Careers at Big Life

Executive Headteacher – Longsight Community Primary

About Big Life Schools

Big Life Schools was founded in 2015, following the successful opening of Longsight Community Primary as our first school. Our first school grew out of the community-led Longsight Children’s Centre. Families were frustrated with the lack of primary school places locally and were having to travel out of area to find schools for their children. Big Life helped them grow their own school, and families have continued to be at the heart of the way our schools have developed.

We opened our second school, Unity Community Primary, in 2015, a two-form primary, adopting the same approach as Longsight, building on established links within the community.

We have recently taken over management of the Manchester Sensory Support, a commissioned service from the Local Authority, supporting children with vision and hearing impairment, working in partnership with all education settings (aged 0 to 19), parents and families to improve access to appropriate education.

As a Trust we work as part of the wider Big Life Group, a social enterprise which works in partnership with communities to build on local strengths, develop resilience and widen opportunities.

Big Life is a values-led group, and Big Life Schools shares those values of being courageous, creative, honest, inspiring, thoughtful and valuing difference.

About Longsight Community Primary

Since opening in 2013, we have continued to work in partnership with our community. We share our building and land with Manchester Children’s Centre, Longsight Nursery, both managed by The Big Life Group, and the Family hub, a service run by Manchester Local Authority.

Our dedicated workforce, and leaders, have supported the positive journey we have been on to date. In 2024 we became a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of excellence, driven by our passionate and skilled leadership team supporting the ongoing development of pupils’ oracy skills.

The basics

Salary

Leadership scale 19 to 23

Start date

September 2026 (secondment opportunity considered)

Responsible to

CEO of MAT and Chair of the Local Governing Committee

Closing date for applications

Monday, 2 March

Interview date

Week commencing 9 March

What you’ll be doing

As Headteacher of Longsight Community Primary, you’ll lead the operational and strategic development of the school, working alongside an experienced senior leadership team. You’ll build on our strong foundations to foster a positive, inclusive learning environment where both staff and pupils can thrive.

You’ll be an inspirational and visible leader across the school and the wider Big Life Schools Trust, driving excellence in teaching, learning and curriculum design. You’ll coach and support colleagues to improve practice and ensure strong progress and attainment for all pupils.

You’ll ensure that the school remains rooted in its local community, listening to families, responding to their needs, and providing a broad, enriching range of opportunities for all learners.

How to apply

For everything you need to know about this role, take a look at our Recruitment Pack. That’s the place where you’ll find the Job Description and Person Specification, as well as a bit more about what it’s like to work at Big Life.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to accept applications after the deadline, and we can’t accept CVs.