An award-winning group of schools, United Learning is committed to providing an excellent education to children and young people across the country and seeks to improve the life chances of all the children and young people it serves. The Board and Executive passionately believe in the transformative power of education and the organisation’s mission is to bring out 'the best in everyone' – students, staff, parents and the wider community.

United Learning schools operate in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country and welcome children of all backgrounds, faiths and abilities, providing over 55,000 children with an inspiring education. The Group is highly regarded for adopting and improving schools which require improvement or are in special measures.

United Learning is unique in encompassing schools in both the state and independent sectors which work together for mutual benefit. Through being a group, United Learning can offer more to both staff and young people than any single school could offer alone. The growing range of outstanding group-wide activities which it provides mean that more young people will have truly exceptional and inspiring experiences. Already, United Learning believes that it contains the most developed relationships and practical interaction between independent and state schools in the country, creating benefits for all the schools involved.

United Learning is developing a new five-year strategy which focuses on the areas of community and service, business engagement, commercialisation and digital learning. United Learning hopes to develop these key areas whilst maintaining true to its core values of school and educational improvement, professionalism and tolerance.

United Learning is looking for a new Trustee to join the Board to support the Group in achieving its strategic objectives, ensuring that its schools continue to develop and that pupils thrive and succeed in life. It is an exciting opportunity to join a reflective and analytical Board which is passionate about improving education for young people.

The new Trustee will have responsibility for the governance of United Learning and will ensure that the Group strives to improve schools and thereby improve the education of children across the country. Trustees contribute to setting strategy, including policies and targets, and ensure performance is monitored and evaluated in line with this. In addition, the new Trustee will use their specific knowledge and experience to support United Learning with its key priorities, and provide advice and constructive challenge to the Board.

The new Trustee will develop an understanding of and help to address the challenges of running a complex organisation which incorporates both academies and independent schools, and also the risks associated with the size of such an organisation. The new Trustee should also act as an ambassador for United Learning and be driven by contributing to local communities and the education of young people.

Both Trustees will be full members of the Board and will join the Finance Committee, as well as the Estates Committee for the individual with property experience.

Trustee (Finance)

United Learning is looking for a new Trustee who is a qualified accountant, has operated at an executive level within a commercial organisation, and has experience in the non-profit sector.

United Learning has an annual turnover of £440m and therefore the new Trustee will bring strong financial acumen and an ability to constructively and appropriately challenge the Board and Executive. As the multi-academy trust sector faces rising costs in staff pay and energy, this Trustee will act as a critical friend to the executive when it comes to challenging decisions. They will bring a forensic approach and will mitigate risk.

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Trustee (Property / Estates)

United Learning is looking for a new Trustee with a background as a property professional and experience of operating at a senior level on large projects either as an architect, surveyor or developer. They will be able to provide advice, guidance and appropriate challenge to the Board and executive on how the Trust can best maintain and develop its portfolio of schools buildings.

It is not essential but desirable that this person has experience on builds within the education sector, for example with schools or universities. United Learning is looking at developing some of its existing properties for use as community hubs and is also opening a new free school which is scheduled to be ready in 2024. Other strategic priorities will be around use of independent school facilities and broader academy refurbishment.

Richard Greenhalgh, Chair
Sir Jon Coles, CEO
Dame Yasmin Bevan
Dr Stephen Critchley
Karima Fahmy
Dame Reena Keeble
Neil MacDonald MBE
Dr Rania Marandos
Mr Christie Spurling MBE
Dr Rosalind Given-Wilson
Ben Gordon
The Very Rev. Dr John Hall KCVO
Mike Litchfield

You can find out more about the Board of Trustees here.

Trustees will be expected to attend six Board Meetings per year (c. three-hour meeting + preparation) and should also join one of United Learning’s Committees which each hold meetings c. 3-4 times per year. In addition, there will be one annual Away Day in Cambridge and one Annual Leadership Conference in Manchester which Trustees attend. Board meetings are normally in London in person but one per year is in Peterborough.

Alongside this, Trustees should engage with United Learning’s schools, for example with school visits and the production of a short summary report, and will also become involved with particular areas / functions relevant to their skills and expertise. There may be virtual ad hoc meetings on occasion. This role is unremunerated but reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed.

United Learning welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. As women, those of an ethnic minority background and those from the North of England where a proportion of United Learning's schools are located are currently under-represented on the Board, applications from those candidates would be particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where diverse candidates can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.