Head of School – Building Services, Health and Social Care and Art in Harrow

Head of School – Building Services, Health and Social Care and Art

Harrow

Full time and Permanent

£65,000 per annum

Reporting to the Assistant Principal – Student Aspiration and Projects, as Head of School you will provide strong leadership to curriculum teams for Building Services, Health & Social Care and Art, ensuring the delivery of high-quality education that meets the needs of learners, employers and the wider community. You will play a pivotal role in raising standards, developing staff and driving continuous improvement across your School.

You will lead and inspire a team of curriculum and support staff across both full-time and part-time programmes, driving excellence in teaching, learning, and assessment. You will also be responsible for curriculum planning, development and quality assurance, including managing qualification changes and aligning programmes with local skills priorities.

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic FE leader with proven management experience who can demonstrate:

• Minimum Level 3 qualified in a subject specialism, with a full Level 5 teaching qualification recognised by the FE sector
• Experience of Building Services curriculum (e.g. Plumbing, Electrical Installation, Construction and the Built Environment, Multi Skills)
• Experience of providing inspirational leadership and management resulting in enhanced teaching, learning and assessment practices and growth
• Experience of developing innovative approaches and curriculum management within further education
• Successful experience of leading and managing a team, including experience of coaching and developing staff
• Knowledge and experience of quality improvement processes

You will be joining a supportive, inclusive and forward-thinking organisation, with many opportunities for professional development and growth. We offer the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, comprehensive wellbeing hub, a wide range of employee benefits and free car parking on all our sites.

Purpose of the Job

The main purpose of the job is to maximise student recruitment, retention and achievement. Heads of School line manage members of staff organised in curriculum teams who design, deliver and develop a portfolio of courses within a subject and/or vocational area. In this School there are three main curriculum teams: Building Services, Health and Social Care/Early Years and Art.

Building Services represents approximately 60% of the School's curriculum offer, so experience in developing and leading provision in this area is essential. This includes managing a range of technical and vocational courses that require specialist industry-standard facilities and the recruitment, development and retention of highly skilled technical and teaching staff. Curriculum teams also support students through disciplined academic and pastoral support processes.

Heads of School are also responsible for developing and maintaining links with employers in their sector to support work-related learning and ensure learners are well prepared to progress into positive destinations. This correlates with an expectation of maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of local skills gaps and ensuring curriculum design is closely aligned to employer and industry need. Each School has a commercial portfolio within its curriculum area and agrees and delivers targets for income-generating activities, including commercial short courses.

Qualifications

• Qualified to minimum Level 3 in a vocational subject
• A full (minimum Level 5) teaching qualification recognised by the Further Education sector (PGCE for FE or Secondary, DET, Cert Ed or equivalent)**

Knowledge and Experience:

• Proven experience of delivering high-quality teaching and learning in Further Education, with a track record of achieving strong learner outcomes and student success
• Experience of implementing strategies to improve attendance and retention
• Experience of building strategic partnerships with employers to identify skills needs and create enhanced learner experiences, including work placements
• Up to date knowledge of curriculum developments and recent initiatives in the relevant subject area(s)
• Specialist knowledge and experience of Building Services curriculum area (e.g. Plumbing, Electrical Installation, Construction, Multi Skills)
• Substantial experience of leading curriculum areas with high student volumes and varied programme types, achieving sustained success rates significantly above national benchmarks
• Knowledge and experience of quality improvement processes
• Understanding and practical application of inclusive learning strategies and a proven commitment to equality and diversity
• Successful experience of leading and managing a team, with a proven ability to coach, develop and motivate others
• Successful experience of curriculum management
• Understanding of the education market, including regional and community influences

We are dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment. You will have a safeguarding responsibility if appointed.

The successful candidate will be subject to enhanced clearance through the Disclosure and Barring Service and employment will be subject to references.

This post is not exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.