Head of School Improvement and Education Performance

Salary: £90,531 – £97,482 plus up to 10% discretionary market supplement

Our Mission – ‘Building on Hackney’s strong and sustained educational successes.’

Hackney Education is rapidly progressing in its mission to elevate educational outcomes for all local children and young people. This is a collaborative effort, done in close partnership with our schools. To lead this exciting work, we are seeking an exceptional Head of Service.

Reporting to the Director of Education and Inclusion, our new Head of School Improvement and Education Performance will be an experienced leader with a proven track record in schools, academies, or local authorities. Their expertise, ambition, and unwavering commitment to our children and young people will be instrumental in driving this next phase of improvement. This individual will be deeply invested, both personally and professionally, in ensuring the best possible academic, social, and emotional outcomes for every child in Hackney. They will be a relentless advocate, willing to engage with all stakeholders to achieve this critical mission.

Key Responsibilities:

• – Strategic Leadership: Establish a vision for Hackney’s schools and lead the development and delivery of an effective Improvement and Performance Service.
• – Compliance and Accountability: Ensure compliance with legal frameworks, stay updated on DfE and Ofsted guidance, and maintain high standards of integrity in information sharing.

• – School Support and Challenge: Lead Hackney’s school challenge and support process, using evidence-based approaches to provide appropriate levels of support and challenge to each school.

• – Collaboration and Partnership: Foster a culture of collaboration within the team and build strong relationships with school leaders, governors, local authority staff, and stakeholders.

• – Team Management: Oversee the School Improvement and Education Performance team and line manage a team of School Advisers, ensuring effective collaboration and individual performance.

• – Policy Development and Implementation: Develop, consult on, and implement policy and practice changes to drive improvement.

• – Representation: Represent the Director of Education and Inclusion at local or regional events as required.

Qualifications and Experience:

We are looking for candidates with a degree or equivalent in a relevant field, along with a postgraduate qualification (preferred). Additionally, a qualification in a specialist field would be considered desirable. If you meet these qualifications and are ready to take the next step in your career, we’d love to hear from you.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• – Ability to establish a clear vision and strategic direction for school improvement.

• – Expertise in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies and practices to drive improvement.

• – Skills in using data to monitor performance, identify areas for improvement, and measure the impact of interventions.

• – Ability to build strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including school leaders, governors, local authority staff, and community partners.

• – Excellent communication and influencing skills to advocate for change and secure buy-in from key stakeholders.

• – Ability to analyse complex issues, identify solutions, and make sound decisions in a timely manner.

• – Experience in leading and managing change within a complex environment.

• – A deep understanding of current educational policy, legislation, and best practices.

• – Passionate about promoting equity and inclusion in education and addressing systemic inequalities.

About Hackney Education:

Hackney Education is committed to providing high-quality education for all students. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment where all students can thrive. We are an anti-racist organisation and are committed to dismantling systemic racism, discrimination, and injustice.

To Apply:

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 16 April 2025 (22.59)

Interview date: 25 April 2025

Hackney Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment. As this role involves regulated activity, the successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check and additional pre-employment checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance. 

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and maternity, age and marital status. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people and people from a black and global majority background as these groups are currently under represented in our workforce.