Job Description

The Trustees of the Brickfields Multi Academy Trust are seeking to appoint an exceptional and inspiring Headteacher for January or April 2027 to lead Lawford Mead Primary School & Nursery in Chelmsford, Essex.

Lawford Mead serves a wonderful community and has very strong relationships with its pupils, families and local community partners. It has good outcomes and a strong teaching and support staff team who are ready for the next phase of the school's journey.

The Brickfields Trust is an established Multi-Academy Trust made up of four primary schools across Rochford and Chelmsford with a core central team. We had a new CEO in January 2026 and are excited about the future. Our central team manage a range of administrative processes on behalf of the schools so that our school leaders can prioritise the day-to-day management of their academy focusing on safeguarding, wellbeing and school improvement.

The Headteacher at Lawford Mead will have a fantastic opportunity to lead the school at an exciting time in the school and trust's development. We are proud that all of our schools have their own unique identity aligned with the values of our trust. The successful applicant will work collaboratively with the Chelmsford Executive Headteacher to ensure every child in our Chelmsford hub receives an excellent education every day. Dependent on the experience and development of the successful candidate, it is envisaged that we will move away from the Executive model in time.

This is a perfect opportunity for a dynamic and talented leader, committed to inclusion and with a proven track record of raising achievement and improving teaching and learning in their school, to work with a great community of children, staff and parents at Lawford Mead Primary School & Nursery. They will also be part of our trust Executive Leadership team comprised of the Heads across all our schools who work closely and supportively together. We value our staff highly and work hard to prioritise workload and wellbeing and understand the need to be flexible.

If you would like to work in a Trust that is committed to providing all children with an excellent education, aims to continually develop and grow, and where teamwork and the professional development of all staff is important, we would love to hear from you.

Our ideal candidate will:

• be able to demonstrate a track record of impact and success
• have a proven ability to lead with a clear sense of direction and inspire and motivate others
• be skilled in developing highly effective teams and driving improvement in a dynamic environment
• be able to communicate their passion to children and colleagues alike
• be creative, imaginative, determined, resourceful and adaptable
• have current senior leadership experience
• put children at the heart of everything they do with a deep knowledge of what effective inclusive practice looks like across all phases
• be able to develop effective partnerships with staff, Trustees, parents and the wider community in order to shape the future direction of Lawford Mead Primary School & Nursery
• be able to positively promote the work of the trust within their school community and beyond

This vacancy is a full- time position with no teaching commitment. There is however, an expectation that the successful candidate can lead by example and has the skills to model high quality teaching and learning and coach others. We would welcome applicants who are either experienced deputy headteachers or who already have headship experience and are looking for a new opportunity in a dynamic and diverse school community. The pay scale reflects this breadth of opportunity - please contact us to discuss any questions you might have about the role, we welcome all enquiries.

We actively welcome visits to the school. Should you have any further questions or wish to arrange a visit, please contact our CEO Salina Ventress at enquiries@brickfields.org

· Closing Date for Applications: Monday 12th October 2026

· Shortlisting: Tuesday 13th October 2026

· Interviews to be held: Tuesday 20th October 2026

To apply a complete application form is required. CVs will not be accepted.

Lawford Mead Primary School & Nursery, as part of The Brickfields Trust MAT, is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A satisfactory enhanced DBS check is a requirement for this post. Shortlisted candidates will be subject to online searches for publicly available information. As an equal opportunity employer, The Brickfields Trust welcomes applications from a range of backgrounds.

Information about the School

The Brickfields Trust is a small multi-academy trust (MAT) in Essex. It comprises of four primary schools across Chelmsford and Rochford.

The four schools are:

• Barling Magna Primary Academy (1FE) • Great Wakering Primary Academy (2FE) • Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery (2FE) • Kings Road Primary School (2FE)

The trust was established in 2017 with Barling Magna and Great Wakering. It later expanded in September 2023, when Lawford Mead and Kings Road joined following the merger with HERA Academy Trust. All schools received Ofsted inspections in 2025 and were judged to be Good.