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We are seeking an inspirational, ambitious CEO

Danes Educational Trust is seeking an inspirational and ambitious Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation into its next phase of development. Our values place joy, optimism, and wellbeing at the heart of all we do. We are looking for a leader who will embody these commitments, ensuring every pupil flourishes and achieves their potential both within and beyond the classroom.

The successful candidate will be a respected educational leader with experience across both primary and secondary settings, with evidence of success at scale, and a track record of delivering transformational change. Demonstrating a deep understanding of the national educational landscape and the responsibilities of the Accounting Officer role, they will possess the expertise to drive improvement at pace, including turning around underperforming schools. They will excel at empowering high-performing teams within a strong accountability culture that balances ambition with inclusivity, respect, and kindness. They will have experience of managing multiple budgets across settings with different financial demographics.

Our next CEO will bring strong business acumen and strategic insight to pursue growth and innovation while safeguarding our reputation for excellence. Well networked and collaborative, they will forge effective partnerships locally and nationally. As an authentic, credible communicator, they will motivate people, build trust across a diverse stakeholder network, and model a commitment to continuous professional growth.

This unique opportunity offers the chance to lead an inclusive, values-driven Trust dedicated to improving outcomes for all pupils, including the most vulnerable. Supported by an experienced, dedicated team of trustees, governors, and senior leaders, the new CEO will consolidate, develop, and evolve Danes Educational Trust.
 

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Congratulations to all our students receiving their Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 exam results this summer. Posted on: 21/08/2026

Congratulations to all our students receiving their Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 exam results this summer.

We want to congratulate all students across Danes Educational Trust receiving their Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 exam results this summer. These achievements reflect the genuine grit and effort our young people have put into their studies, backed by the dedication of staff, parents, and families each step of the way. Whether hitting a personal best or working through tough obstacles, every student should feel proud of what they’ve accomplished. This cohort of GCSE students spent the end of their primary and beginning of their secondary years facing unprecedented disruption, making their adaptability and final results all the more inspiring. Equally, our Key Stage 5 students have shown fantastic focus and determination to achieve the results they need to take their next big steps. Across all our schools, we’ve seen some excellent individual accomplishments and outcomes that show what being part of a trust is all about. Whether moving into sixth form or further education, or taking their next steps into university, apprenticeships, and employment, we wish every student the very best for their next chapter and look forward to seeing all that they go on to achieve.  
DET Public Speaking Competition 2026 Posted on: 25/06/2026

DET Public Speaking Competition 2026

The third DET public speaking competition, open to all secondary schools in the Trust, was hosted by Onslow St Audrey’s on Wednesday 17 June. Teams from St Clement Danes, Croxley Danes and The John Warner School, travelled to join teams from Onslow St Audrey’s for a highly enjoyable and competitive evening of public speaking as well as a generous tea provided by OSA. Huge thanks goes to our three visiting judges who gave up their time and praised the pupils for the exceptionally high standard of speaking.  Previous judges Ameeta Sabharwal and Rachel Gauke were joined by former St Clement Danes colleague Shand George. In the Junior competition, Amelia C, Sachin V and Anushka M (SCD) were chosen by the judges for the overall junior prize, debating the topic ‘AI will never take over’.  They were praised for their confidence, team work and engagement with the audience.  Sachin also won the individual award for best overall junior proposer for his confident well-paced delivery.  Jonathan W (OSA) won the individual award for best opposer for his passionate and knowledgeable argument on the ethics of war.  Millie F (CDS) won the award for best junior chairperson for her sensitive and good-humoured role chairing the debate ‘Are females better than males?’ In the senior competition, Onslow St Audrey’s team took away the Senior prize for their brilliant discussion of the topic ‘Digital ID: The Uk’s Panacea or Poison?’ which challenged the audience to think deeply about both sides of the argument. Tanvi P impressed everyone with her confident control of the debate and took the prize for best overall senior chairperson, despite being the youngest person in the whole competition -  a Year 7 competing in a team with Year 10s.  The prize for best senior opposer went to Natalia G (TJWS) arguing against the proposal that paper books are better than ebooks - a difficult argument which she presented with authority and conviction.  The final prize, for best senior proposer, went to Malik K (OSA) for one of the most memorable speeches of the night on the topic ‘Is Freedom of Speech Dying?’ - superb content and delivery of an exceptionally high standard.  Congratulations to all of the participants and thanks to Claire Weetman for hosting, as well as all of the teachers involved in preparing their teams.  In adjudicator Ameeta’s words: “The standard of the competition was exceptionally high, and I believe it provided invaluable experience for all participants. It was a delight to listen to their well-prepared and thoroughly researched speeches, and it was evident that a great deal of effort, thought, and commitment had gone into their presentations. The competition created a wonderful platform for participants to develop and showcase their communication skills, and I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the experience” The competition will return next year to be hosted at Croxley Danes in the summer term.    
Strengthening our professional culture: Primary Director Sarah King featured in Schools Week Posted on: 10/06/2026

Strengthening our professional culture: Primary Director Sarah King featured in Schools Week

We are delighted to announce that Sarah King, our Primary Director, has recently authored a compelling piece for Schools Week, the UK’s leading education news publication. In her article, "Why education needs a shared, definitive vocabulary," Sarah explores a strategic challenge that is central to school improvement: the need for a common, precise language across the education sector. At the heart of Sarah’s argument is the belief that professional clarity is the foundation of excellence. Drawing a comparison between high-stakes industries like aviation and the classroom, Sarah argues that just as pilots rely on standardised procedures to ensure safety, teachers require a shared "meta-language" to ensure consistency and effective practice. Within our Trust, we are committed to providing the highest quality education for all our pupils. Sarah’s work highlights that when we move beyond ambiguous terminology, such as varying interpretations of "adaptive practice" or "curriculum delivery", we reduce professional anxiety and allow our teachers to focus their expertise where it matters most: the classroom. Having our leaders contribute to national discourse is a testament to the talent and strategic thinking within our central team. Sarah’s call for a "shared, definitive vocabulary" aligns perfectly with our Trust’s mission to collaborate effectively and drive improvement across all our schools. We congratulate Sarah on this thought-provoking publication and are proud to have her leadership guiding our primary provision. Read Schools Week Article >>
Keep Reading, Keep Rapping! Literacy icons Michael Rosen and MC Grammar shout out to our Trust Posted on: 10/06/2026

Keep Reading, Keep Rapping! Literacy icons Michael Rosen and MC Grammar shout out to our Trust

Our Trust schools have received a massive boost of inspiration following a special video shout-out from two of the UK’s biggest literacy champions: children’s poetry legend Michael Rosen and viral book-rapping sensation MC Grammar! The dynamic duo sent a high-energy message directly to our pupils and staff, urging everyone across our Trust network to "keep reading and keep rapping!" You can view it on our Instagram page here "Turn those pages, drop those beats, and keep finding the magic in words!" MC Grammar & Michael Rosen This special recognition aligns perfectly with our Trust's mission to foster a vibrant, creative reading culture. By making literacy active and engaging, we unlock potential and instill a lifelong love of learning across all our classrooms. A massive thank you to Michael and MC Grammar for the inspiration. To all our pupils across the Trust: keep reading, and keep rapping! To see the energy MC Grammar brings to literacy, you can check out this interview on his mission to bring books to life.