The posting
Transforming Lives Through Exceptional Educational Leadership
As a growing specialist multi-academy trust, The Youth Engagement Schools (YES) Trust brings together a diverse family of alternative provision and specialist schools, united by a shared commitment to transforming the lives of children and young people. Our schools are built on child-centred education, authentic relationships and an unwavering belief in every learner’s potential. Across the Trust, highly skilled professionals bring deep expertise in trauma-informed practice, relational approaches, SEND, inclusion and personalised learning.
As we continue to expand our national footprint, we are strengthening our regional hub model, bringing together schools through shared expertise, strong local partnerships and collective leadership. Aligned to the DfE’s regional structure, our hubs combine local identity with the consistency, quality and collaboration that define the YES Trust.
To support this exciting next phase of our journey, we are seeking an exceptional educational leader to join us as Regional Director for School Improvement.
This is a rare opportunity to shape educational excellence across a region within an ambitious and growing national Trust. As one of our Regional Directors, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening leadership, driving sustainable school improvement and ensuring every child benefits from the highest quality education.
This role is not about imposing change or applying standardised solutions. Our schools already benefit from strong leadership, committed staff and established cultures of improvement. Instead, it is an opportunity to deepen leadership capacity across the Trust, building on existing strengths through strategic oversight, thoughtful challenge and evidence-informed support.
Reporting to the Director of Education, you will act as the Trust’s strategic school improvement partner across your region. Working alongside Executive Headteachers and Headteachers, you will evaluate effectiveness, identify priorities, facilitate the right support and provide constructive challenge to secure meaningful and sustainable improvement. Through rigorous quality assurance, evidence-informed evaluation and a relentless focus on holistic outcomes, you will help every school continue to grow and thrive.
What makes the YES Trust distinctive is our recognition that specialist education is deeply contextual. While our schools are united by shared values and high expectations, we know that communities, cohorts and individual learners are different. We trust our leaders to respond to these differences while remaining aligned to the Trust’s vision. This role requires someone who can recognise excellence in different forms, exercise sound professional judgement and work collaboratively across a wide range of specialist settings.
We are looking for an accomplished educational leader with a proven track record of securing school improvement and improving outcomes for children and young people. You may be an experienced Headteacher, Executive Headteacher, senior Trust leader, serving Ofsted Inspector, or an experienced system leader seeking the opportunity to influence educational excellence at greater scale. You will bring substantial expertise in school improvement, curriculum leadership and educational evaluation, together with the credibility to work alongside senior leaders across Alternative Provision, SEMH and specialist education. Above all, you will combine strategic thinking, professional curiosity and sound judgement with an unwavering commitment to improving the life chances of vulnerable children and young people.
Joining the YES Trust means becoming part of a values-led organisation with a clear moral purpose and bold ambitions for the future. As we continue to grow nationally, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape leadership across the Trust, influence educational excellence beyond a single school and help build a legacy that will benefit children, families and communities for years to come.
If you are inspired by the opportunity to shape educational excellence across a region, strengthen leadership at scale and help transform lives, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Job Description
Salary: Leadership scale L26 - L32 (September pay award pending)
Holiday: 35 days + bank holidays
Location: Working across The YES Trust West Midlands
Contract: Full or Part time working considered
School Improvement
Implement the Trust School Improvement Strategy across designated schools within the hub.
Work alongside Executive Headteachers and Headteachers to drive sustained school improvement and educational excellence.
Support schools in developing, implementing, and evaluating robust School Development Plans (SDPs).
Ensure School Development Plans are aligned to Trust priorities, quality assurance findings, and pupil outcomes.
Quality assure the accuracy, rigour, and impact of each school Self Evaluation Framework (SEF).
Ensure self-evaluation is evidence-based and accurately reflects school performance.
Monitor progress against improvement priorities and agreed milestones.
Lead targeted support and intervention where accelerated improvement is required.
Quality Assurance and Standards
Lead a programme of review visits, learning walks, deep dives, safeguarding reviews, and thematic evaluations.
Evaluate the effectiveness of leadership, quality of education, behaviour for learning, attendance, safeguarding, and preparation for adulthood.
Ensure schools operate in line with Trust expectations and statutory responsibilities.
Produce evaluation reports identifying strengths, risks, and priorities for improvement.
Provide regular assurance reports to the Director of Education and Board of Trustees, as required.
Evidence, Data and Evaluation
Promote a culture where improvement activity is informed by robust evidence and measurable impact.
Analyse outcomes, progress, attendance, behaviour for learning, safeguarding, and destination data.
Use data to identify trends, priorities, and areas of risk.
Ensure data is considered alongside professional judgement and qualitative evidence.
Champion triangulation through performance data, direct observation, stakeholder voice, and school documentation.
Support leaders in developing accurate evaluation processes and evidence-informed improvement planning.
Leadership Challenge and Support
Act as the primary school improvement partner for Executive Headteachers and designated Headteachers within the hub.
Provide professional challenge, support, and accountability.
Facilitate regular review meetings focused on performance and outcomes.
Support succession planning and leadership development.
Review effectiveness of leadership development and capability, identifying strengths, areas for development, and facilitating access to appropriate support.
Ofsted Readiness and Inspection Excellence
Maintain expert and current knowledge of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework.
Lead inspection readiness activity across the region.
Conduct inspection preparation reviews and support schools in evaluating readiness.
Support leaders in evidencing impact through robust SEFs and SDPs.
Monitor progress against recommendations arising from inspections and reviews.
Promote continuous improvement rather than event-based inspection preparation.
Educational Excellence
Champion ambitious and appropriately personalised curricula.
Support strong outcomes, personal development, and preparation for adulthood.
Promote evidence-informed teaching, learning, and assessment.
Maintain high expectations and inclusive practice across all schools.
Collaboration and System Leadership
Foster collaboration between hub schools, services, and professional networks.
Facilitate sharing of effective practice and innovation.
Work closely with other Regional Directors to ensure consistency of standards, expectations, and practice across hubs.
Contribute to cross-regional reviews, moderation, and quality assurance activities.
Support Trust-wide improvement priorities and strategic initiatives.
Reporting and Accountability
Report regularly to the Director of Education on standards, risks, and impact.
Maintain oversight of school performance across the regional portfolio.
Escalate concerns relating to safeguarding, educational standards, leadership capacity, or compliance.
Contribute to reporting for executive leaders, committees, and trustees.
Demonstrate measurable impact through robust evaluation and evidence.
