A Norfolk-based academy trust is on the hunt for an executive headteacher to lead two of its coastal schools.

The new head will be in charge of St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School in Lowestoft and St Mary and St Peter Catholic Primary School in Gorleston.

It has been prompted by the impending departure of both schools' current headteachers at the end of the autumn term, with the new executive headteacher required to start as close to January 2019 as possible.

Both schools are founding members of the St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs other schools including Notre Dame High in Norwich.

The trust's chief executive Brian Conway said similarities between the schools, including their size of around 200 pupils and their coastal locations, as well as a good existing working relationship, lent them well to a shared executive headteacher – a post it has created and successfully implemented for other academy pairs in its portfolio.

'We have an executive head operating at two schools in Beccles and Bungay and one working across two schools in Norwich and it works really well,' he said.

'Both the governing bodies decided this was something they wanted to do. There are similar challenges in Gorleston and Lowestoft so the schools work quite well together at the moment and we think that provides even more opportunities.'

Mr Conway said that while the advertised annual salary of £63,806 to £73,903 was high, it would be cheaper for the trust than hiring two new headteachers.

He said: 'Executive headteachers tend to be more experienced, tend to work across schools with similar policies and procedures, and in some cases bring the school pupils together for better opportunities.

'You are looking for someone with previous headteacher experience. It is a field that would pull people from different parts of the country.

'We are looking for someone with experience and who will be seen by the parents and pupils as an excellent leader.'

Mr Conway added that if the search for an executive headteacher was not successful the schools would advertise for individual headteachers.

Applications close this week.