ESP Search
Your Premier Partner for Leadership Talent in Education
Our extensive knowledge of the education sector ensures we are your ideal partner to find exceptional leadership talent for your organisation. Our expertise in detailed search and candidate assessment ensures we uncover leaders who will drive excellence in your organisation be that a school, MAT, educational group or business.
Our team has years of experience in placing high-calibre candidates and we understand the opportunities and challenges of the roles we place candidates into.
Our Tailored Approach
- Do you need support to define your IT, data and finance leadership positions?
- Do you need expert help to identify and shortlist the best candidates?
Our uniquely focused experience assists in defining role duties and pinpointing exceptional candidates to take forward to interview. Because we are a small team, each with extensive education sector experience, we treat each client as a unique partnership. Being a small team allows us to offer this level of personal service.
Tailored Client Support
ESP can work with your marketing team to produce your own comprehensive and creatively designed candidate pack, ensuring candidates have all the information they need before the interview.
You will receive enticing advertising copy plus any additional documentation a candidate would need to make an informed decision regarding their application. This can include detailed job descriptions, backgrounds on client organisations, how you work, employee benefits and any other information relating to the organisation that will help a potential candidate.
ESP manages all the candidate applications and pre-selection communication. We engage in candidate shortlisting and assessment to ensure you are presented with outstanding candidates for interview.
No two organisations are the same and we personalise our service and delivery based on your client needs.
Deep and Wide Sector Search
The ESP Search service gives you the commitment that a deep and extensive candidate search has taken place. This means we not only search the education sector but also complementary and contrasting sectors to ensure as wide a reach as possible. This enables us to identify the very best candidates.
The team maintains an extensive database of potential candidates who have provided us with their details. This is updated regularly so we can access a professional talent pool that we have carefully created over the years, providing skilled potential applicants.
Our comprehensive candidate search and screening process will deliver you with the best potential candidates for interview.
Diverse Talent Pool and Candidate Management
At ESP, we adhere to diversity and inclusion policies and are proud to present our clients with rich and diverse talent pools. We look for expertise and skill set and our wide search criteria ensure we get the most advanced candidates for you to consider regardless of their background, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other characteristic.
From initial contact, through the application process, interviews and post-placement support, we handle all candidates with the utmost professionalism, sensitivity and confidentiality.
Our client and candidate shortlisting and assessment process is rigorous so that you can relax knowing your leadership search is in good hands.
Our communication management with both successful and unsuccessful candidates is exceptional because we ensure timely and efficient communications with all interested parties.
Post Placement Management
Once we place a candidate into an organisation, we maintain regular communication with them to ensure they are happy and thriving in their new role. We also maintain open communication with the client and this ensures long-term success and the longevity of the partnership.
National and International Clients
We partner with educational institutions both in the UK and internationally and are committed to delivering exceptional leadership talent to meet specific client needs. We have experience placing candidates into key leadership positions within Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
Data and IT leadership roles play an important part in being at the forefront of technology implementation and strategy within leading educational institutions and we handle many senior appointments, often sitting within SLT teams. These can be career-defining positions that allow a candidate to make a significant impact in their role, grow their technical expertise and lead IT strategy development within international organisations.
Will Townsend at ESP is excellent at sourcing candidates in very specialist areas, which we may otherwise not have found. He is open and honest, service oriented and prompt in any correspondence – I recommend Will and ESP wholeheartedly.
Berkhamsted School
Tara Day – HR Manager
Your contractor has been a fantastic support to the IT department over the past weeks and we can highly recommend him for any future contracts you arrange on his behalf.
Friern Barnet school
Business Manager
You have been an amazing help and I can’t thank you enough!
The Coopers’ Company and Coburn School
Sue Hay – Headteacher
Thank you for all of your assistance with this vacancy, it was a positive experience for us and we are grateful for your professional support throughout.
Leathersellers Federation of Schools
Leathersellers Federation of Schools
I have known William for many years. He was my first call when I began looking for a new job and matched me up with a great employer within a few weeks. He stayed in touch throughout the recruitment process and followed up after I began my new job to see how I was settling in. If you work in this area of education and are looking to recruit or move on from your current job this is the place to start.
