About FCAT

The Fylde Coast Academy Trust (FCAT) is a multi-academy trust established in 2012. We aim to provide first class learning opportunities for all young people across the Fylde Coast and Lancashire. We have 10 academies; primary, secondary and all-through as well as our central services and school improvement teams. Our values of excellence, integrity and resilience guide us to be the best we can be. Pupils are at the heart of what we do and their outcomes and successes are what drive us.

To find out more and apply To apply for this role please visit our website and complete the online application form and equal opportunities form at www.fcat.org.uk/job-vacancies

Closing date and time for applications is: 9.00am Wednesday 16th September 2026

The assessment and interview days will take place on: Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th September 2026 For any questions regarding this vacancy, an informal discussion or to arrange to visit Armfield Academy contact: Mark Harrison, FCAT Chief Executive Officer at mark.harrison@fcat.org.uk

Please take a look at the recruitment pack for more information.

The Fylde Coast Academy Trust is committed to equality of opportunity for all as well as safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners, staff and visitors. All staff are carefully selected using recruitment and selection procedures that comply with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Following shortlisting this may include an online search and following an offer an enhanced DBS clearance.

About Unity Academy Blackpool

Unity Academy Blackpool is a mixed all-through school educating pupils aged 2-16 located in the Warbreck area of Blackpool. We were the first school to join Fylde Coast Academy Trust in 2013.

Our dedicated staff team educates over 800 pupils with the support of their parents/carers and we believe that every child in our community deserves a high-quality education in a safe, nurturing, and ambitious environment. This is a pivotal moment for our school and our trust. With a newly appointed Chief Executive Officer supported by an experienced team, we are entering an exciting era defined by injected energy, fresh ambition, and a unified commitment to the young people and families we serve. Everything we do is driven by a single, powerful motivation: ensuring our children receive the transformative education they deserve, and that our community has a school it can be truly proud of. We exist to ensure that every one of our children grows up with real choice that leads to a happy, successful, positive future. Our children will be proud of where they are from, and equipped to go forward as confident, healthy individuals.

We are clear and transparent about our current context: Unity is in special measures, and turning it around for our pupils is our collective priority. Recent moderation visits have shown progress and appropriate action being taken, but we need to continue to push on. Delivering sustainable change requires a deeply mission-focused headteacher—someone who is inspired by the moral imperative of educational equity and determined to expand the life chances of every child in our care. We are looking for an empathetic, confident leader who will act with clarity and pace to keep aspirations on track, champion our pupils, and unite our school community around a shared vision of success. This is a job to be excited about and a rare opportunity to make a difference where it matters most.

You will lead with the full backing of a supportive, collaborative trust family. We operate as one team—treating each other with professionalism, honesty, and kindness, while supporting and challenging one another to achieve excellence for our children. Our role is to clear the path for you: establishing trust-wide clarity on what excellence looks like, removing operational friction, directing resources directly where it impacts pupils most, and nurturing a culture where staff feel valued, fulfilled, and equipped to succeed.

If you are an accountable, values-driven leader who is ready to build a thriving team, unlock the potential of our pupils, and make a profound, lasting impact on this community, we invite you to join us on this journey.

About FCAT

The Fylde Coast Academy Trust (FCAT) is a multi-academy trust established in 2012. We aim to provide first class learning opportunities for all young people across the Fylde Coast and Lancashire. We have 10 academies; primary, secondary and all-through as well as our central services and school improvement teams. Our values of excellence, integrity and resilience guide us to be the best we can be. Pupils are at the heart of what we do and their outcomes and successes are what drive us.

To find out more and apply To apply for this role please visit our website and complete the online application form and equal opportunities form at www.fcat.org.uk/job-vacancies

Closing date and time for applications is: 9.00am Wednesday 16th September 2026

The assessment and interview days will take place on: Thursday 24th and Friday 25th September 2026 For any questions regarding this vacancy, an informal discussion or to arrange to visit Unity Academy Blackpool contact: Mark Harrison, FCAT Chief Executive Officer at mark.harrison@fcat.org.uk

Please take a look at the recruitment pack for more information.

The Fylde Coast Academy Trust is committed to equality of opportunity for all as well as safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all learners, staff and visitors. All staff are carefully selected using recruitment and selection procedures that comply with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Following shortlisting this may include an online search and following an offer an enhanced DBS clearance.