Principal Lead for Education, Standards, Innovation, Progress and Achievement

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8RA (Travel may be necessary between Oakfield Secondary Provision sites)

Salary: Leadership 14-19 £71,330 - £80,655 per annum (pro-rata for part-time) (Pay award pending)

Working Hours: 37 Hours per week - (term time)

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 13th May 2026

Interview Date(s): 22nd May 2026

About Us: Oakfield Short Stay School is Leicestershire’s provision for school aged children who have been permanently excluded or are at risk of permanent exclusion from school. We have expanded the age range of Oakfield School and as a result we are recruiting staff. Our Secondary Inclusion Partnership staff who did put provisions in place for secondary aged children and young people who have been excluded from school, or who are at risk of this, have recently joined the team. Therefore, you will be part of a vital team in an exciting period of development, working with us to meet the needs of children and young people between the ages of 11 and 16 who struggle to manage in mainstream and need a different offer of education to secure their successful next steps.

About the Role

Role Overview: This role is to strategically lead the Education design, delivery, improvement of education delivery and to demonstrate impact, lead the strategy to drive improvement and be accountable for demonstrating impact on pupils progress and educational outcomes for pupils who attend the Secondary Satellite provisions. As such, the role would suit a very experienced senior Leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills who can inspire others. Many of our young people present with challenging behaviour and we are looking for someone who can demonstrate: strong empathy, can intrinsically connect with pupils with complex SEMH needs and who can lead staff in delivering an educational offer that enables them to overcome barriers to education and re-engage in their education community with their peers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and Inspire: To be responsible for the quality of education delivered at the Secondary Satellites, including all necessary decision making.

• Support Reintegration: To lead and co-ordinate the curriculum design and delivery provided for secondary age pupils who are excluded or vulnerable and who have special educational needs.

• Accountability: To set high standards of teaching and learning, develop CPD programmes, accountability frameworks, assessment frameworks and monitor pupil progress

• Promote Inclusion: Demonstrate a commitment to inclusion, ensuring all pupils feel valued and supported.

What We Offer:

• Unique Learning Environment: Experience a diverse and dynamic workplace where every day is different.

• Professional Development: Access opportunities for professional growth and bespoke training.

• Supportive Team: Join a highly skilled and supportive team of practitioners.

• Make a Difference: Play a crucial role in transforming the lives of young people.

• Flexibility: Options for part-time or full-time work to suit your lifestyle.

A DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

• Qualified teacher status and NPQH recent and relevant professional development / training, Designated Safeguarding Training
• Significant experience working with pupils with complex needs and enabling pupils to achieve positive outcomes
• SEN legislation and county SEN policy and procedures
• Several years of senior leadership experience in a Secondary setting and/or specialist setting.
• Experience of leading school improvement and can demonstrate a strong track record of delivering whole school impact.
• Experience of leading research informed curriculum practices
• Experience of responding to national changes within the educational landscape through strategic leadership

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Victoria Edwards - Executive Headteacher

Telephone: 07398281015

Email: Victoria.edwards@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

About us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it’s like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process
Our Organisational Values
Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us