Head of Education Didcot, England
Job description
We are committed to supporting people to make a deep connection with themselves and their community.
We do this by treating all members of our community with equal compassion and respect and accepting them as they are.
As much as we completely accept people as they are, we refuse to accept any limitation on what they might achieve.
We believe in the restorative benefits of education, work and social justice to support people’s innate resilience to achieve growth and their potential as human beings.
SOFEA is a charity dedicated to helping people to transform their lives, operating in Didcot and Milton Keynes. We run an education, employability and wellbeing programme for young people.
SOFEA is a place with a difference. We enable people to transform their lives. One aspect of this is a therapeutic approach to learning which is designed to enable access to good employment and the ability to lead a happy and healthy life.
We have 2 sites (Didcot and Milton Keynes), we distribute 150 tonnes of waste food a year to charities ( working with the charity Fare Share) we have community larders, education provision and wellbeing teams on both sites. We offer many opportunities for young people and the wider communities.
Please see our website for a better idea of who we are and what we do. Watch the video and listen to our SOFEA sessions podcasts (available on YouTube and Spotify) about SOFEA.
https://www.sofea.uk.com/
About the role
We want to employ an energetic, creative and dynamic individual to lead our well-established education department in Didcot that still has room to grow and change.
This exciting and challenging role is about taking responsibility for leading the Study Programme and the Key Stage 4 programme at SOFEA from our base in Didcot.
There are more than 50 young people (aged 16-25) on the Study Programme each year. It includes English, Maths, work experience and a work skills qualification.
At SOFEA we deliberately use an approach that takes any conflict out of the situation and allows the learning to come to the learner when they are ready. We are flexible and empathic in our approach. Study Programme learners usually spend two years completing their programme and this is typically a journey of discovery and change. If you like a challenge and love to see amazing and sometime unexpected progress, then this is the job for you.
The Key Stage 4 programme works with young people (aged 14-16) who struggle in schools and are educated at SOFEA for two or three days a week. Our Key Stage 4 learners benefit from a therapeutic input which gives them time and space to work out what they want from their education. This flexible and bespoke programme has given some great results to date but is in need of a thorough transformation. Key Stage 4 learners often progress onto our Study Programme.
A large number of our learners are EHCP learners – we were recently described as “Outstanding” during Activate Learning’s recent OFSTED Inspection. Our EHCP learners really benefit from our relaxed, secure and safe environment and are well supported. This role also involves improving further and building upon the EHCP learner experience at SOFEA.
We have recently undergone a complete refurbishment and have an amazing space which is crying out for more creative and dynamic projects and activities to support and enrich the education programme. Could you be the person to do this?
Tasks and Responsibilities
The Head of Education is a member of the Heads of Departments team and has the overall responsibility for:
- Leading the education team of teachers, behavioural change specialists, education mentors and support staff.
- Managing and growing our contract with Activate Learning (Study Programme).
- Managing the EHCPs of High Needs learners.
- Leading the assessment and verification process.
- Providing Supervision for the team.
- Performance Management of the team.
- Managing the strategy and budget for the education team.
- Working closely with the Therapeutic and Employability teams.
- Working closely with the Purpose Project teams on work experience (Kitchen, Warehouse, GOO and the Community Larders).
- Transforming the Key Stage 4 (KS 4) Programme.
- Managing the recruitment of learners.
- Managing the IAG and progression of learners.
- Creating new projects in the education department.
New Challenges
- Develop an Adult Education Programme.
- Transform the KS 4 Programme.
- Engage/Support learners with the Pre-Apprenticeship Programme.
- Develop our education mentor programme.
Skills and Experience
You will have:
- QTS
- Significant teaching experience.
- Experience of working with High Needs learners.
- Digital skills that go beyond using word and excel.
- Budgeting and finance experience or a willingness to learn.
- Knowledge of curriculum development or willingness to learn.
- A clear understanding of and commitment to Safeguarding.
- Vision.
Personal Qualities and Attributes
- Good communication skills – in this job that means an ability to communicate in various situations with many different and challenging people, confident, firm where needed, clear and direct.
- Good organisational skills – A juggler, this role is multi-faceted, juggling is necessary! A dynamic leader will manage these challenges successfully.
- Creative People management – a number of our learners and staff have learning disabilities, personal challenges, autism and barriers to learning /employment. An ability to boost and sustain morale during difficult times is essential. Developing inexperienced staff also comes under this heading. Many of our staff come from our education programme and this is their first job.
- Good listening skills – many of our young people don’t have anyone to listen to them, they need time, attention, and focus. And the staff. An empathetic approach is key.
- Fun
- Brave
- Patient
- Able to ask for help and support.
Please note: SOFEA is committed to Safeguarding our workforce. As such we follow a Safer Recruitment procedure, which means that successful applicants will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check, will undertake Safeguarding and Prevent training and that referees will be asked whether there is any reason why they should not work with children, young people, or vulnerable adults.
All job roles must be defined and delivered within the spirit of SOFEA Values.
SOFEA is an equal opportunities employer, and we are committed to improving the diversity of our workforce. We encourage candidates from all minority groups and will consider your application regardless of age, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, marital status, pregnancy, or socio-economic background. We are committed to following safer recruitment practices.
How to apply
To apply for this role, please complete and return an application form https://www.sofea.uk.com/vacancies. This is a requirement of our safer recruitment process, and all shortlisting will include applicants that have returned completed forms. Please note, we do not accept CV's.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Flexitime
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Schedule:
- Flexitime
Application question(s):
- Please confirm you understand that CV's will not be accepted and that an application form from our website must be completed and returned as part of our Safer Recruitment process
Work Location: One location
Application deadline: 28/04/2023
