New Era Dawning as Archway Learning Trust CEO Announces Retirement
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 9 January 2025
After more than two decades of dedicated service, Sian Hampton has announced that she will be retiring from her position as CEO of Archway Learning Trust at the end of August 2025.
One of the East Midlands’ largest Multi Academy Trusts, Archway Learning Trust educates 9,400 pupils across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire.
The announcement signals a significant leadership opportunity for aspirant CEOs to take on one of the most influential, challenging and rewarding positions in education across the heart of the East Midlands Combined County Authority region. The Trust is welcoming applications from across the UK to lead this major regional education organisation.
Sian, who has led Archway Learning Trust with distinction since 2003, is stepping down to focus on her family and pursue new personal opportunities. A nominations committee, comprising of Trustees and key stakeholders, will lead a values-aligned recruitment process to appoint the next CEO. The process will begin this month (Jan).
Under Sian’s leadership, Archway Learning Trust has been transformational, significantly enhancing the educational opportunities and achievements of thousands of young people. Sian has led the Trust from being a single school to a Trust of ten academies, soon to be 11, encompassing both primary and secondary phases and a School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) facility.
The Trust has earned a reputation for excellence in education, particularly in serving some of the most disadvantaged young people in the East Midlands. As a values-driven organisation, the Trust has thrived through its emphasis on inclusion, excellence, and collaboration.
Reflecting on her tenure, Sian shared:
“Leading Archway Learning Trust has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. What I have cherished most is working alongside such dedicated and talented staff, trustees, and partners, to make a real difference to the lives of young people across Nottingham and Derby. Together we’ve built an organisation where values and principles drive everything we do.
“While this decision feels right for me as I enter my fourth decade in teaching and school leadership, leaving behind such an extraordinary community is undoubtedly bittersweet. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am confident the Trust will continue to flourish and go from strength to strength.”
The leadership transition comes at a time when Archway Learning Trust is in a strong position and is continuing to grow. The Trust has planned a robust recruitment process that recognises the dual nature of the CEO role in a large Multi Academy Trust; a role which requires both educational vision and business acumen.
The Trust Board recognises the importance of finding a leader who can successfully navigate the complexities within the education sector in 2025 and beyond and is committed to ensuring a seamless handover to the newly appointed CEO, when they take up their post in September 2025.
The incoming CEO will play a pivotal role in shaping the Trust’s future by sustaining its values, culture, and strategic direction in alignment with its distinctive Christian character. The CEO will foster an inclusive, positive, and courageous culture across the Trust's academies and schools, ensuring the delivery of strategic objectives and operational goals that secure a sustainable future. This includes overseeing a robust investment and growth strategy underpinned by diligent and thorough procedures.
In addition to providing strategic leadership, the CEO will represent the Trust on local, regional, and national platforms, ensuring its ethos and Christian identity are recognised and celebrated. They will cultivate strong, professional relationships with key stakeholders, including the Department for Education, Ofsted, the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, and the wider community.
Malcolm Trobe, Chair of Trustees at Archway Learning Trust, said:
“Sian’s leadership has been transformational, and she leaves the Trust with a legacy of excellence, and an unwavering commitment to its values. This is an extraordinary opportunity for a new leader to build on her achievements, to continue to grow the Trust as they lead it into its next chapter.
“We are looking for someone who can continue to drive the mission of delivering exceptional education while steering the organisation strategically as a thriving business.”
From its roots in 1706, as the first school established to provide education for the poor children of Nottingham , Archway Learning Trust has grown into a multi-million-pound Trust with a business turnover of £72 million in 2024 and an estate value of £186 million. As the Trust looks to the future, its focus remains steadfast on maintaining its values and delivering life-changing education for its students.
Archway Learning Trust is a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) with 10 academies across Nottingham, Derby and Derbyshire. It is Nottingham’s biggest MAT, educating one third of Nottingham’s children.
