Chief Executive Officer

Hollingworth Learning Trust is seeking an inspirational, visible and values-led CEO who can champion its Rochdale communities while driving educational excellence, supporting staff and leading the Trust’s sustainable growth.

Contract: Permanent

Post Start Date: 2027 (dependent on the notice period of the successful candidate)

Application closing date: 9am on Tuesday 6th October 2026

We are seeking a high calibre CEO who can understand and respond to the complexities and challenges of the role. For example, we seek to appoint someone who will:

Provide inspirational leadership.
Be confident with data, statutory regulation and compliance.
Embody our ethos, manage the challenges and benefits for all.
Lead colleagues with both compassion and rigour.
Drive educational standards across all key stages and balance this with strategic growth and potential new school conversions.
Ensure financial sustainability and central service optimisation.

We are proud to be deeply rooted in Rochdale, a town with a proud industrial heritage, a history of cooperation and collaboration and a bright, regenerating future. By leading Hollingworth Learning Trust, you are playing a lead role in the borough’s civic story. We operate in an area with significant socio-economic challenge, but we never allow this to define our Pupils’ futures. We work every day to improve the life chances and opportunities of every single child in our trust.

We are a key partner to the Local Authority and a vital part of the local educational ecosystem, working to ensure that Rochdale’s children have the same opportunities as those anywhere else in the country. We view our academies as the guardians of our local community’s trust. Our new CEO must be someone who can walk into a Rochdale playground and be seen as a champion for those families, not just a corporate executive.

Our Academies and their Headteachers want an inspirational CEO with the skills, knowledge and experience consistent with the job description and person specification. Our Academies and Our People are looking for a CEO who will:

Embody our ethos: “We need a CEO who embodies our trust ethos. It is why we joined this trust.”
See our phase, not just our schools: “We need a CEO who understands that primary & secondary education are distinct crafts. We need you to value, understand and support the development of phase specific pedagogy, expertise, and our unique pastoral rhythms.”
Protect our capacity: “We need a CEO who creates a People Strategy that protects our time, simplifies our systems, and doesn't add "Trust-level" bureaucracy to an already full plate.”
Be a partner: “We chose to join Hollingworth Learning Trust because of the trust we’ve built. We want a CEO who maintains that "earned autonomy"—someone who supports us when we struggle but trusts us to lead when we are thriving.”
Be visible: “Don't just be a name at the bottom of an email. We want a CEO who is a regular, welcome presence in our corridors—someone who knows our staff’s names and understands our school’s specific "Rochdale context."”

Express your Interest

To apply for this role, please click below to complete the expression of interest form and access the job pack and application details.

Express Interest