An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Place Partnership as Director of Primary Education. We are seeking to appoint an exceptional and highly credible leader with a strong track record in primary education to provide strategic leadership across our primary academies. Working closely with Principals, senior leaders and wider Trust colleagues, the postholder will drive school improvement and help secure the highest possible standards for our children and young people.
The postholder will provide strategic oversight of educational standards across the Trust’s primary phase, ensuring high-quality teaching, curriculum and assessment. The role will support and challenge academy leaders to deliver sustained improvement, with a particular focus on the key foundations of primary excellence, including early reading, phonics, writing and mathematics. Through rigorous monitoring, informed support and timely intervention, the postholder will ensure academies continue to improve and that strong outcomes are secured for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
It is essential that the postholder is an outstanding people leader, able to guide, support and challenge senior academy colleagues with confidence and clarity. The postholder will maximise the potential of staff across academies, developing leadership capacity, strengthening skills and knowledge, and embedding the Trust’s values and behaviours as a consistent thread running through all aspects of school improvement. They will play a central role in fostering a culture of trust, collaboration and shared accountability, breaking down siloed working and enabling academies to benefit from stronger networks, shared expertise and increased access to resources.
Stakeholder engagement will be a key feature of the role. The postholder will build and maintain strong professional relationships with Principals, senior leaders, teachers, Governors, Trustees and external partners, ensuring open communication, shared understanding and collective ownership of improvement priorities. They will represent the Trust with credibility and professionalism, contribute to collaborative networks within and beyond the organisation, and work closely with colleagues at all levels to ensure that strategy is understood, implemented and translated into impact in classrooms.
For further information about the role, please refer to the Recruitment Brochure.
The successful candidate will be:
1. An outstanding strategic educational leader, with substantial senior leadership experience in primary education and a strong track record of securing school improvement.
2. Passionate about high-quality teaching and learning, with strong expertise in curriculum, assessment and the key drivers of success across the primary phase.
3. Visible and influential, with the ability to build trust quickly and work effectively with Principals, senior leaders and wider academy teams.
4. A confident leader of leaders, able to provide challenge, support and development that strengthens capacity, accountability and long-term sustainability.
5. Committed to strong outcomes for all pupils, with a clear understanding of the importance of inclusion, equity and high expectations for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
6. Analytical and evidence-informed, able to evaluate performance, identify priorities and use data and professional insight to guide improvement.
7. Collaborative and system-minded, with the ability to foster strong partnerships across academies and promote consistency while respecting each academy’s unique identity.
8. Calm, resilient and solutions-focused, with the ability to lead with clarity and purpose in complex or challenging situations.
9. Values-led and professionally grounded, modelling integrity, optimism and an unwavering commitment to the wellbeing and success of children and young people.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking and ambitious organisation, driven by a genuine passion for the wellbeing, care and education of young people.
Place Partnership represents the voluntary merger of two strong and successful Trusts in South and West Yorkshire: Maltby Learning Trust, established in, and Accord MAT, founded in. Both organisations shared a clear ambition - to grow our families of schools, extend the impact of our work, and ensure more children, families and communities could benefit from high-quality education. We recognise that by coming together, we will create a larger organisation with greater capacity to deliver exceptional learning experiences, strengthen school improvement, and contribute more meaningfully to the wider education system. From 1 September, we will comprise 12 academies, supporting children and young people from early years through to Post 16.
Visits are warmly welcomed and can be arranged. For further details regarding this opportunity, for an informal discussion regarding the role or to arrange a visit, please do not hesitate to contact
Closing Date: Monday 29 June at 9am
Interviews are expected to take place on W/C 29 June or W/C 6 July .
Place Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, further details of which can be found at
Place Partnership is committed to providing a culture of inclusion, respect and equity of opportunity that attracts, supports, and retains high quality colleagues from all backgrounds and across all job roles. Candidates will always be shortlisted based on the content of application against the job description and essential criteria without access to the personal details.
Place Partnership reserves the right to interview sooner than the specified dates above. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.