Warning This job advert has expired and applications have closed.

Senior Education Adviser - Leadership and Governance

Posting date:	08 August 2024
Salary:	£69,586 to £73,173 per year
Additional salary information:	LGPS, flexible working
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	22 August 2024
Location:	Chichester, Worthing, Bognor, Horsham, West Sussex, PO19 1RQ
Company:	West Sussex County Council
Job type:	Contract
Job reference:	CAFHE05314_1723114227

Summary

The Opportunity

Grade: Soulbury AI 23 - 26 £69,586 to £73,173 per annum

Working Pattern: 37 hours per week, full time, Mon to Friday
Contract Length: Fixed Term/Secondment until 31 March 2025
Location: County wide with a base at one of the four main county locations (Chichester, Worthing, Bognor, Horsham)

Please note: Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you discuss and agree this with your manager before applying.

Closing Date: 22 August 2024

Interview Date: 03 September 2024

Do you have experience working in or with schools and educational settings?

Do you have knowledge of school improvement, leadership and governance?

Are you passionate about motivating staff and partners towards a shared vision?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

We have an exciting opportunity to join us as a Senior Education Adviser for Leadership and Governance within the Standards and Effectiveness Service.

As a Senior Education Adviser, you will provide strategic oversight and development of leadership and governance capacity in schools and settings , working closely with the team of Senior Education Advisers and using research and good practice in supporting the development pathways for leadership.

This role will require you to work with strategic partners to support leadership development at all levels and you will be responsible for leading and managing the network of briefings and communications for headteachers and governors.

There is line management responsibility for the Governor Services team and for enabling an effective programme of recruitment, training, and communication to ensure that the County's schools have strong governance and networks of governor support.

You will provide strategic oversight of education provision within one of the County Council's Districts and Boroughs.

Key responsibilities of this role include:

• Being a key member of the Standards and Effectiveness senior leadership team alongside other Senior Education Advisers.
• Responsibility for ensuring effective communication
• Improving standards and achievement for all pupils in West Sussex.
• Improving the quality of provision and safeguarding practice in schools and early years providers.
• Securing effective communication and engagement with school leaders and governors.
• Engaging with strategic partners
• Responsibility for management of Advisers.
• Responsibility for commissioned resource in leadership and governance development, or support activity, or their training briefing.
• Responsibility for quality assurance to ensure rigour and credibility in the local authority's processes.
• Developing and monitoring business cases for any resources required to fulfil your brief.

You will be accountable to the Head of Standards and Effectiveness for the quality and sustainability of effective leadership and governance in settings, schools and alternative provision.

About You

Key Skills:

1. Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate and establish credibility with Members, headteachers, governors and other leaders in educational settings
2. Highly organised, including effective use of IT, and able to support the organisation of work by others.
3. Ability to engage others in problem-solving, and to find and implement creative and innovative solutions to complex problems.
4. Ability to inspire and provide vision, direction and support to individuals and teams promoting a 'can do' attitude and an environment of creativity and innovation. Ability to work flexibly and to lead change where it is needed to achieve better outcomes for children and young people.
5. Strong team-building skills, supporting working partnerships with others to deliver joined up services.
6. Proven commercial skills and strong business acumen.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• First degree and teaching qualification.
• Further degree or management qualification such as MBA/NPQH, or the equivalent
• experience and expertise.
• Up-to-date knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation pertaining to Education and
• the local authority's role in monitoring and intervention.
• Excellent understanding of data pertaining to pupil and student attainment across all phases of education.
• Secure knowledge of curriculum and assessment, data analysis and of Ofsted EIF and its implementation including current Ofsted inspection frameworks and methodology.
• Good knowledge and understanding of commercial and trading principles and how to maximise income through the provision of services to schools.
• Successful management experience in one or more Local Authorities or similar agencies, including managing budgets and deploying resources.
• Experience of contributing to support programmes for educational settings (their headteachers, governors, parents), including those facing challenging circumstances.
• Sufficient experience to provide specialist and credible leadership advice in either Early Years, Primary, Secondary or SEND provision.
• Successful experience as an HMI/Ofsted Inspector or equivalent.
• Experience of leading professional development, and the development of commercial models for delivery.
• Successful experience as a link Advisor, Headteacher and/or School Improvement Partner.
• Experience of leadership in schools or other similar settings.
• Experience in developing and implementing monitoring processes to secure improved outcomes.
• Successful experience in report writing.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Evidence of contributing to national/regional/local initiatives
• An interest in and commitment to keeping up to date with national and international research relevant to learning improvement

Benefits

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05314.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Natalie Greene, Resourcing Specialist, at

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter.

In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing and an occupational health check.

Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.