Job Description

Directorate: Children and Families

Section: Access & Support for Vulnerable Learners

Location: Civic Centre

Grade: Level 15

Salary: 54,495 - 57,870

Hours: 37 - Full Time

This advert is open to both Internal and External applicants.

To Apply and To Be Considered For The Role

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Lead the school with no walls but limitless ambition!

Education has the power to change lives. For our care experienced children and those with a social worker it is the key to stability, opportunity, and a brighter future. The Virtual School is not a building but a promise; that no child will be left without an advocate for their learning, no matter their circumstances. We are seeking a leader who can turn that promise into reality, ensuring that education becomes the platform from which every child can thrive.

The role is about securing the outcomes that matter most. It is about making sure our children attend school regularly, building habits of learning that lead to long-term success. It is about raising attainment, driving up standards, and supporting and challenging schools to deliver the very best so that care-experienced young people and those with a social worker leave education with the qualifications, skills and confidence to achieve their ambitions. It is about giving our youngest children a strong foundation in the early years, and opening doors to post -16 opportunities- apprenticeships, further and higher education, training and employment for our older learners, in ensuring that transition to adulthood is filled with aspirational choice not limitation. Above all it is about ensuring every one of our Virtual School children achieves their full educational potential by championing their needs, managing funding, and providing oversight of their education across local authorities.

To achieve this, you will work collaboratively with schools, social workers, and carers to create effective educational strategies, monitor progress and attendance, and ensure Personal Education Plans (PEPs) are meaningful and impactful. You will extend this work to promote the education of previously looked after children, including those who are adopted or living under special guardianship or child arrangement orders, ensuring that support is consistent and ambitious for every child.

You will need to be relentless in your belief that education is the route to equity. You will challenge low expectations, celebrate achievement, and hold schools and partners accountable for the progress of children. You will also bring creativity to the way education is delivered, recognising that some children and young people need different pathways, bespoke support, or new ways of learning to succeed. Above all, you will be the voice that insists that our children deserve the same richness of education as any other child - inspiring teachers, high-quality provision, and opportunities that spark that ambition. Here in Stoke-on-Trent, we have created the conditions for this work to flourish. Unlike many LAs, our Virtual School is embedded within a wider leadership team focused on access and inclusion. Reporting to the Head of Services for Access & Support for Vulnerable Learners, you will work alongside other colleagues who lead on attendance, education safeguarding, EHE and alternative provision. This joined up model means you can influence across the education system, helping the Head of Services to shape policies and practices so care-experienced young people and those with a social worker are prioritised at every stage of their journey.

We are looking for a leader with credibility and passion- someone who understands education deeply and knows how to drive improvement. Under the guidance of the Head of Services you will bring the resilience to keep ambitions high when challenges arise and the leadership skills to inspire your team and partners to go further for our children. Experience in a Virtual School, of Senior Leadership in schools, of inclusion-focused education work would be an advantage, but most of all we are seeking someone who believes that education changes lives and can drive those changes.

In return, you will find a council that shares your commitment. Corporate parenting is at the heart of everything we do, and the education of our children is a priority at every level. We will give you the mandate, the support, and the professional development to lead with ambition, innovation, and integrity. Every school day attended, every grade achieved, every pathway opened beyond 16 is more than a statistic - it is a story of possibility. This role exists to make those stories more common. If you are ready to lead with purpose, to use education as the tool that changes futures, and to ensure every child in our care is given the opportunity to succeed then we would love to hear from you.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This position is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the successful applicant will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Please note that if an employee who is currently at risk of redundancy within the organisation applies for this vacancy their application will receive priority. If this happens you will be advised accordingly.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we believe our strength comes from the diversity of our community, and we want our workforce to reflect that. We welcome applications from individuals ofall backgrounds and experiences. We understand that some people, especially those from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply if they don't meet all the listed requirements. If this role interests you and you think you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply. We are proud of what makes each of us unique and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels included, can be themselves, and can succeed together.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 54,495.00-57,870.00 per year

Work Location: In person