Appointment of the CEO

GLF Schools

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Welcome

Thank you for your interest in the Chief Executive Officer role at GLF Schools. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to share why we are so excited about this opportunity.

GLF is a Trust built on strong values, united by a belief that every child and young person deserves an excellent education which is enriched by personal development, character growth, and meaningful experiences that prepare them for life beyond school.

Across our family of 43 schools, we serve wonderfully diverse communities, and we deliver meaningful outcomes for over 17,000 children and young people. Our core values of respect, inclusion, integrity, kindness, and ambition shape our culture and guide our everyday decisions. Ambition, collaboration, continuous improvement, and the strength of our 2,500 staff are the foundations of our success. We are excited to be developing our ‘One GLF’ culture, which brings us all together, making us stronger, while still celebrating the uniqueness of each school and the communities they serve.

This appointment marks a pivotal moment for GLF. We are looking for a visionary, values-led leader who shares our ambition and moral purpose. We are seeking someone who can inspire as well as drive continuous improvement and innovation, through shaping the Trust’s ongoing development. As well as strategic leadership and successful delivery of the Trust and GLF Foundation strategies, the successful candidate will be someone who can bring people together, shape a positive and inclusive culture, and advocate passionately for our children, young people, and staff.

Whilst relatively new to my role, I have already had the privilege as Chair of the Trustees of witnessing the passion and commitment that runs through GLF.  It is a supportive organisation with a clear vision and deep commitment to the success of every learner and staff member. I hope this candidate pack gives you a clear sense of who we are, what we stand for, and what we are looking for in our next CEO. If what you have read and heard so far resonates with you and you are confident you can make a meaningful contribution, we would be thrilled to hear from you to learn more about how you feel you could help shape the next chapter of GLF’s story.

Should you wish to discuss this opportunity further, please don’t hesitate to contact me on iwilson1@glfschools.org

Thank you once again for considering this opportunity.

Ian Wilson
Chair of Trustees - GLF Schools

About GLF schools

Our Vision, Values and Mission

At GLF Schools we believe in

  • Greater impact through collective action
  • Local leadership of education
  • Facilitating our children and our staff to be the best they can be.

Our Vision:
All our children and young people will receive the best possible start in life.
Every child will transition successfully to their next stage of education, training or employment.

Our Values:
Our core values of Respect, Inclusivity, Integrity and Kindness help drive our daily behaviours and standards.

Our Purpose:
We work together sharing experience, sharing resources and sharing support.
Our schools are stronger by working together.

Our Mission:
We exist to serve our communities by providing all children and staff the opportunity to Grow, to Learn and to Flourish

The hummingbird is an ancient symbol representing tireless energy and the pursuit of all that is good in life. With their ability to migrate very long distances, hummingbirds demonstrate the persistence that leads to success in life. This is a representation of the Trust’s commitment to work with parents and communities to ensure success for our individual children and staff.  The vibrancy of colour represents energy and diversity. The wings of the bird, in the shape of petals, reflect the growth and flourishing of our children and our colleagues.

GLF Nurseries

At GLF Schools we are committed to helping children have the best possible start in life by providing rich learning opportunities from the earliest age.

To support our vision, many GLF primary schools already have a school run nursery on site offering their local families a high quality, free, funded only 15- and 30-hour places with no conditional charges. Early education should be available to all families and support social mobility. Children who attend GLF nurseries become familiar and settled in the school’s environment and our nursery and reception staff teams work closely to ensure transitions are seamless and children are ready for school and eager to learn.

We exist to serve our communities by providing all children and staff the opportunity to grow, to learn and to flourish, please see our list of GLF nurseries and schools here.

Governance at GLF Schools

The governance structure for the Trust has been developed to support the culture of the Trust and the effective management and oversight of a growing organisation.

The Trust Board is accountable to the Secretary of State for all schools within the MAT and responsible for compliance with government and ESFA requirements, company law and charity law. Whilst the Trust Board will always remain accountable, our governance structure allows for the delegation of decisions to the most appropriate body.

In order to ensure effective governance of such a large Trust with such a variety of different schools, governance in GLF Schools is designed to be
Collaborative The Trust Board and the School Standards Boards (SSBs) collaborate to ensure effective governance of the whole Trust for the benefit of all pupils in our schools.
Connected The operation of the Trust Board and SSBs is designed to ensure oversight at the right level, with clear lines of communication and non-duplicative roles.
Customised The governance framework of the Trust is customised to suit our needs and ensure maximum impact at each level.

