Independent Chair of the Education Partnership Board

Leading as One System - For Every Child in BCP

There are moments when a local education system reaches a turning point. BCP is at one of those moments.

We are seeking an exceptional independent leader to chair the newly established BCP Education Partnership Board - a bold, ambitious partnership bringing together schools, trusts, colleges, local authority leaders and wider stakeholders to shape a more connected, inclusive and high-performing education system for every child and young person across our conurbation.

This is an opportunity to help build a genuinely collaborative education system across one of the South Coast’s most diverse and dynamic communities.
  
About BCP
Stretching from the stunning Jurassic coastline to the edge of the New Forest, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is home to 98 schools, a college, three universities, and an increasingly diverse population of children and young people.

BCP is already a high-performing authority in many respects, with strong outcomes across KS2 and Progress 8. But like many areas nationally, we face increasingly complex challenges including rising levels of need, SEND reform, inclusion, falling pupil rolls, recruitment pressures, and stark pockets of disadvantage hidden within an otherwise affluent coastal area.

Our education landscape is rich, varied and ambitious - but also fragmented. We now want to move beyond institutional silos towards a more connected, system-led approach where collective responsibility comes first. The Education Partnership Board has been created to make that happen.

The Opportunity
The BCP Education Partnership Board will act as a Self-Improving Education Board - bringing together leaders from across primary, secondary, special, academy, maintained, post-16, local authority, governance, as well as parent and regional partnerships.

As Independent Chair, you will help unite these voices around a shared moral purpose: To own and drive the conurbation’s education agenda for the benefit of all children and young people across BCP.

You will:

• provide visible, credible and impartial leadership;
• build trust across a complex system;
• help establish strong governance and accountability;
• facilitate ambitious but constructive challenge;
• and create the conditions for long-term collaboration and sustainable improvement.

Most importantly, you will help ensure that the system works not for individual institutions - but for all children and young people.

What We’re Looking For
We are looking for someone with the credibility, experience and emotional intelligence to lead across complexity. What matters most is your ability to: bring people together, navigate complexity with diplomacy and clarity, and inspire collective action around a shared vision.

We are particularly interested in leaders who understand the evolving national education landscape, have experience of system-wide reform and partnership leadership, are passionate about inclusion and improving outcomes for disadvantaged children, and can operate with independence, objectivity and integrity, as well as have the gravitas to convene senior leaders across diverse organisations.

Experience of SEND reform, governance, place planning, inclusion, or wider public sector transformation would be highly valuable.

Why This Role Matters
This role comes at a pivotal time. BCP has made significant progress in stabilising and strengthening its local system. There is now genuine momentum, optimism, and appetite for collective leadership.

The successful candidate will have the rare opportunity to:

• shape a new system architecture from the ground up;
• influence strategic priorities across an entire locality;
• help redefine inclusion and belonging across BCP;
• and leave a lasting legacy for children, families and communities.

This is a role for someone who believes education systems work best when they work together.

Time Commitment & Location

• Approximately 12-18 days per year
• Board meetings will take place half-termly
• Additional stakeholder engagement and preparation meetings will be required
• The role is offered on a consultancy basis
• A competitive daily rate is available
• The successful candidate will need to travel regularly to Bournemouth for in-person meetings and relationship-building activity

Be part of something bigger

This is your chance to help build a more inclusive, collaborative and ambitious education system - one capable of transforming life chances for every child and young person across BCP. If that excites you, we would love to hear from you.  

To find out more and apply, visit www.futurebcp.com or for a confidential chat, please contact Zarvesha Rasool (07551 392696) or Anita Denton (07725 554802).

Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 28th June 2026

To apply:
To apply, please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV (three sides of A4 maximum), along with a supporting statement (three sides of A4 maximum) detailing your experience, and achievements and addressing the key criteria for the role set out on this site and using examples to demonstrate how you meet the requirements. Documents should be uploaded via our website, please include and upload the below information in two documents only. If you experience any issues whilst applying, please contact abbie.hamilton-grant@tile-hill.co.uk

Applications should include:

• Full contact details;
• Names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees (we will ask your permission before contacting referees);
• Details of your notice period
• Notification of any dates when you are not available for an interview

At Tile Hill, we are committed to inclusion and accessibility. We champion and support all individuals to ensure everyone feels valued, listened to and motivated to get the very best out of each recruitment process and that processes are designed to meet the needs of individuals. If you have any specific requests and would like a confidential discussion with the Tile Hill team, then please email inclusion@tile-hill.co.uk