Director of Learning Support

The Sheffield College is a thriving further and higher education community, empowering around 13,000 learners each year to achieve their goals. Driven by our mission to transform lives through learning, we foster an inclusive environment - recognised through our 2026 Investors in Diversity Gold award and 3rd-place ranking in the National Centre for Diversity’s 2025 Top 100 Most Inclusive UK Employers.

We have high aspirations and standards for ourselves and our learners, and this role will be a key one in supporting the college’s mission to be consistently great and ensure our students get the qualifications and skills they need to go further in employment, careers, apprenticeships, further training, and university level courses. This role will specifically support our ambitions to be a great place to learn.

Responsible for ensuring excellent teaching, learning and assessment cross-college, and engendering the positive use of technology across the curriculum.

Key Objectives

• Continuing to improve the quality of the student experience and student outcomes so that High Needs provision meets the expected standard, as defined by Ofsted, with an ambition to exceed this.
• Ensuring implementation of modern and effective cross-college learning support, including specialist support, that meets or exceeds legislative and reform requirements.
• Oversee the development of effective systems and processes for initial assessment, assessment of need and the implementation of learning support.
• Leading the achievement of KPIs, including budgetary, as set and reviewed during the college’s annual Business Planning and Performance review processes.
• Ensuring that funding for learning support is appropriately maximized and used efficiently.
• Oversee the Heads of Learning Support to provide a high-quality student experience which meets compliance audit and funding requirements.

Main Responsibilities

• Providing strategic leadership to ensure a high-quality student experience, which results in outstanding achievement, progression, and employability outcomes for all students and apprentices with learning support needs including those with High Needs.
• Providing strategic leadership for the further development of the college’s approach to learning support, including specialist support, ensuring that relevant policies, procedures and processes are effective and embedded.
• Leading and developing the implementation of strategic and operational plans that drive and develop inclusive teaching and learning practice across the college using adaptive teaching strategies.
• Supporting learning support and curriculum teams to ensure that the delivery of all learning support improves student and apprentice outcomes and maximises funding, whilst meeting our obligations to the Local Authority, funding bodies and auditors.
• Managing strategic risk, regarding the provision of learning support and EHCP reviews, ensuring statutory requirements are met.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of developments within SEND, acting to develop best practice and provide professional advice and ensure the College complies with relevant legislation and legal duties.
• Leading on strategic partnership working, including the development and maintenance of effective relationships with employers, sector bodies (including funding agencies), schools and the local community.
• Supporting the Vice Principal to work collaboratively with the Local Authority and other strategic partners to secure and maximise appropriate funding for High Needs students and to ensure strong external partnership relationships exist.
• Leading the strategic direction of the annual business planning for the department and supporting the Academy teams with their business planning and performance review to ensure the efficient use of resources and that recruitment, financial and quality performance targets are achieved.
• Acting as budget holder for the department, delivering value for money.
• Ensuring that safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented and adhered to across learning support.
• Leading on relevant data analysis to bring about improvements.
• Providing regular management information to relevant parties and providing reports to the Executive Leadership team.
• Providing dynamic, visible, and effective leadership and direction, ensuring that a solution focused, and supportive culture of continuing professional development inspires, enables, empowers and motivates staff to achieve high standards of performance.
• Supporting the development of the college brand.
• Recognising, developing, and working with Marketing to effectively promote new opportunities, which support the strategic plan and maximise the college brand potential.
• Ensuring that environmental sustainability is a key consideration in the areas of responsibility working towards the College’s environmental strategy and net zero ambition.
• Deputising for the Vice Principal Student Experience when required, representing the college at events.
• Being an active member of the College’s Senior Leadership Team, you will work collaboratively with other members of that team and the wider Senior Leadership Team to deliver The Sheffield College’s strategy and objectives.

If you want to find out more about the role please contact James Smythe, Vice Principal Student Experience, James.Smythe@sheffcol.ac.uk.

What we can offer you

• Salary of between £61,591 - £71,401 per annum based upon a combination of the skills, knowledge and experience that you can bring to the role.
• Pension benefits through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Annual leave - 42 Days (310.8 hours) + 8 Bank Holidays (59.2 hours) - this includes discretionary Christmas closure period.
• Health and wellbeing support through Employee assistance programme and Occupational Health.
• Free eye tests for VDU users.
• Free parking available at the majority of our campuses.
• Hybrid and flexible working opportunities.
• Continuous professional development opportunities.
• A people-focused working culture where you can grow and thrive.

We are a Disability Confident employer and are committed to removing barriers for applicants with a disability during our recruitment process, upon appointment and as an employee. Please review our Recruitment Guidelines for Disabled Candidates for further information.

As part of our commitment through the Armed Forces Covenant, we’re pledged to support the Armed Forces Community.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students. Successful applicants will be required to have an enhanced DBS check and will be subject to safer recruiting procedures.

Next Steps

To apply: Click apply online and follow the links to complete the online application. For queries regarding the application process, please contact the Recruitment Team at jobs@sheffcol.ac.uk. CVs are currently not accepted.

As a Leader in Diversity employer, we encourage applications from everyone and value diversity in our workforce. Closing date: 29th of June 2026.