Senior Leader (Secondary) for Curriculum and Achievement

SENIOR LEADER (SECONDARY) for Curriculum and Achievement

[Employer hidden] (Diocese of Salford) is dedicated to providing an outstanding Catholic Education to our pupils. We are seeking to expand our central team and appoint a Senior Leader (Secondary) to support our secondary school leadership teams.

As the successful candidate you will be an outstanding and highly motivated leader who will be a key member of Emmaus CAT’s Leadership Group. This post would be suitable for someone who is willing to embrace the distinctive Catholic nature of the schools in our Emmaus CAT, Assistant Headteachers or Deputy Headteachers. The successful post holder will work closely with the Catholic Senior Executive Leader (CSEL/CEO), Director of Secondary Education, and school leaders.

The Senior Leader (Secondary) for Curriculum and Achievement will work under the direction of our Director of Secondary Education.

Their role will be to support strategic leadership and hold accountability for implementing the strategy, development, improvement, performance and quality cross our secondary schools. With a specific focus on Curriculum and Achievement, the successful candidate will contribute to the strategic direction of our secondary schools. They will help shape the character development and formation of all our Emmaus CAT pupils; supporting improved outcomes and life chances for our young people.

This is a high-profile role for an inspirational individual. With a flexible and calm approach, you will share best practice across our schools, draw on the talents of staff and build on our many strengths. The post holder will have a track record of addressing performance, driving change and raising the standards and aspirations of all members of a school community. They will need the humility, credibility and integrity to deliver in challenging circumstances and the ability to communicate a vision that inspires, motivates and enthuses staff, pupils and the community as a whole.

Please contact Jodie Urmston, Office Manager via email: [contact hidden] for further details and application form.

Responsibilities

• Working alongside the CSEL/CEO and Director of Secondary Education to support our secondary leadership teams.
• Build and develop leadership capacity in each secondary school and across Emmaus CAT
• To support secondary headteachers and other relevant staff, promoting excellence in recruitment, training and performance.
• The post holder will be accountable to the Director of Secondary Education of Emmaus CAT.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide the strategic direction for curriculum and raising achievement across Emmaus CAT.
• Create an Emmaus CAT-wide strategy to raise achievement across our secondary schools.
• Embed robust systems for analysing and acting upon both achievement and behaviour and attendance data at both school and central Emmaus CAT level.
• Ensure all schools engage in the high quality, research led CPDF that enables staff to know what Catholic excellence looks like in all aspects of school life.
• Support a cycle of continuous collaboration across schools at all levels of leadership which is quality assured, impact led and fit for purpose for each organisation.
• Support Emmaus CAT to ensure staff are attracted to work for Emmaus CAT, through a cycle of continuous learning, high quality appraisal and a mission led approach to work.
• Deliver inspirational senior leadership that enables leaders to develop a high-quality secondary education.
• Support improvement to excellence across all Emmaus CAT secondary schools so that they all are achieving in the top quartile of performance.
• Support secondary schools with their curriculum delivery, with an initial focus on English, Maths and Science.
• Promote the highest possible standards of care, aspiration and success for our young people, whilst seeking to ensure each school has a positive impact on the communities and parishes that they serve.
• Working with the Director of Secondary Education to support and secure the long-term success of Emmaus CAT secondary schools by championing high quality professional development and opportunities, including maximising potential through the skills and resources available from across Emmaus CAT.
• Work with leaders at all levels to challenge, motivate and empower them to attain ambitious outcomes that maximise the educational, personal development and formation of pupils and meet the demands of the wider communities served.
• Advise and support the Director of Secondary Education on developing and implementing Emmaus CAT’s strategy for improvement.
• Support the delivery of excellent teaching and learning throughout all secondary schools within Emmaus CAT through the promotion of high level professional standards, and rigorous systems monitoring and evaluation of teaching quality and pupils’ achievement.
• Inspire leaders to achieve remarkable education by delivering the executive education functions of Emmaus CAT and the education performance of Emmaus CAT. Specifically, supporting the thinking and impact of secondary headteachers.
• Provide inspiration and strong senior leadership to ensure that secondary schools continue to deliver the highest standards of curriculum development and teaching and learning pedagogy across Emmaus CAT.
• Work with leaders to implement exemplary standards of pupil behaviour, first class pastoral care and extensive personal and spiritual development programme is evident across our secondary schools.
• Ensure that Emmaus CAT’s activities remain consistent with the Catholic objectives of Emmaus CAT and support the Director of Secondary Education to ensure local governance is compliant with the spirit and letter of Emmaus CAT’s articles of association and charity and company law more generally
• Be a contact for all headteachers and designated safeguarding leads for advice if they are concerned about a child protection or safeguarding issue (this may occasionally require being available outside of the normal school day when required).
• Draw attention to best practice in Emmaus CAT to support other schools and encourage links with local agencies that may deliver additional resources to the schools or families.
• Disseminate national and local safeguarding updates and information to headteachers and central staff as needed.
• Ensure that all schools comply with safer recruitment procedures and that induction includes a specific focus on safeguarding; ensure that Single Central Records are comprehensive and maintained by academies to current standards.
• Emmaus CAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young persons at all times. You will be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of all children with whom you come into contact, in accordance with Emmaus CAT’s and the school’s safeguarding policies.

Other

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Ensure that secondary schools implement the equality, diversity and inclusion strategy ensuring that every learner in Emmaus CAT has a positive experience.
• Ensure the equality diversity and inclusion policies and procedures including those relating to SEND are robust, effective and applied across all settings.
• Look outward to other education settings in seeking to ensure best practice is maintained in all Emmaus CAT schools and settings.
• To support, recruit, manage, develop and motivate a committed, effective and diverse workforce that understands its roles and enables and promotes high quality learning.
• To ensure the development of positive solutions to achieving diversity, dignity and equality in all aspects of service delivery and engagement with the broader community.

Method of Working

[Employer hidden] expects all staff to work effectively as part of a team or teams. As a minimum, this requires a clear appreciation of the Catholic faith, our special ethos and commitment to serving society, dealing with people politely and tactfully, communicating with colleagues both formally and informally, modelling the Catholic Education Service and the Emmaus CAT’s Code of Conduct and reflecting the Diocesan values. You must carry out your duties with due regard to current and future policies, procedures and relevant legislation. These will be drawn to your attention in your induction, ongoing performance reviews and through Emmaus CAT communications. All staff are required to maintain confidentiality as required.

Public Relations

Considerable importance is attached to the public relations aspect of all work undertaken by Emmaus CAT staff.

It is a prime objective therefore that staff will at all times to the public the image of the Emmaus CAT as keen to assist wherever possible, and positively promote the work that is carried out.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications need to be made using the CES application form, available from the Emmaus CAT website.

Potential applicants are encouraged to make an appointment to speak with Dominique Gobbi, Director of Secondary Education via the email address below.

Closing date: Wednesday, 25th March 2026, 9am

Interviews will take place: Wednesday, 1st April 2026

Please return completed application forms and supporting documents to Jodie Urmston, Office Manager at [Employer hidden] by email; [contact hidden]