Director of Foundation Maths and English in Liverpool

The Director of Foundation Maths and English is a key strategic role, leading the implementation of a research-informed pedagogy across the directorate, that draws from international best practice whilst meeting regional and national priorities. The role will provide expertise in curriculum design and implementation that turns disadvantage to advantage for students, delivering ‘The Liverpool Way’ into every aspect of the curriculum and learning space, removing barriers to engagement and learning through targeted, insight-based interventions and wrap around schemes of support.

The postholder will bring substantial leadership experience in Further Education English and Maths provision, including GCSE and Functional Skills delivery, and will collaborate with key stakeholders, employers, industry and curriculum trailblazers to enhance the knowledge and skills of staff and students and develop the academic studies and higher education curriculum offer. Particularly, this will draw upon Liverpool’s unique economic, cultural and social assets to bolster our curriculum and the student experience.

The Director of Foundation Maths and English will be a supportive member of the Strategic Leadership Team which drives a culture of high performance and aspiration across all areas of the College. The postholder will, from time to time, deputise for the Vice Principal Curriculum Development and Innovation, and directly support SLT colleagues in delivering an outstanding student experience for all students.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the College’s strategic and operational delivery of Foundation Maths and English with due account of the College’s overall strategic plan and the social, economic, and educational context of the Liverpool City Region.
• Provide expert leadership of GCSE, Functional Skills and other programmes of study, with a strong focus on the quality of the student experience.
• Lead and quality assure FE English and Maths provision across the College, ensuring consistently high standards in teaching, learning, achievement, attendance, retention and student progression.
• Lead and develop the College’s pedagogical approach to 16-19 within the directorate, ensuring it is research informed, drawn from international best practice and adapted to different types of learners across the College by age, intended vocation, background or need.
• Ensure the effective planning, development and delivery of a diverse and responsive curriculum which responds to new and emerging industry practice and technologies and effectively meets student, employer and key stakeholder demand.
• Lead the planning, development and growth of courses and delivery models new to the College, including provision specifically developed to meet the needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
• Support and promote the College’s EDI strategy, translating this into strategic and operational actions that strengthen the approach and deliver meaningful accomplishments within the directorate, developing learners and staff as advocates and allies.
• Ensure high expectations for all students. Monitor and intervene to deliver exceptional achievement and progression throughout the learner journey for all students, including the most disadvantaged and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, ensuring the College meets the strategic goal of turning disadvantage to advantage.
• Lead strategies to improve English and Maths outcomes for learners aged 16-19 and adult learners within an FE context, including students who have previously disengaged from education or underachieved in these subjects.
• Lead the development and delivery of innovative and inspirational practice, working with other leaders to secure ground-breaking partnerships and implement new ways of working, including pedagogical best practice and interdisciplinary projects.
• Contribute to the College’s strategic and business planning processes to ensure efficiency and high performance and support the development of 2, 3 and 5 year plans which are informed by industry expectations and an expert understanding of upcoming knowledge and skill requirements across Liverpool City Region priority areas.
• Drive high expectations and high performance to secure the College’s position as ‘best in class’ in both curriculum delivery and support for learners.
• Provide advice and input to the Strategic Leadership Team and College Executive on regional and national strategies and policies related to curriculum design, Maths and English, Teaching, Learning and Assessment, and delivery.
• Develop and support strategic mechanisms that ensure individuals and teams within the directorate are developed and challenged to secure the best possible student experience that leads to a positive ‘next step’ for the learner within the framework of higher education, further education, training, or employment.
• Engage in the clear, timely and robust self-assessment of quality across the directorate, through proactive participation in quality assurance and improvement measures and represent the College in inspections and external audit processes.
• Work closely with all Directors to ensure that the curriculum supports students’ knowledge and skills beyond the academic, technical, or vocational, through the development and effective implementation of a wide range of personal development and progression opportunities linked to building confident and resilient students.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential:

• Proven ability to develop robust and research-informed pedagogical approaches in curriculum that support all learners to succeed and thrive as individuals.
• Substantial experience of leading English and/or Maths provision within a Further Education college setting, including responsibility for GCSE and Functional Skills performance, quality improvement and curriculum development.
• Demonstrable experience of improving FE English and Maths achievement rates, attendance, retention and learner progression across diverse learner groups.
• Proven, consistent delivery of success as the accountable person for improving student outcomes over consecutive years as the leader of a curriculum or cross-college department.
• Relevant qualifications and/or experience.
• Professional or teaching qualification.
• Good understanding of OFSTED, OFS, SAR processes and quality inspection regimes, including successful experience of leading an inspection aspect.
• Robust knowledge of research-informed approaches to addressing disadvantage and supporting learners to succeed.
• Ability to lead use of diagnostic tools and effective strategies in identifying learners’ starting points and needs to support personalised progression over the lifetime of the learner.
• Proven ability to develop and lead on cross-college strategies, establishing credibility with a wide range of colleagues as part of an effective matrix management approach.
• Proven ability to challenge, mentor & coach – a developer of a high-performance culture, intolerant of underperformance and a track record of securing buy-in and support through constructive challenge.
• Ability to engage and influence a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders in order to develop and successfully lead research-informed strategies which meet the needs of different cohorts of learners.
• Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders regarding the development and implementation of specific pedagogical models for Maths and English.
• Resilient and comfortable with ambiguity – ability to operate under pressure in a fast-paced, evolving environment, and to support and inspire others to do the same.
• A positive role model and the ability to be a positive ambassador for the College.
• Innovative, creative – a critical thinker who is able to adopt a growth mindset that supports the College’s aspirations around systems leadership and continuous improvement with regards to the end-to-end student experience.
• Committed to own continuous professional development – focused on the very best in pedagogy, a thorough understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion in action and an openness to critical and constructive feedback.
• Willingness & ability to engage with current technologies and embrace diverse and evolving technologies & pedagogy to ensure a modern and effective student experience.

Desirable

• Proven ability of strategic leadership in the Further Education sector.

Benefits

As a valued member of our College community, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits, dedicated wellbeing support, and meaningful opportunities for professional growth and development.

• Generous holiday allowance: 60 days annual holiday allowance, plus 1 annual wellbeing day.
• Pension Scheme: You'll be part of the Teachers' Pension Scheme, with generous employer contributions of up to 24%—one of the best pension packages in the sector.
• Employee Benefits Platform: Access to the COLC Employee Benefits Platform, a one-stop hub for a wide range of perks designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and everyday savings.
• Health and Wellbeing: Access to the Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – a confidential support service available 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Travel: Interest-free loans to help you buy annual travel passes from Merseytravel and Merseyrail.
• Flexible Working: Flexible working options depending on business need to support our employee's work-life balance.
• Professional Development: A mix of formal and informal professional development opportunities—designed to sharpen your skills, expand your knowledge, and accelerate your career.
• College Benefits: Access to excellent sports and fitness facilities free of charge, discounted hair and beauty treatments, and a staff discount at our Academy Restaurant.