Appointees at all levels of governance must conduct themselves in line with the vision and values of the Trust, and in accordance with the seven principles of public life.

Our Articles of Association and Scheme of Delegated Authority below set out the details of our governance structure.

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the accountable body for all schools in the Trust, and is responsible for the three core functions of governance:

  1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
  2. Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils and the performance management of staff
  3. Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.

The Board has four sub-committees: Audit & Risk, Finance, Education and Operations & Provision: Meet the Board.

School Standards Boards

Each school in the Trust is overseen by a School Standards Board (SSB), which consists of between 5 and 7 people plus the Headteacher, and has the following core responsibilities:

  • Strategic oversight of the education provision of the school(s)
  • Strategic oversight of compliance of the school(s) with Trust policies
  • Supporting the Trust Board to ensure good governance across the Trust.

SSBs are also the Board’s interface with pupils, staff, parents and the local community. They ensure that stakeholder voices are heard and responded to, and provide a local focus on wellbeing of pupils and staff.

GLF Schools is clear that each school must retain its own distinct character to meet the needs of its local area. The Trust places a high value on recruiting members for the SSBs who can represent the local community whilst also contributing a useful skillset, and encourages applications from interested parties. Click here for more information.

GLF Schools' Foundation

Established in 2022, the GLF Schools’ Foundation seeks to provide opportunities for all young people within our schools to have exposure to opportunities and experiences regardless of their financial background. The Foundation aims to minimise the socio-economic barriers that exist, preventing young children from exploring, experiencing, and enjoying a variety of beneficially healthy activities. Within our schools, we have approximately 4,000 students – almost 20% of our total students – who are recognised as disadvantaged through financial means; these are the students to whom we are focusing support in accessing a breadth of opportunities to help them succeed in life.

Through the GLF Schools’ Foundation Opportunity Fund, students and their families are able to apply for individual funding and additional support to further develop and follow their passions in an opportunity they have experienced. Through our wide community of families and friends, we are raising funds for those most in need and assisting them not only financially but by providing role models through the successes of our ambassadors in their given fields – Rory Burns, Jessie Knight, Steven Reid, Paul Hodgson, Raye Harvey, Corrie Lunghi, Charlie Sinclair and Jack Pepper. Alongside this, we are supporting programmes and projects to increase the diversity of opportunities in our 43 schools to ensure all students have the experiences at school that they deserve.

The role

CEO (AQ3379)

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Job Title Chief Executive Officer
Location GLF Schools HQ (Surrey, SM7 1AG)
Travel required Yes (own car required)
Salary Up to £250,000 p.a.

Core purpose

The CEO is the strategic and operational leader of GLF Schools, responsible for delivering the Trust and Foundation’s strategies, achieving educational excellence and positive life outcomes for all our children and young people. Reporting to the Trust Board, the CEO will oversee all aspects of the organisation, including education, school and organisational improvement, financial sustainability, operational resilience, and a thriving people culture. The post holder will also build and leverage strategic partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders and represent the Trust externally, fostering civic collaboration and public benefit.

With ambition and clarity of purpose, the CEO will lead the Executive Team to drive continuous improvement, innovation, excellence, and advancement, shaping the Trust’s ongoing development and securing outcomes that enable children to thrive beyond school, whilst always ensuring adherence to the GLF Values.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership & Organisational Development

  • Be a visible and values-driven leader, building a cohesive organisational culture that promotes and supports ambition, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Drive the implementation of the Trust’s strategic plan, ensuring alignment with our Vision for 2030, while actively shaping the future direction and evolution of the Trust.
  • Provide strategic oversight of change management across the Trust, ensuring cohesive alignment of strategic priorities, educational outcomes, operational performance, and community impact.
  • Foster a culture of effective challenge and support at every level of the organisation, ensuring that GLF values are consistently embedded in all that we do.
  • Increase the national and local awareness of GLF Schools, showcasing innovation and best practice.

Educational Excellence

  • Champion inclusive education, driving GLF’s ambition to raise outcomes across all statutory assessment points, eliminating the disadvantage gap, particularly for vulnerable pupils and those with SEND.
  • Use data and evidence to drive continuous school improvement, setting ambitious targets and strategies that enable innovation and deliver exceptional educational outcomes across all schools.
  • Ensure all GLF schools deliver a high quality, broad, rich, and coherent curriculum, supported by strong leadership and high-quality teaching.
  • Lead the delivery of a distinctive and enriched education, alongside meaningful educational experiences, that enables all children and young people to thrive and achieve successful futures beyond GLF.

