Academic Dean jobs in England

Purpose of the Role:

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Deputy Head of Teaching and Learning provides strategic leadership to ensure outstanding educational provision for young people aged 16–25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The postholder will champion excellence in teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum development, driving a culture of continuous improvement that enables every learner to achieve ambitious outcomes.

Working closely with the:

- Head of Teaching and Learning

- Operations Manager

- Directors

- External Governance Advisory Board

The Deputy Head of Teaching and Learning will lead on curriculum innovation, professional development, qualification delivery and educational compliance.

The role has strategic responsibility for maintaining high standards across all educational programmes, ensuring the college remains inspection-ready, fully compliant with awarding organisations and responsive to the evolving needs of learners, employers and local stakeholders.

The postholder will inspire and develop staff, use evidence-informed practice to raise standards, and contribute significantly to the strategic direction and future growth of the college.

The role is expected to ensure a comprehensive student programme support service, supporting Tutors in assisting students to overcome barriers to learning and access a broad and relevant enriched programme of learning and ongoing opportunities.

As part of the CCi team, the role will expect you to:

• Promote positive support and intervention
• Improve overall standards
• Contribute to college wide improvement processes
• Support the student pathways from application through to leaver/destination stages
• Help every student stay safe and reach their full potential
• Act as a role model for the college's values and culture.
• Promote safeguarding as everyone's responsibility.
• Champion equality, diversity, inclusion and learner wellbeing.
• Build positive relationships with parents, carers, employers, local authorities and external agencies.
• Represent the college professionally throughout all practice.
• Undertake additional strategic responsibilities appropriate to membership of the Senior Management Team.
• Contribute to own appraisal, contractual, and safeguarding responsibilities.

Direct duties will include:

• Contribute to student interview processes, including student/parent interviews, assessments, and relevant professionals meetings.
• Provide ongoing pastoral support to students/families.
• Assist Tutors to support behaviour, wellbeing and attendance interventions.
• Lead restorative meetings and conversations and help resolve student issues.
• Act as a positive role model and trusted point of contact.
• Assist Tutors to identify barriers to learning and support student engagement.
• Monitor EHCP Annual Review paperwork/submissions.
• Monitor destination planning, transition meetings and paperwork/submissions.
• Prepare qualification sampling for EQA including:
• IQA summative briefs
• IQA student work
• Complete relevant IQA/EQA submission paperwork
• Baselining review meetings
• Functional skills exemption
• Assigning/registering qualifications
• Tracking qualification progress
• Setting up IQA quality folders
• Standardisation meetings
• Qualification Centre Compliance monitoring
• Learner Voice
• Student forums 3 x year

Role will include – ‘Data Protection Officer’.

• Lead on digital skills provision (focusing on internet safety and AI)
• Deliver and monitor data protection and cyber security processes, ensuring the provision, staff, and students/families/partnerships are compliant with data protection laws and regulations.
• Adopt best practice.
• Achieve regulatory compliance.

Duties in Partnership with the Head of Teaching and Learning will include:

• Attend and contribute to Tutor conferences
• Attend and contribute to SMT agenda/meetings
• Monitoring and support with Safeguarding
• Contribute to staff surveys and analysis
• Lead LSA meetings
• Supervision and support of Tutors
• Supervision of student programmes
• Tutor observations
• Contribute to annual SAR & QIP
• EGAB (External Governance Advisory Board) reports
• Contribute to quality audit
• Policy reviews
• Curriculum design/overview
• Mentor for 2 x trainee teachers
• Contribute to/attend ‘Tutor-Huddles’ (Tutor meetings)
• Organise annual CPD plan for all staff
• Deliver Tutor CPD sessions

Person Specification:

Essential Qualifications:

- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), PGCE or equivalent teaching qualification.

- Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (or equivalent).

- Level 4 Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) qualification or willingness to obtain.

- Assessor qualification (or willingness to obtain).

- Evidence of continuing professional development.

- Designated Safeguarding Lead training (or willingness to undertake).

- Data Protection Officer training (or willingness to undertake).

Desired Experience

- Successful experience of leadership within Further Education or Specialist SEND

provision.

- Experience of strategic curriculum leadership.

- Experience of leading quality improvement resulting in measurable improvements.

- Experience of staff performance management and coaching.

- Experience of leading lesson observation and quality assurance systems.

- Experience of SAR, QIP and inspection preparation.

- Experience of working with Governors and senior leaders.

- Experience of awarding body compliance

- Experience of analysing educational performance data to inform strategic decision

making.

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to:

- Inspire and motivate others through inclusive leadership.

- Think strategically while maintaining operational excellence.

- Make evidence-based decisions that improve learner outcomes.

- Lead organisational change positively and effectively.

- Build high-performing teams through coaching and empowerment.

- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and innovation.

- Maintain resilience and sound judgement under pressure.

- Communicate effectively with learners, families, staff, Governance and external

partners.

Key Performance Indicators

The Deputy Head of Teaching and Learning will be accountable for:

- Outstanding quality of teaching, learning and assessment.

- Continuous improvement in learner progress, achievement and destinations.

- Successful implementation of the College Teaching and Learning Strategy.

- Positive outcomes from quality audits and external inspections.

- Timely completion and impact of SAR and QIP actions.

- High levels of staff engagement and professional development.

- Awarding organisation compliance and successful EQA outcomes.

- Effective curriculum development aligned to learner needs and strategic priorities.

- Robust learner voice systems demonstrating measurable improvements.

- Full compliance with statutory, regulatory and data protection requirements.

Pay: £45,000.00-£55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Free parking
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person