Learning Academies Trust (LAT) is seeking a Chief Executive Officer to lead the Trust into its next phase of development.
Location: Plymouth
About Learning Academies Trust
Learning Academies Trust (LAT) was established nine and a half years ago, initially bringing together three schools around a shared commitment to school improvement and community impact. We have grown from three schools to nine schools and two years ago, we undertook a significant organisational change through the integration of Horizon Schools Trust, which also comprised nine schools. We are proud to be a leading academy trust in Plymouth comprising of 18 schools and our teaching school – The Plymouth Teachers and Schools Alliance (PTSA).
Our growth has been driven by shared values, complementary strengths and our belief that a single organisation would provide greater security, capacity and impact for our schools and communities. We have sharpened our understanding of the role of the Trust centre, the responsibilities of schools and the importance of consistent systems and accountability.
We are now entering our third year as a unified Trust. Performance across LAT’s schools has strengthened, external confidence is high and our governance has matured significantly, supported by professional governance capacity and clearer local governance arrangements.
We are not complacent. While LAT’s school improvement capacity is strong, our central operational services require further development to support sustainability at scale. As a Board and Executive, we have undertaken strategic development work to clarify what we want LAT to look like over the next five to ten years: a stable, well‑run Trust, rooted in Plymouth, with the capacity to grow carefully and contribute more actively to the wider system.
About the role
Under the leadership of our retiring CEO, Simon Spry, we have undergone a period of growth, stabilisation and performance improvement. This is a business‑critical appointment at a point where strategic clarity has been established and delivery, discipline and leadership through others are required.
LAT is a complex organisation with a multi‑million‑pound turnover and an expanding central infrastructure. Our CEO must balance the core business of education with the leadership of an organisation that is efficient, compliant and sustainable.
Our founding CEO has led LAT through growth and integration. We are now seeking a second‑generation CEO who can consolidate what has been built, embed consistent ways of working and lead LAT through its next stage of maturity.
Our CEO will work with an experienced executive team that includes strong educational leadership and an interim Chief Operating Officer overseeing finance and operational services.
Strategically, our CEO will lead the delivery of LAT’s emerging five‑to‑ten‑year direction. This includes sustaining improvement in school performance and well‑being, strengthening our central services, addressing estates and infrastructure capacity and taking a disciplined approach to growth within Plymouth and potentially beyond.
Our CEO will be a visible leader, based in Plymouth, who builds strong relationships with local partners and communities, works effectively with the Department of Education and Regional Director and confidently represents LAT both locally and nationally.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking an exceptional leader with the credibility, judgement and resilience to lead a mature and evolving multi‑academy trust. This is not an entry‑level CEO role.
We are open to the background of our incoming CEO, whether they come directly from, or beyond the education sector. What we seek is high‑quality systemic leadership and an understanding of the core business functions within a multi‑academy trust.
We are looking for someone who understands that leading LAT requires capability across six interconnected domains: strategic leadership, system and civic leadership, quality of education, operational and financial leadership, people leadership and accountability and governance.
At its core, this is a values‑led systemic leadership role. We are seeking someone who truly understands the breadth of communities that we serve within our schools and can ensure that our shared values are lived and felt every day, by every pupil, parent and staff member.
Please click 'Apply Now’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the job description and register your interest to apply.
Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Tuesday 31st March 2026.
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