Strategic Governance & Compliance

  • Work collaboratively and effectively with the Chair of Trustees, the Board and its committees to ensure strategic alignment, robust governance, and compliance with statutory duties.
  • Foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership.
  • Act as the Accounting Officer, ensuring financial sustainability, value for money, and compliance with the Academy Trust Handbook.
  • Ensure that risk management systems and compliance monitoring systems are in place so that the organisation can anticipate and plan for risks and fulfil all its statutory duties and responsibilities.

People & Culture

  • Embed a strong ‘One-GLF’ culture that strengthens leadership capacity and staff engagement, ensuring GLF is a values led organisation and an employer of choice.
  • Foster a cultural and operational commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, leading by example by acting as a catalyst for achieving inclusion at all levels.
  • Support the implementation of the Trust-wide people strategy that attracts, retains, and develops high-quality staff.
  • Promote a culture of innovation and advancement, where staff are encouraged to engage in external research and development that supports the Trust’s strategy and vision.

Operational Resilience & Innovation

  • Drive the delivery of the Trust’s strategy through a cost-effective, consistent, streamlined, responsive, and integrated School Support Service (SST), ensuring high-quality service across all GLF Schools.
  • Ensure robust financial governance by delivering consistent surpluses, embedding curriculum-led financial planning, and overseeing effective resource allocation.
  • Develop and implement long-term infrastructure investment plans that directly support educational excellence and enriched life outcomes for our children and young people.
  • Establish scalable operational frameworks, internal systems and processes that enable consistency and resilience at both Trust and school levels.
  • Develop a forward-thinking, future ready, digital strategy that invests in technology and data to enhance education and efficiency, ensuring GLF remains at the forefront of innovation, and safeguards systems and information through robust risk and security frameworks.

Civic Leadership & Ambassadorship

  • Promote the Trust’s role in the wider education system and community.
  • Build strategic partnerships, through openness and proactive engagement with a range of local, regional and national stakeholders and in so doing, develop the Trust’s profile, influence and impact.
  • Be a confident spokesperson and the public face of GLF with external stakeholders, staff, children and their parents or carers.

Accountable to

  • The Chair of Trustees and GLF Board.

Safeguarding

  • GLF Schools is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
  • At GLF Schools, the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is our top priority. We are fully committed to safeguarding and expect everyone who works or volunteers with us to share that commitment. All roles are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. We believe that diversity strengthens us all, and we actively welcome applications from under-represented groups, including those based on ethnicity, gender, transgender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, or religion.

 

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

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

Education & Training

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent.
  • Educated to Master’s degree level, equivalent, or higher. (Desirable)
  • Leadership qualification in education. (Desirable)

Experience & Knowledge

  • Substantial leadership experience in a complex organisation.
  • Proven track record of leading organisational change at scale.
  • Experience of driving performance with a relentless focus on improving outcomes.
  • Demonstrated ability to motivate, support, and challenge staff effectively.
  • Strong influencing and negotiating skills.
  • Experience of strategic and political engagement.
  • Effective planning and decision-making under pressure.
  • Proven ability to shape organisational culture and build resilience.
  • Experience of working positively with Trustees or Board Members.
  • Successful leadership of significant school improvement strategies. (Desirable)
  • Expertise in curriculum leadership and development. (Desirable)

Professional & Personal Attributes

  • Outstanding leader committed to distributive leadership, collaboration and teamwork.
  • Passionate about the academic, personal, and social development of young people and families.
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organisational skills.
  • Committed to diversity, equality, and ethical leadership.
  • Open to new ideas and approaches, with a proactive mindset.
  • Resilient and decisive, especially in high-pressure situations.
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Terms of appointment

Our benefits include:

  • Generous Pension Scheme – Access to the highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
  • Annual Leave – 30 days of holiday per year, plus bank holidays.
  • Work-Life Balance – A range of family-friendly and flexible working policies to support your lifestyle and wellbeing.
  • Employee Wellbeing – A variety of initiatives and resources to support your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
  • Staff Benefits Portal – Exclusive access to discounts, offers, and perks through our dedicated employee benefits platform.

How to apply

Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to GLF Schools. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.

The closing date for applications is 1 January, 2026.

Applications should consist of:

  • A completed application form and a completed school application form.
  • A covering letter (2 pages of A4) outlining your motivation and details of how you meet the qualifications, skills and experience criteria of the person specification.
  • Please include a copy of your CV including details of two referees, though please note that we will not approach your referees without your prior consent and only should you be shortlisted.

Should you wish to discuss further details about the role in strict confidence, please get in touch with:

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