Education Manager

Position Summary

We are seeking a passionate and professional leader to take the farm through the next stage of its development and maintain the high standards that have been set. The Education Manager role requires a broad range of skills and qualities: from an ability to develop positive relationships with children, through to embodying our values and being a passionate advocate for our work. People management is at the core of the job – both of adults and children – and we are looking for an individual who has proven leadership experience. This key position is an exciting and rewarding role, and one that is vital for the continued success of the charity.

The Education Manager is entrusted to lead the delivery team at each farm and ensure that we provide children with the same high outcomes as our other two Jamie’s Farms. These include improved soft skills such as resilience and self-esteem, as measured by our pupil surveys, and improved outcomes at school, as measured by in-school metrics of attendance, behaviour and attainment. We want the experience to be good enough that every school wants to rebook a visit. To achieve this, the Education Manager will need to run a programme that upholds the Jamie’s Farm model and values for 40 week-long residentials each year.

Major responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Leading the team

• ensuring the staff are functioning as a high-performing, cohesive and supportive team, including:
• timetabling and delegation to ensure we run an equitable and efficient staffing model;
• chairing effective and purposeful team meetings;
• organising purposeful ‘Team Weeks’ – in collaboration with the Lead Therapist and DPO – in order that staff receive effective CPD training and remain productive in weeks without visiting children.
• line managing up to six other members of the delivery team, ensuring they thrive at Jamie’s Farm with a rigorous combination of challenge and support:
• fortnightly check-ins with clear notes and actions written up;
• monitoring and upholding HR policies for members of the team.
• significant involvement in the recruitment of future members of staff.
  contributing to the strategic direction of the charity within monthly Managers’ Meetings.

2. Managing and delivering up to 4 visits a month, including:

• high level behaviour management as the most senior member of staff in the team;
• contribution to farm life including daily walks and meal preparation;
• planning and delivering farm based, garden and/or cooking activities with children;
• participation in, and leading of Jamie’s Farm group sessions, including the
  weekly welcome, challenge and celebration meetings;
• leading evening activity sessions;
• being held accountable for the effectiveness of the new site’s programme in fortnightly check-ins with the Director of Programmes and Operations

3. Management of all stakeholders for the Farm, including:

• being ‘the face’ of the farm and meeting important clients and funders;
• high-level relationship management for all partner schools visiting the Farm, in part by co-ordinating a rigorous follow-up programme for all visiting schools;
• ensuring a positive reputation for Jamie’s Farm in the local community;
  high-level co-ordination of up to three local fundraising events annually, including the Open Day;
• ensuring the Farm offers a warm welcome and homely environment to all visitors

Key Performance Indicators:

4. Leading the successful delivery of the Key Performance Indicators for your farm:

• Retention rate of bookings over 90%
• Staff Satisfaction Surveys. Over 95% Visiting Staff Agree that:
• JF Staff are Professional and Skilled
• The programme was beneficial to visiting pupils
• The programme was beneficial to visiting staff
• Impact Data:
• Hitting targets as laid out at start of the academic year
• Data collection:
• 100% Previsit data received from partner schools
• 80% Six Week data
• 60% Six Month data
• Effective financial management (hitting target revenue and costs)
• Staff management:
• Fortnightly check-ins with staff
• Positive PULSE survey results in terms of staff culture

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree (essential);
• PGCE or other professional qualification in relevant sector (desired);
• Experience of managing a staff team (required);
• Minimum five years professional experience in working with vulnerable or challenging children (required);
• Prior experience working in or alongside the state school education system (desired).

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Outstanding and proven leadership qualities;
• Outstanding ability to develop positive relationships with vulnerable children, and to ensure engagement;
• Ability to consistently exemplify the Jamie’s Farm values and behaviours;
• Desire to reflect on practice and to continue learning;
• An ability to work well with all colleagues, both those more senior and those more junior than them;
• An ability to be calm and solution-focussed in pressurised situations;
• Strong analytic and organisational skills;
• Ability to develop strong relationships with diverse individuals, and to influence and motivate others;
• Interest and enthusiasm for living and working in a rural setting;
• Interest in the benefits of education beyond the classroom, especially for vulnerable groups;
• Ability to contribute to the wider vision, strategy and goals of an ambitious, professional and unique charity;
• Sensitivity to racial, cultural and ideological diversity;
• Strong work ethic and ability to share this with children.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary: living off-site £38,000 to £42,000 depending on experience;
• Further benefits include:
  Work mobile phone;
  Laptop computer;
• 31 days Annual Leave excluding Bank Holidays;
• Monthly therapeutic supervision;
• Workplace pension scheme;
• Working in a vibrant, dynamic and growing charity that has a huge impact on the lives of vulnerable children.

To apply:

• Please submit a Covering Letter – setting out your suitability for the role as well as your passion for working for Jamie’s Farm – as well as your CV and the Equal Opportunities Form, to recruitment@jamiesfarm.org.uk by midnight on 26th October, 2018.

Timeline:

• Deadline for applications: 26th October, 2018
• Interview Round One: Week beginning 12th November, 2018
• Interview Round Two: Week beginning 19th November, 2018
• Notification of decision: By 23rd November, 2018

Start date:

FLEXIBLE – we need to ensure that we choose the right candidate. Consequently, we do not want to preclude any applications from people who would not be able to start in a certain timeframe.

Due to the nature of our work with young people, on acceptance of offer all Jamie's Farm employees are subject to an enhanced DBS check in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy.