Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Role: Chief Executive Officer

Salary: Competitive

Job type: Full Time, Permanent

Start date: September 2025

The Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust (ODST) is a thriving Multi-Academy Trust serving nearly 9,000 pupils within a growing family of 43 church and community schools across Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Founded by the Diocese of Oxford in 2012, we have significant primary and secondary expertise. All our schools cover some aspects of the primary phase. Schools apply to join the Trust on a regular basis and we are open to primary, secondary and special schools. 

At the heart of our vision is our belief in educational excellence, a desire to provide schools with the highest level of academic rigour, pastoral care and support, and a passion that they meet the needs of their unique local communities. Our schools are places where children and young people develop and thrive intellectually, socially, culturally and spiritually. We are motivated by our Christian values but welcome those of all faiths and none and we are proud of the diversity that defines our community.

Following the announcement that ODST’s CEO will retire in August 2025, we seek a creative and inspirational leader to ensure that the Trust continues to flourish and deliver education of the highest quality.  Working with a committed Board of Trustees, a skilled leadership team and a high-performing community of educators, the incoming CEO will develop and implement the Trust’s strategy. They will be able to articulate our vision with clarity and enable us to continue achieving our mission for young people whilst securing long term financial stability and developing our workforce and the physical estate to ensure this vision can be implemented and sustained.

The appointed candidate will be an outstanding educational leader with high levels of personal integrity and exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. They will offer a strong track record of achievement from a senior role in education, have expertise in business planning and resource management and will have strategic capability, empathy and creativity, as well as the ability to sustain high-quality educational provision and an exciting future for our Trust. A genuine commitment to ODST’s ethos and values is essential as they will need to inspire others to live out the vision to ‘Serve the Common Good’ and to have the ability to work effectively within Diocesan structures.  

ODST is headquartered in Wantage and the CEO will also be expected to visit our schools regularly, which are spread across Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The successful candidate will need to live or be prepared to move to within reasonable commuting distance of the Trust.

To download the appointment details for this role, including information on how to apply, please visit https://candidates.perrettlaver.com quoting reference 7687. 

The closing date for applications is Thursday 23rd January 2025 at 08:30 GMT.

ODST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate must be willing to undergo an enhanced disclosure through the Disclosure and Barring Service. For further information on ODST’s safer recruitment policy please click here.