Associate Principal - Students & Welfare | Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College in Leicester

Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College (WQE), the leading sixth form college serving Leicester City and Leicestershire, is entering an exciting new phase of its development and is seeking to appoint an exceptional Associate Principal – Students & Welfare to help shape its future.

WQE serves Leicester, Leicestershire and the surrounding areas as a provider of distinctive, accessible and high-quality sixth form education. It enables future success, supports progression to higher education and encourages the early development of professionals.

As the leading provider of education for 16-19 year olds in Leicester, WQE provides a great, rounded education, changes lives for the better and prepares young people well for access to, and success in, future professional careers. We inspire our students and nurture their ambition, ensuring they leave us as responsible citizens, committed to further learning and prepared for the future.

The College is ambitious in providing a high-quality and accessible sixth form college experience for the benefit of young people in Leicester and Leicestershire, with a particular focus on the 16-19 age group. Our extensive academic and classroom-based vocational curriculum offers a range from Entry Level to Advanced Level/Level 3, including SEND provision, ensuring clear pathways into higher education and professional careers.

About the role: As a key member of the executive team, the Associate Principal – Students & Welfare will play a critical role in shaping the strategic direction, culture and day-to-day effectiveness of Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College. Working closely with the Principal, Corporation and senior colleagues, the postholder will provide visible, values-led leadership to ensure the College delivers outstanding learning experiences and exceptional outcomes for all students.

The role carries shared accountability for setting and delivering the College’s strategic and annual development plans, evaluating and improving the quality of education and services and fostering a culture of high expectations, continuous improvement and professional commitment.

The successful candidate will lead by example, setting ambitious goals for teams and individuals while maintaining a proactive, responsive approach to risk management, student need and organisational resilience. As an ambassador for the College, the Associate Principal will also engage with local, regional and national developments, representing WQE positively across internal and external forums.

Within the specific portfolio of Students & Welfare, the Associate Principal will have strategic oversight of a broad and impactful range of functions that sit at the heart of the student experience. These include:

• Safeguarding and prevent
• Equality, diversity and inclusion
• Student welfare and well-being (including SEND and CLA)
• Attendance, retention, behaviour and discipline
• Pastoral systems
• Progress guidance and intervention
• Tutorial and personal development provision
• Parental and student communications
• Internal progression

The role also encompasses responsibility for security, parent/carer engagement and governance of portfolio areas through the appropriate committees. The postholder will provide line management to a significant and diverse leadership team, including Heads of Studies, the Head of Welfare & Skills and Safeguarding Director, the Professional Tutor (Student Support & Entitlement) and the Equality & Communications Officer and will serve as Co-Chair of the Curriculum & Student Leadership Group.

Above all, this role requires a passionate commitment to safeguarding, equality, student well-being and inclusion, aligned with WQE’s mission and values. It offers a rare opportunity for an experienced senior leader to make a profound difference to students’ lives while helping to steer one of the region’s leading sixth form colleges through its next phase of development.

Who we are looking for: WQE are deeply committed to their social vision to provide a rounded education that prepares students for future careers. It is essential that our next Associate Principal – Students & Welfare shares this passion and brings a robust set of skills, knowledge and expertise to ensure we can continue making a positive impact in our communities.

This role will suit an ambitious, student-centred senior leader who is motivated by making a tangible difference to young people’s lives. You will be an experienced leader with a strong track record in student support, welfare, pastoral or inclusion-focused leadership and the confidence to operate at executive level.

Comfortable balancing strategy with operational delivery, you will have the ability to shape policy, lead complex teams and translate vision into effective practice across a large and diverse college community. Personally, you will be visible, approachable and values-led, with the judgement and resilience required to lead sensitive and high-stakes areas such as safeguarding, well-being, behaviour and equality.

You will be a trusted presence for students, staff and parents alike, able to build strong relationships, challenge constructively and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment. You will bring a deep commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and student well-being, alongside high expectations for attendance, behaviour, engagement and progress.

A collaborative leader by nature, you will work effectively with executive team colleagues, governors and external partners, contributing positively to the wider strategic leadership of the College. Above all, you will share WQE’s ambition and values and will be driven by the opportunity to shape an exceptional student experience and help lead the College confidently through its next phase of development.

Peridot Partners and WQE are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.

To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.

WQE is a large, thriving and vibrant sixth form college providing courses for around 3,800 students overall. We are ambitious and determined to build on our recent success by providing the best possible learning experiences and outcomes for our students, in a welcoming and inclusive learning community.

Our mission in ‘Preparing Young Professionals’ is central to all that we do. WQE enjoys a strong reputation and popularity with students, attracting applications from the city, as well as from across the counties of Leicestershire, Rutland and beyond.

The overwhelming majority of the curriculum offer is at Advanced Level and equivalent courses at Level 3, with the College being a specialist able to offer the widest choice of options available locally.

WQE is committed to being accessible to students from a range of ability backgrounds and supporting progression to enable Level 3 success and higher study.

Staff are rewarded with attractive packages of benefits, including access to local government and teachers’ pension schemes as appropriate to the role. There is a strong sense of community and our staff well-being group also helps us to innovate and add value to the main financial benefits on offer.

Our financial health is strong and we currently have a turnover of over £22m pa. Teaching and support areas are well-resourced and we continue to invest in systems and infrastructure to improve students’ experiences.

WQE is committed to the equality of opportunity, recognising and actively promoting the benefits of a diverse workforce, treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy and maternity or any other irrelevant factor.