Head of Education & Learning

About the role

Deputy to the Director of Children’s Services, you will lead on all aspects of education and learning, from Early Years to post 16. Committed to excellence in education; opportunity, equality, inclusion, access; improvement and accountability in a complex and changing landscape; the role, at its heart, is about championing the needs and rights of children, young people and their families. You will have particular responsibility for ensuring the rights and needs of the most vulnerable are promoted and achievement and attainment gaps are narrowed.

Devon has a high percentage of maintained schools as well as free schools, academies and independent schools. Ensuring the whole system works for every Devon child, especially for children with additional needs will be your responsibility. You will lead intervention, where appropriate, with maintained schools and where independent providers do not meet required standards.

The current profile of public sector spending will continue. You will need to be creative and effective in ensuring that all the services, for which you are responsible, are financially sustainable.

Ultimately, we will look to you to ensure that our education functions, statutory responsibilities and outcomes for all children, are secure and financially sustainable.

A pivotal role in Children’s Services, you will work with colleagues in social care, early help and commissioning to provide strategic and system leadership to ensure that Devon County Council fully discharges all of its duties and responsibilities for children.

About you

You will have worked successfully in senior leadership roles within school and local authority contexts. Your values and commitment to excellence and inclusive education in everything that you do will be evident and you will have a proven track record of leading improvement to enhance educational outcomes. You will be able to show how you have impacted on outcomes for the most vulnerable and be able to demonstrate how you have ensured effective early help for children and families with additional needs.

Knowing education ‘inside out’, you will have detailed knowledge of the range of educational provision, the formal intervention processes used to hold schools to account and SEND policy and practice.

We’re looking for someone with courage and determination, who will champion the needs and rights of children, hold schools to account, ask the difficult questions, and take and defend the hard decisions when needed.

Managing a complex and substantial budget will not be new to you, and you will have previously facilitated successful strategic and organisational change to deliver outstanding value for money.

Partnership working is essential to the success of this role, at a local, regional and national level, so your ability to communicate, advocate, negotiate and influence, will be evident.

About Us

We are ambitious for our education services, and for every child and young person. We’re committed to delivering on our values, and expect a great deal from you in order to do this. As you will quickly find, in return you will receive huge support, motivated staff and the opportunity to make your mark. We welcome innovation, creativity, new approaches and opportunities, and invite you to bring your fresh approach to the role.

As a place to live and work, Devon is hard to beat. We firmly believe in a healthy work life balance and offer 23 days’ holiday (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 31 days, flexible working and a generous pension. Relocation support will be available to you, if you’ll be moving to Devon to take up the role.

Find out more and apply

For more information about this role, please contact Jo Olsson, Interim Chief Officer for Children’s Services, on 01392 383000.

To apply, please visit www.devonjobs.gov.uk/management-senior-management-head-of-education-learning/53138.job  

Closing date: 25th September (midnight)
First Interview date: 4th October
Final interview date: 18th October