Mark Blackwood Senior MIS Consultant
Senior MIS Consultant
William is both friendly and professional. Always prepared to listen and advise but never pushy. He found me a job doing what I have always wanted to do. Thank you!
Lesley, MIS and SIMS Consultant
MIS Consultant
Thank you for your help with this, you certainly do have some contacts and always find someone for us.
Sarah Ruiz MIS Services Manager
Cygnet IT services CIC
I am delighted with the service that ESP has provided, in particular Nick Sion, who has worked hard to secure me a position at a brilliant school in London. He has kept in touch with me at all stages of the recruitment process and has been extremely helpful to me.
iSAMS Reporting Manager
Justin, iSAMS Reporting Manager
I was contacted by ESP regarding a potential contract and from the first phone call over a year ago, to our continued communications, they have always been courteous, professional, and informative. Nick who is one of the Senior Consultants was especially helpful when organising my CV, paperwork and interviews before I started. He has also negotiated several extensions to my contract including a pay rise on my latest renewal.
Will, Marysia, Lewis and the whole team have also been very helpful when dealing with any queries I have had and they always go out of their way to ensure that I am paid on time. I would recommend ESP to contractors as they go the extra mile to make sure everything is in place, before and during the time you work for them.
IT Contractor
Mark, IT Contractor
Nick has been amazing and has supported me while I was looking for my next career move. He was always available if I had any questions or queries and went above and beyond when I was going through the hiring process for my new role. Nothing was ever too much trouble and I would not be in the role I am in today without his persistence and expertise.
Candidate Placement
Luke, Candidate
I just wanted to drop you an email to comment on the excellent service I have received from Steve. From the very beginning of the recruitment process, Steve has been professional, helpful and very responsive in communications. I’ve been especially impressed by the updates I have been sent about the progress of the application without me having to chase. It’s a pleasure nowadays to find this sort of service. I have been very happy to deal with ESP.
Job Candidate
Job Candidate
Steve Simms has been fantastic through the whole process, he has made what can be a stressful process into something easy and relaxed. Steve took all my questions and concerns and provided me with honest and quick answers. He was always contactable and made me feel comfortable throughout. I thank Steve and ESP for landing me my dream job.
Successfully placed candidate
Candidate
ESP is my first port of call for any new positions I need to fill or for new positions for myself.
Lee Dowling, IT Manager
Edge Grove School
I would personally recommend Nick and ESP to any employer or job seeker in the education sector.
Daniel James, Group MIS Analyst
Cognita Schools
Will has done me proud whenever I’ve needed him over the years and I have recommended ESP to many friends and colleagues, whether they were hiring or looking to be hired. He clearly puts effort into matching people and roles, rather than just shoe-horning unsuitable people in.
Lee Dowling, IT Manager
Edge Grove School
ESP’s thorough and professional approach to recruitment is a refreshing change compared with other agencies that send unqualified candidates who do not meet requirements. The standard and consistency of candidates is always good and so is the level of communication and understanding of our requirements, which is most welcome.
Mark Nelson, Head of Service Delivery
Gaia Technologies PLC
ESP makes it easy and find the right people fast!
Prad Samtani, Director of IT
Berkhamsted School
Throughout the four years I have worked with ESP, they have provided me with interesting and challenging IT contracts in schools. They are the best.
Cezar Negru
Independent IT Contractor
I have worked for ESP for six years as an independent SIMS consultant. They are very helpful, a pleasure to deal with and they really specialise in SIMS which is great for me.
Rob Lloyd
Independent SIMS Consultant
Nick has an excellent understanding of the independent schools sector as well as the applications used within schools, specifically academic MIS offerings such as SIMS and iSAMS. His cognizance of the schools’ job market is exceptional and I have always found him to be dedicated and hard working.
Daniel James, Group MIS Analyst
Cognita Schools
ESP are excellent at recruiting candidates in very specialist areas, which we would otherwise not have found. Hard working, meticulous and prompt in any correspondence – I recommend them wholeheartedly.
Liz Elam
Principal, Abbey College Manchester
I don’t know how many staff Will has hired for us this year, but they have all been excellent as have Will and his team.
Tom Welch, Managing Director
Turn IT On