy Head or Head Teacher).
• Experience of working with multi agencies, other partner organisations and external stakeholders to develop new approaches and accelerate improvement. Desirable
• Experience of leading effective professional development.
• Demonstrable experience of developing an ethos where pupils feel safe and secure and where the highest standards of behaviour and attitudes are promoted and maintained.
• Proven track record of improving and sustaining the quality of education in a school, including curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment.
• Experience of impacting positively on pupil outcomes, including pupils who may be disadvantaged, have a special educational need and / or be more able.

Knowledge & Skills

• The knowledge and skill to inspire and motivate all stakeholders: staff, pupils, parents, governors and school community
• Skill in using information technology (including Microsoft packages and MIS systems) effectively to management
• Knowledge and skill to communicate complex information concisely, orally and in writing to a wide range of individuals/ organisations
• Secure knowledge and understanding of the current statutory requirements for education including those relating to curriculum, assessment and the OFSTED Framework
• Secure knowledge and understanding of current statutory requirements for safeguarding children, including Keeping Children Safe in Education and creating a culture of safeguarding

Professional behaviours

• Be prepared to uphold the mission, vision, values and culture of the trust through leading by example in line with our leadership dynamics: seek heat, welcome accountability, communicate with clarity and candour, build trust, use self-awareness to selfregulate, serve others.
• Strong commitment to raising own and team standards demonstrating integrity and credibility at all times.
• Be prepared to work flexibly to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of the post.
• Able to effectively manage a varied and agile workload.
• Dedicated to the highest standards of child protection, understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and expects all staff to share this commitment.
• Commitment to the highest standards of child protection, understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and following Pioneer’s safeguarding policies.
• Promotes and embeds equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging as an integral aspect of working and demonstrates a respect for diversity.

If our vision and values resonate with you, then apply now to be part of a community that is knowledgeable, empowered and committed to taking principled action in service to others. Join us on our mission to take education further and transform lives.