Head of Flourishing Programmes

About the Department

The Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership was set up in 2017 with the mission to ‘develop inspirational leaders who are called, connected, committed to deliver the Church of England vision for education’. Since then, it has operated a wide range of leadership development programmes, networks, research, conference and events, and published a range of key leadership resources to equip school leaders at every level to put their vision into practice. Part of this provision has been as a very successful national provider of NPQ programmes. Beginning in 2017 with the delivery of NPQs for Headteachers, our suite of programmes has now expanded to include programmes for Specialist Teachers, Senior Leaders and also Executive Leaders. More recently, a partnership between the Church of England and the Catholic Education Service is also enabling programmes to be delivered more widely as together our school provision represents around 34% of the sector. In 2025, the department will launch three new national programmes: Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Teachers, and Flourishing ECTs (in partnership with UCL). These programmes respond to growing demand for high-quality, values-led professional learning and represent a significant expansion of our work across the education sector.

The role

As Head of Flourishing Programmes, you will lead the strategic and operational delivery and expansion of our growing suite of values-led professional learning programmes: Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Teachers, Flourishing ECTs (in partnership with UCL), and Leaders Like Us. These programmes are designed to support the flourishing of educators at every stage of their journey, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, vocation, and leadership development. You will oversee a dedicated team and work closely with internal colleagues, delivery partners, and national collaborators to ensure these programmes are impactful, inclusive, and sector-leading. This role requires a visionary and relational leader who can manage complexity, inspire excellence, and drive continuous improvement across the programmes.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Quality Assurance
  • Provide strategic oversight of the Flourishing Programmes, including ‘Leaders Like Us’, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and the Church of England Vision for Education.
  • Lead the development and implementation of robust quality assurance processes to ensure excellence in delivery and readiness for external evaluation.
  • Use data, evaluation, and research to drive continuous improvement and innovation across all programmes.
• Team Leadership and People Management
  • Line manage team members, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
  • Support the development of a high-performing team through coaching, mentoring, and clear performance expectations.
  • Champion a values-led leadership culture that reflects the ethos of the National Society for Education and wider Church of England.
• Programme Delivery and Operational Oversight
  • Oversee the full participant journey across all Flourishing Programmes, including recruitment, onboarding, retention, and completion.
  • Ensure effective systems and processes are in place to support delivery, including digital platforms, communications, and participant support.
  • Ensure all contractual elements of the UCL partnership are met in a timely and accurate manner, including KPI reporting and compliance.
  • Ensure Flourishing ECTE programme is ready for UCL monitoring, Ofsted or other external evaluations.
  • Lead on the resolution of complex operational issues, including participant transfers, deferrals, and reasonable adjustments.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Working
  • Work closely with delivery partners, including UCL, and MAT/Diocesan networks, to ensure effective communication, training, and support.
  • Build and sustain relationships with key stakeholders across the education sector, including dioceses, MATs, and other national providers.
  • Drive growth and programme engagement/recruitment across regional areas by developing strong, strategic relationships with schools, trusts, and diocesan networks.
  • Represent the Flourishing Programmes on the national stage as an ambassador for our work, contributing to sector-wide conversations, networks, and events.
  • Work collaboratively with the leadership team and the Partnerships and Engagement Team to strategically strengthen, streamline, and equip our Delivery Partner network - ensuring consistency across programmes, a unified voice and building capacity to drive increasing participant demand.
• Collaborative Leadership
  • Collaborate closely with the Head of Curriculum and Enablement and Head of NPQ Programmes as part of the Professional Learning Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the Head of Professional Learning.
  • Contribute to the development of a holistic and coherent professional learning offer that reflects the organisation’s values and meets the needs of leaders across the system.
  • Ensure alignment and collaboration across all programme areas, supporting shared priorities, resource allocation, and cross-team innovation.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Aptitudes

• Proven ability to lead the design and delivery of high-impact professional development in an educational context.
• Strong leadership and line management skills, with experience of building and sustaining high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills across a range of media (written, verbal, digital).
• Ability to manage complex operational systems and processes with clarity and precision.
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement and partnership working, including with national and regional education partners.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to evaluate, improve and innovate at scale.
• Confident in using data and evaluation to inform decision-making and drive improvement.

Knowledge and Experience

• Successful senior leadership experience in education or a related field, with a deep understanding of professional learning and leadership development across career stages.
• Experience of working with or within national education systems, including collaborative programme delivery and partnership management.
• Strong understanding of quality assurance processes and external evaluation readiness.
• Experience of working collaboratively across teams to deliver a coherent and values-aligned offer.
• Familiarity with the Church of England Vision for Education and its application in leadership development.

Personal Attributes

• Visionary and values-driven leader, able to inspire and align others around a shared purpose.
• Reflective, evidence-informed and committed to continuous learning.
• Collegial and collaborative, with a strong sense of team and shared responsibility.
• Resilient and calm under pressure, with a solutions-focused mindset.
• Committed to equity, inclusion and the flourishing of all participants and colleagues.

Desirable Education

• Postgraduate qualification in Education, Leadership or a related field.

Skills and Experience

• Experience of delivering professional development beyond your own institution or organisation.
• Expertise in blended or online learning design and delivery.
• Experience of representing an organisation or programme on a national stage.
• Lived experience of the Church of England Vision for Education in practice.
• Experience of designing or delivering programmes that support underrepresented groups in education, such as Leaders Like Us.

Circumstances

Whilst this is a remote role, the post-holder will need to travel on occasion. This could be for NSE Team Days, NSE Residential (one overnight stay in the Autumn each year), Professional Learning Team Days, other events such as the National Conference, DP Days etc. It is anticipated that there will be approximately 12 travel days per year, although this will vary. In addition, in this leadership role, you will be involved in Partnerships and Engagement development, promoting the NSE’s Flourishing programmes with current and prospective delivery partners, and undertaking QA as required (number of days TBC each year in conversation with line manager).

About Us

The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder. We Include. You Belong. Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background. Living out our values in all that we do, we:

• Strive for Excellence
• Show Compassion
• Respect others
• Collaborate
• Act with Integrity

We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values.