About the role: Leigh Academies Trust has a rare opportunity for an experienced and suitably qualified Health & Safety Manager to join us in this senior position working across our academies based in Kent and South-East London. The purpose of the position it to ensure processes and guidance are available to Trust academies, so that they have the ability to meet their legal responsibilities to protect students, staff, members of the public and other stakeholders. The position of Health and Safety Manager will work across the estate supporting the Business Director and will contribute to the strategic direction and development of the Trust.

This position is ideal for an experienced H&S Manager looking to join a highly successful multi-academy Trust and be part of a well-established Central Services Business Team. Key responsibilities include the following;

To proactively work with the academy Senior Leadership Teams and Business Team to ensure safety and compliance is met
Support the Business Director in the strategic and operational management of Health and Safety risks across the Trust estate
Lead on the Health and Safety Policy, procedures and monitor compliance
Provide support and guidance to Business and Site Managers to comply with internal and legislative requirements
Meet responsibilities for the delivery of Business Services as defined in the Business Partnership Agreement

Health & Safety experience is essential for this position, and we have scope to support our successful candidate in progressing into the wider remit through professional development. For details of the specific duties please consult the Job Description and Person Specification by clicking here. The base location is at Leigh Academies Trust's Head Office in Strood., Kent. As the position requires travel between sites, our successful candidate will be able to drive and have access to their own vehicle. Mileage can be claimed in accordance with the LAT Expenses Policy.

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of September 2019, our Trust is comprised of 25 geographically organised academies (11 secondaries, 13 primaries and 1 special) educating over 15,000 students, and employing over 2,500 talented staff. We also have three further academies in development phase, due to open between September 2020-2021. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North West Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training providers and a large teaching school.


As part of Leigh Academies Trust you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

We strive to offer a range of benefits that all employees can take advantage of which we regularly review and add to - click here to view what you’d receive as a member of staff with Leigh Academies Trust. You can also view our video below which provides a glimpse of what it's like to work with LAT and why we're proud of what we do.

Diversity at our core: As a Trust we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals we all bring something unique to the role regardless of age, gender, race, beliefs or disabilities which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise.

The academy is committed to safeguarding children and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. Our commitment to safeguarding is underpinned by robust processes and checks which are in place across the Trust.

Do you like the sound of the role but not sure if the education sector is for you? The majority of our Head Office employees have had private sector careers before joining Leigh Academies Trust and have found the following when joining the education world;
"I have thoroughly enjoyed moving from the private sector to a multi-academy trust almost three years ago. The LAT Team work fantastically for the benefit of over 15,000 students and everyone has a unique and varied background. I get great satisfaction knowing the work I do is keeping students safe and providing good quality buildings for staff and students to occupy. There’s more to education than meets the eye.” (Central Business Team Employee)
“We operate like a normal business within Head Office and the best part about it is that all of our hard work and efforts are for the direct benefit of our 15,000+ students, not for our shareholders’ pockets. They say working in education is rewarding and you don’t have to be a teacher to experience that! The relationships you build with colleagues in this sector is like no other and I’ve found them to be the most enduring in my career.” (Central HR Team Employee)
"The key element of my role that I find so rewarding is the impact we all have on students’ lives on a daily basis – my contribution affects the students indirectly but I still get to see how our cost-saving strategies benefit them. I haven’t had the opportunity to work with such passionate, driven and dedicated teams across all levels in a business before joining LAT which is something I now thrive on. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, and our ethos and vision are genuine." (Central Finance Team Employee)