Start date: September 2025 or sooner in discussion with the appointed candidate
Salary: Up to £85k – this may be increased for exceptional candidates.
Relocation Allowance available
Brantwood School is a highly regarded independent specialist school in Sheffield offering day placements for 55 children and young people between the ages of 7 and 19 with a variety of complex needs and barriers to learning. This is a fantastic opportunity to join the school as Executive Principal, and to build on its vision and successes by leading and working collaboratively with the School Leaders, Land and Therapy Teams and be part of the wider Ruskin Mill Trust.
Brantwood School has been part of Ruskin Mill Trust since 2011 and is set in a beautiful location over three sites and includes a farm, Eyam. The Eyam site sits above the village of Eyam at Highcliffe, an appropriate name, as it is 1300ft above sea level on the top of Eyam Edge. One of the joys of the Eyam site is the passing of the seasons and the differences that brings. Working and learning outdoors is the only way to connect with this changing environment. There is a wide diversity of ecosystems within this, including woodlands, wetlands and grassland. The school cares for a variety of livestock including sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and hens, all of which are embedded within the unique Brantwood, Ruskin Mill Trust curriculum.
Ruskin Mill Trust has four schools, five 16-19 colleges and three adult provisions. The school and Trust curriculum is based around their method of Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE). Learning takes place through practical craft activities and meaningful outdoor learning.
The curriculum allows pupils to engage in learning about subjects that really interest them. For example, pupils learn blacksmith skills and the associated language. They learn the science behind the craft. Pupils create amazing and high-quality objects through complex processes. Other pupils learn through wool craft or silverwork, for example. Mathematics, English and science are securely embedded in the curriculum. This includes reading. Ofsted 2022
Your personal development will also be a priority, and in addition to your work at the school, you will have a key role to play in the future development of the Trust. There is a well embedded research training culture, our strapline of “practice enhanced research – research enhanced practice” is brought to life at every level within the Trust, as Ruskin Mill staff complete dissertations for our MA in Practical Skills Therapeutic Education, carry out research projects in the context of our various courses in craft, biodynamics, residential care and so on, or carry out independent research projects on other aspects of their practice.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced senior leader to work with the committed and talented team at Brantwood School and to lead its future success. You do not need to have worked with PSTE but must support, embrace, articulate and work with the school and Trust’s objectives, vision, values, purpose and methodology. You will be skilled at combining operational leadership with strategic planning and delivery and have the passion and vision to build a highly aspirational team whose core purpose is to improve the education and lives of the students so that they have the potential to shape their own future.
For a confidential discussion about the role, to arrange a visit or to make an application, please contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership Appointments.
T: 07736 791138 E:
martin.blair@hays.com
Please do not use any online “APPLY” options.
Further details can also be found at
Closing date – 8am, Monday 24th February
Interviews – 5th and 6th March
The school and the Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check