Schools & Academy Trusts Recruitment
Education is the cornerstone of a good life for millions of children each year. Having the right leadership at your school or academy trust ensures sustainability, allowing this value to continue for the next generation.
Executive and board search for schools and academy trusts tailored to your needs with expertise and care.
Email us to find out moreSchools & academy trusts recruitment for executive and board roles
Strong schools & academy trusts recruitment ensures your organisation has the leadership it needs to deliver high-quality education and remain sustainable. The right appointments keep schools and academy trusts strong, responsive, and focused on the needs of their pupils.
At Peridot Partners, we believe schools and academy trusts make a tangible difference in every child’s life. Education inspires and empowers young people to change the world around them, no matter their starting point. To deliver on that mission, recruitment strategies must be robust, values-led, and tailored to your unique context.
Our team has decades of experience in schools and academies, having worked in senior leadership roles and held board and governance positions, combined with our specialist executive search expertise.
We recruit at all levels, from department leaders and C-suite executives to trustees and board chairs, ensuring every appointment is a strong, lasting fit for your organisation.
What it’s like to work with us
Peridot Partners is a leading executive search provider recruiting leaders for schools and academy trusts. We deliver client-centred, values-led campaigns tailored to our partners’ needs. Our recruitment processes result in highly impactful, long-lasting appointments.
- Bespoke Campaigns: Our search process starts with you and is tailored to your needs
- Candidate stewardship: Our consultants provide excellent support, coaching, and feedback to candidates from enquiry to appointment.
- Support through the whole leadership journey: Our expertise covers the full leadership spectrum from chief executives and senior leaders to middle management and board appointments.
- Process-Driven: We handle the heavy lifting, driving the entire recruitment process so you can focus on organisational priorities.
- Competitive Pricing: High-quality results and value-for-money
Safer schools & academy trusts recruitment practices
We share a duty to protect children and young people from harm and therefore our recruitment team has undertaken safer recruitment training.
We will ensure safer recruitment practices in every stage of the recruitment process, in line with the latest KCSIE guidance, and maintain open and transparent communication that will enable us to help our clients find the most valuable people for their schools, colleges, and charities.
Organisations we support through schools & academy trusts recruitment:
- Primary schools
- Secondary schools
- Independent schools
- Multi-academy trusts
- Faith schools
- SEND specialist schools
- Education charities
Leadership and board roles recruited for schools & academy trusts:
- CEOs
- Executive directors
- Senior leaders
- Non-executive directors, trustees, board or committee members
“I cannot rate Peridot highly enough. Their professionalism and support during the process of recruiting our Chief Operating Officer were exceptional. They care about clients and candidates and were responsive, supportive and collegial right the way through the process.”
Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive Officer, The Confederation of School Trusts
Our selected track record
Executive leadership appointments
Ambitious About Autism | Director of Education, Executive Principal
Autism Unlimited | Director of Education
Bishop Hogarth Education Trust | Chief Executive Officer
Bradford Academy | Executive Principal
Central England Academies Trust | Chief Executive Officer
Charterhouse School | Associate Director of Major Gifts
Confederation of Schools Trusts | Chief Operating Officer
Dixons Academies | Chief Financial Officer
Elliot Foundation | Director of SEND and Inclusion
Mathematics Education in Industry | Chief Operating Officer
Middlesex Learning Partnership | Chief Executive Officer
National Institute of Teaching | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Director of People and Culture
Oasis Community Learning | Chief Financial Officer
Orchard Hill College and Academies Trust | Chief Operating Officer
Pinnacle Learning Trust | Chief Executive Officer
Pioneer Educational Trust | Chief Finance and Operations Officer
Rose Learning Trust | Chief Executive Officer
Skylark Partnership Trust | Chief Executive Officer
Star Academies | Director of People and Wellbeing
St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Academy Trust | Chief Executive Officer
Tenterden Schools Trust | Chief Executive Officer
University of Kent Academies Trust | Chief Executive Officer
Wellspring Academies Trust | Chief Financial Officer
Whitefield Academy Trust (now Flourish Learning Trust) | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer
Windsor Learning Partnership | Executive Principal and Chief Operating Officer
Non-executive appointments
Abbey Multi-Academy Trust | 3x Trustees
Alpha Academies | 6x Trustees
Bradford Academy | 3x Trustees
Bridge Academy Trust | Chair
Elliot Foundation | Trustees
Gad’s Hill School | Chair of Governors, 3x Trustees
Learning Community Trust | Chair
Learning Without Limits | Trustees
Lighthouse Learning Trust | 3x Trustees
Nova Education Trust | 2x Trustees, 2x Members
Oasis Community Learning | 14x Trustees
Orchard Hill College and Multi-Academy Trust | 8x Trustees
Royal Hospital School | 3x Governors
South Gloucestershire & Stroud College Multi-Academy Trust | Chair of Trustees, Trustee
Stratford School Academy | Chair, 2x Trustees
Stour Vale Multi-Academy Trust | 2x Trustees
Woodside Primary School | 3x Trustees, Member
Worksop College | Chair of Governors
School leadership appointments
Birklands Primary School | Headteacher
Bradford Academy | Principal and Executive Principal
City of London School | Development Manager
Edgar Wood Academy | Assistant Headteacher (Raising Aspirations), Assistant Headteacher (Pastoral/SEND)
Eton College | Director of Development
Hollygirt School | Headmistress
Kirk Hallam Community School | Head of School
Nottingham Free School | Headteacher
Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology | Vice Principal
Royal Grammar School Newcastle | Head of Development
St Mary’s College | Head of School
Victoria Primary School | Headteacher
Wells Cathedral School | Director of Development
Download our schools & academy trust brochureOur schools & academy trusts recruitment team
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