Head of Education

Make a real difference where it matters most. At PeoplePlus, we believe education has the power to transform lives. We are looking for an exceptional Head of Education to lead our education provision at HMYOI Werrington, providing inspirational leadership and ensuring every young person has access to high-quality education, meaningful learning opportunities and the support they need to progress.

This is a significant leadership role for an experienced education professional who can combine strategic vision with strong operational delivery. You will lead a multidisciplinary education team, drive continuous improvement, ensure contractual and regulatory requirements are consistently met, and work collaboratively with the establishment and key stakeholders to deliver excellent outcomes for young people.

As Head of Education, you will have overall responsibility for the effective leadership and management of the education provision at HMYOI Werrington. You will be accountable for the quality, performance and operational delivery of education, ensuring that the provision meets the requirements of the Youth Custody Service, PeoplePlus and the contractual KPIs, while creating a culture where staff are supported to deliver consistently high standards.

You will:

• Provide strong strategic and operational leadership across the education department, setting clear expectations and ensuring accountability at every level.
• Lead, motivate, coach and develop a multidisciplinary team, creating a high-performing and positive culture focused on excellent learner outcomes.
• Take ownership of education contract performance, ensuring delivery against key contractual requirements and KPIs, including learner assessment, Education and Learning Plans, staffing levels, progress, management information and Ofsted performance.
• Lead the continuous improvement of the education provision through effective quality assurance, self-assessment, quality improvement planning and robust action planning.
• Ensure the curriculum is broad, balanced and responsive to the needs of young people, including English and maths, ESOL, personal development, life skills, ICT, careers and wider learning opportunities.
• Ensure education is delivered effectively across the contracted timetable and that learners have appropriate access to meaningful learning opportunities.
• Use data, management information and learner performance information to identify trends, challenge underperformance and drive measurable improvements in participation, progress and outcomes.
• Ensure every learner's individual needs are identified and appropriately supported, including SEND/LDD requirements, Education, Health and Care Plans and barriers to learning.
• Work closely with the SENCo and wider professionals to ensure SEND provision is effective and compliant with the relevant requirements.
• Ensure reading and literacy development are embedded within the education offer and that learner needs are identified through effective assessment.
• Maintain strong and effective relationships with the Governor, prison senior leadership team, YCS, colleagues, external partners and other key stakeholders.
• Ensure education operates effectively within the custodial environment, maintaining a strong focus on safeguarding, security, health and safety, equality, inclusion and learner wellbeing.
• Manage resources and budgets effectively, ensuring the education provision is financially sustainable while maintaining quality and contractual performance.
• Lead recruitment, induction, performance management and professional development, ensuring the department has the right people, skills and capacity to deliver the contract.
• Take a proactive approach to identifying risks, resolving operational challenges and ensuring the education service remains resilient and effective.
• Lead the education response to inspections, audits and external scrutiny, ensuring the department is always inspection-ready.
• Promote a culture of innovation, high expectations and continuous improvement, ensuring the education offer remains relevant to the needs of young people and supports progression into further education, employment and positive futures.

The Werrington opportunity: HMYOI Werrington is a unique environment requiring an education leader who can balance high expectations, strong operational management and a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for young people. The successful candidate will need to be visible, resilient and confident in leading through challenge. You will be expected to build strong relationships across the establishment, challenge where necessary, respond quickly to emerging issues and ensure that education is an integral part of the wider regime and the young person's journey. You will have the opportunity to shape and develop the education service, ensuring that it continues to improve and delivers against both the needs of young people and the expectations of the contract.

What we're looking for: We are looking for an experienced and credible education leader who can demonstrate:

• Significant leadership experience within education, training, learning or a comparable environment.
• A proven track record of leading teams and improving educational outcomes.
• Strong experience of quality assurance, quality improvement and inspection readiness.
• Experience of managing performance against contractual, regulatory or organisational requirements.
• A strong understanding of curriculum planning, delivery and learner progression.
• The ability to analyse data and management information and translate this into clear actions and measurable improvement.
• Experience of leading and developing staff through coaching, performance management and professional development.
• Strong operational and financial management skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the confidence to work with senior leaders and external partners.
• A strong understanding of safeguarding, equality, inclusion and learner wellbeing.
• The resilience and adaptability to lead effectively within a complex and challenging environment.
• A genuine commitment to improving outcomes and opportunities for young people.
• Experience of working within custodial, youth justice, alternative provision or other complex education settings would be advantageous, although we would welcome applications from strong education leaders who can demonstrate transferable experience.

Why join PeoplePlus? At PeoplePlus, our work changes lives every day. You will join an organisation committed to helping people realise their potential, while providing colleagues with the support, autonomy and opportunity to make a genuine difference. If you are an ambitious education leader who wants to use your experience, leadership and passion to make a lasting difference to young people's lives, we would love to hear from you.