Chief Operating Officer
- Organisation: Forest School
- Location: East London
- Tenure: Full-time
- Closing Date: Thursday 21 May 2026
Forest School is looking to appoint an outstanding Chief Operating Officer. The COO will serve as the Warden's strategic partner, providing the operational leadership and commercial rigour needed to underpin Forest School's continued growth and development.
The COO will serve as the Warden's strategic partner, providing the operational leadership and commercial rigour needed to underpin Forest School's continued growth and development. Day to day, the role oversees the centralised operational services that support the School group, including Finance, IT, Estates, and Operations and Compliance. Beyond business-as-usual delivery, the COO will play an active and influential role in the School's future strategic planning, including supporting any further merger and acquisition activity, ensuring that Forest remains operationally excellent, financially resilient and well positioned for the opportunities ahead.
Why work at Forest?
There are many benefits of working at Forest school as staff are our single most important asset. Key benefits include:
- Generous CPD budget
- Comprehensive Professional Development Review system
- Opportunities to contribute to the wider community via our extensive Outreach Programme
- Free hot lunch (takeaway sandwich lunch also available) and refreshments throughout the day
- 20% fee remission (pro-rata for part time staff) for children attending Forest which is applicable Y3-Y13
- Subsidised membership to the Sylvestrian Leisure Centre
- Membership of the School's Group Life Assurance scheme and Personal Accident Scheme
- Contribution towards private medical insurance fees
- Membership of a pension scheme
Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so early applications are encouraged. Forest School reserves the right to make appointments at any stage.
Please note that if you have previously applied for this position and were not successful, your application will only be reconsidered if there have been significant changes to your qualifications, or skills that align more closely with the person specification.
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. We are an equal opportunities employer.
Safeguarding checks will be undertaken on all successful candidates in accordance with School policy. The safeguarding responsibilities of the post can be found in this job description and person specification.
NB The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Downloads
Forest School is looking to appoint an outstanding Chief Operating Officer. The COO will serve as the Warden's strategic partner, providing the operational leadership and commercial rigour needed to underpin Forest School's continued growth and development.
Description
The COO will serve as the Warden's strategic partner, providing the operational leadership and commercial rigour needed to underpin Forest School's continued growth and development. Day to day, the role oversees the centralised operational services that support the School group, including Finance, IT, Estates, and Operations and Compliance. Beyond business-as-usual delivery, the COO will play an active and influential role in the School's future strategic planning, including supporting any further merger and acquisition activity, ensuring that Forest remains operationally excellent, financially resilient and well positioned for the opportunities ahead.
Why work at Forest?
There are many benefits of working at Forest school as staff are our single most important asset. Key benefits include:
- Generous CPD budget
- Comprehensive Professional Development Review system
- Opportunities to contribute to the wider community via our extensive Outreach Programme
- Free hot lunch (takeaway sandwich lunch also available) and refreshments throughout the day
- 20% fee remission (pro-rata for part time staff) for children attending Forest which is applicable Y3-Y13
- Subsidised membership to the Sylvestrian Leisure Centre
- Membership of the School's Group Life Assurance scheme and Personal Accident Scheme
- Contribution towards private medical insurance fees
- Membership of a pension scheme
Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, so early applications are encouraged. Forest School reserves the right to make appointments at any stage.
Please note that if you have previously applied for this position and were not successful, your application will only be reconsidered if there have been significant changes to your qualifications, or skills that align more closely with the person specification.
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. We are an equal opportunities employer.
Safeguarding checks will be undertaken on all successful candidates in accordance with School policy. The safeguarding responsibilities of the post can be found in this job description and person specification.
NB The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Downloads
