EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT
A professional, transparent and values-led search process for CEOs, COOs, CFOs and senior education leaders — combining deep trust governance knowledge with proven recruitment methodology.
Why Executive appointments deserve specialist support
Appointing a CEO, COO or CFO can be one of the most critical decisions a trust board will make. Get it right, and a new executive can accelerate school improvement, strengthen financial sustainability and steady a trust through growth or change.
Multi Academy Trusts are recruiting at executive level more often than ever: growing central teams and planning for succession. Many boards run this kind of process only once every few years, often without a dedicated HR or recruitment specialist in-house to lead it.
That's where S4S comes in. We work alongside trustees, governors and senior leaders to run a professional, transparent process — combining an understanding of trust governance, safer recruitment and the realities of school leadership with proven recruitment methodology.
~8 Weeks
Typical timeline for a CEO-level campaign, from advertisement to appointment.
5 Stages
A structured process from initial scoping through to post-appointment transition support.
Bespoke
Pricing and scope shaped around your trust. Purchase full support or individual elements
A five-stage process, shaped around your trust
01
Initial Consultation & Scoping Analysis
Understanding your Trust — its vision, challenges, culture, and priorities. We work closely with your board and senior leaders to clarify the role, identify the qualities and experience you need, and create a clear, shared brief for the recruitment process.
02
Job Role & Advertising
Ensuring your opportunity reaches the right candidates through targeted advertising across education platforms, professional networks and social media. We present the role clearly and compellingly, highlighting your Trust’s values, culture and ambitions to attract applicants with the skills, experience and commitment needed for the role.
03
Candidate Management & Shortlisting
Taking the pressure out of candidate management by handling applications, responding to enquiries and keeping every applicant informed throughout the process. We provide structured longlisting and shortlisting support against agreed criteria, giving your board clear advice and a focused selection of candidates.
04
Selection Process Design & Delivery
Supporting your Trust through the selection process at every stage, from designing a fair, multi-stage assessment process to refining interview questions and facilitating the final interview. We work with your board to create a structured approach that identifies the right skills, experience and values, with safeguarding and due diligence checks built into the process.
05
Post-Appointment Transition Support
Providing tailored onboarding and coaching to support a smooth, confident transition into the Trust. We help the successful candidate understand the role, connect with key colleagues and begin with clarity, ensuring the foundations are in place for effective leadership.
Executive and senior leadership roles we recruit
From CEO to Governance & Compliance Director, we support trusts recruiting at the highest levels of leadership — as well as schools and single academy trusts appointing senior leaders, including headteachers.
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Finance Officer
HR Directors
Governance & Compliance Director
Other executive & senor leadership roles
Every stage built on compliance and good governance
Executive recruitment in education carries a different level of scrutiny to recruitment elsewhere. Our process is built to meet that standard from the first conversation.
KCSIE & Safer Recruitment
All services delivered in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and your trust's Safer Recruitment Policy.
GDPR-compliant data handling
Candidate data is managed in line with GDPR throughout the recruitment process.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
A clear commitment to EDI is built into how we advertise, assess and select candidates.
Regular check-ins
We check in with your trust regularly throughout to make sure the process and the fit is right.
A partner who understands Trust Governance, not just Recruitment
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Deep understanding of education leadership and governance
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Personalised support from start to finish
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Transparent and values-led process
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Proven track record of appointing exceptional leaders
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Cost-effective and flexible to your trust's needs
Trusted by trust boards across England
We've supported Multi Academy Trusts of all sizes to secure leaders who deliver sustainable growth, drive improvement and strengthen governance.
Chair Of Trustees — Fosse Multi Academy Trust
Recruiting a new CEO is one of the most important tasks for any board. We needed to complete our recruitment to very tight deadlines, and the S4S team were outstanding in ensuring the process was completed on time, with a strong pool of applicants and a successful outcome.
Chair Of Trustees — Elston Hall Learning Trust
Having partnered with S4S over many years, I can wholeheartedly recommend them for high-quality executive and leadership recruitment. Their knowledge of the complexities in senior leadership roles within Multi Academy Trusts is second to none.
Chief Financial Officer — Fosse Multi Academy Trust
S4S were there every step of the way, supporting me through a process I'd never encountered before. The team were reassuring, friendly and gave real confidence to our decision-making, while always remaining professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our trust has its own online candidate portal — can S4S still support us?
Yes. We can work with your existing portal and simply need to liaise closely with you at application stage to make sure we have access to the right information at the right time.
Will S4S attend interview days to help run the process?
Yes. We make sure enough of our team are on hand to meet and greet candidates, carry out checks, escort candidates to assessment and interview rooms, and keep the day running to schedule.
What kind of input will be needed from the trust?
Your board stays close to the process throughout, with input needed at key touch points such as the recruitment pack, assessment focus areas, shortlisting and interviews. We keep the board informed at every stage, but a nominated contact within the trust helps things run smoothly on issues only the trust can advise or act on.
Can we just purchase elements of the support, rather than the full package?
Yes. Our support is shaped around what you actually need. If you only want help with certain stages, we will tailor those components and work closely with you so everything fits together seamlessly.
How long does a typical executive recruitment process take?
This depends on the scope of the role and the advertising reach required, but most CEO-level campaigns run for around eight weeks from advertisement through to appointment.
Supporting your Leadership beyond the appointment
Ready to start your executive search?
Every trust's leadership needs are different, and so is our pricing — it's shaped around your requirements following an initial scoping conversation. Book a no-obligation consultation with our Executive Recruitment team.