Education jobs in Devon

NXG is an established independent provider of NHS-commissioned and local-authority-commissioned services for children, young people, and communities across the East of England and beyond . Our education-facing portfolio spans SEND outreach in schools, alternative provision and EOTAS, wellbeing programmes in schools and colleges, SEMH support, and education delivery in secure and justice settings. We are appointing an Education NED to strengthen Board-level education leadership as the organisation scales.

Primary Purpose

To provide independent education-sector leadership, constructive challenge, and assurance to the Board on the quality, compliance, and safeguarding of all education-facing delivery. The Education NED will hold executive delivery to account on educational standards and learner outcomes, ensure inspection and commissioner readiness across settings, and act as the Board’s senior education voice across current delivery and future service development.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Board Governance: Serve as an active member of the Board; provide education-sector insight into strategy, risk appetite, service development, and bid/no-bid decisions on education-led opportunities; contribute to the Quality & Governance Committee alongside the Clinical NED.
• Education Quality, Compliance & Accountability: Oversee educational quality assurance and inspection readiness (Ofsted framework fluency, self-assessment, and improvement planning); provide assurance on safeguarding in education settings (KCSIE, Working Together), SEND Code of Practice and EHCP outcome delivery, and funding-body compliance; lead or commission periodic quality reviews and audits across education service lines, reporting findings and required actions to the Board with clear accountability; ensure concerns raised by delivery staff are heard and acted upon through robust governance routes.
• Workforce Support & CPD: Deliver and shape CPD for education and delivery staff, including trauma-informed and inclusion practice; mentor senior education leads; support recruitment, appraisal, and development of the education workforce.

Person Specification

• Substantial senior leadership in education — e.g. Headteacher, Principal, CEO of a school, college, alternative provision or SEND setting, MAT or provider-group executive — with board or governance-level accountability.
• Working knowledge of the Ofsted inspection framework at leadership level; experience as a serving or former Ofsted inspector, or as nominee through inspection, strongly preferred.
• Deep fluency in SEND and inclusion: the SEND Code of Practice, EHCP processes and outcomes, alternative provision commissioning, and trauma-informed approaches for vulnerable learners including care-experienced young people, those at risk of NEET, and those in contact with youth justice.
• Safeguarding leadership in education settings (KCSIE; DSL-level experience or national safeguarding policy involvement preferred), and sound knowledge of local authority, virtual school, and education funding-body relationships and compliance.
• Credible, independent, and values-driven; able to challenge constructively, engage commissioners and regulators, and mentor a multidisciplinary workforce.

Remuneration & Time Commitment

A competitive day rate, commensurate with seniority and experience, will be discussed with shortlisted candidates at screening. The role is engaged on a contract-for-services basis with an expected commitment of 12–18 days per annum, comprising quarterly Board meetings, scheduled quality review and audit assignments, CPD delivery, and ad-hoc availability for education escalations. The appointment is subject to enhanced DBS clearance, safer recruitment checks, and satisfactory references.

Application question(s):

• Do you have experience as a Headteacher, Principal, CEO, Executive Leader, or Director within a school, college, MAT, SEND, or Alternative Provision setting with board/governance accountability?
• Do you have deep professional fluency in the SEND Code of Practice, EHCP processes, Alternative Provision, and trauma-informed approaches for vulnerable learners?

Experience:

• senior executive leadership : 7 years (preferred)

Work Location: Remote