Chief Executive Officer

Salary: In excess of £140,000

Start date: September 2025

A community where faith, learning, and growth come together to inspire students toward excellence.

Sancta Familia Catholic Academy Trust is a new cross-phase family of schools that opened as a multi-academy trust in February 2025, with five schools joining at that time and the other expected to join shortly afterwards, making up the first tranche of six schools. By the end of 2025, the Trust is expected to grow to at least 10 schools, with a growth plan of 20 + schools over the next 3 years. The Trust will serve the deaneries of Croydon, Merton, Lambeth & Sutton.

Our founding Schools:

• Regina Coeli Primary (Croydon)

• St. John Fisher Primary (Merton)

• St. Elphege's Infant School (Sutton)

• St Philomena's High School (Sutton)

• St. Elphege's Junior School (Sutton)

• Ursuline High School (Merton)

Formerly The Federation of St Elphege's Catholic Schools and Regina Coeli Primary

This post is a fantastic career opportunity for our CEO to help shape and build Sancta Familia CAT from its inception into an exemplary educational organisation serving SW London within the Archdiocese of Southwark.

The CEO will be an inspirational strategic leader able to develop and articulate the vision, values and ethos of the Trust to ensure a culture of excellence and high expectations in all our students and will empower others to do the same. Our CEO will be someone who focuses on leadership development at all levels to improve outcomes and grow capacity.

Our Catholic schools are places of excellence, providing service and witness to our students, their families, and the wider community. We are dedicated to creating an environment where Christ is at the centre of all we do, fostering a strong sense of faith and community among our students.

Accountable to the Trust Board, you will be a practising Catholic bringing a credible track record of continuous improvement in educational performance and outcomes. You will lead and develop a strong, dedicated team of Headteachers and grow a central team of professionals working together for the benefit of our children and young people so that they fulfil their full potential and gain a range of positive, purposeful and Christ centred experiences at school to equip them for their future.

The successful candidate will know how to maintain and deliver systemic rigour across the breadth of a multi-academy trust or similar large organisation. Thus building a collaborative and sustainable school improvement model by nurturing a high performance culture through all key strategic stakeholders. We are seeking a collaborative engaging CEO who passionately believes in quality CPD across the Trust will enable all staff to continue to grow and develop in order to provide exemplary education to children and young people in our schools.

For an informal and confidential conversation about this post please contact Dion Mills on . Application forms and an information pack can be requested by emailing

Closing date: 9am Monday 10th March Interviews: Thursday 20th & Friday 21st March

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Sancta Familia Catholic Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff to share this commitment.

This post is restricted to practising Catholics due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement section under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.