Virtual School Assistant Headteacher

Are you an outstanding leader, passionate about improving outcomes for the most vulnerable students?
Peterborough Virtual School is experiencing an exciting stage of growth and development. To support this, we are seeking to recruit three highly motivated, innovative and creative individuals to join our aspirational team as Assistant Head Teachers.
Each Assistant Head Teacher will lead one area of work within the Virtual School:
•Inclusion and Engagement
•Partnership and Outcomes
•Wider Cohort: (Children Previously in Care, Children with a social worker (Ever-CiN) and Children in kinship care arrangements)
About the Virtual School
All local authorities in England have a statutory duty to promote the educational outcomes of children in care and children previously in care. Additionally, the Virtual School has a non-statutory strategic leadership role for children who have or have had a social worker (Ever-CiN) and children living in kinship care (from September 2024).
To find out more about the Virtual School please visit our website https://www.cambslearntogether.co.uk/peterborough-school-improvement/peterborough-virtual-school
What will you be doing?
Assistant Head Teacher: Inclusion and Engagement
•Lead the work of a team of Education Advisors/Officers to ensure that all Peterborough Children in Care receive their entitlement of well-matched full-time educational provision. This will include supporting admissions and transitions processes.
•Effectively track, analyse and use data to maximise attendance for all children known to social care.
•Offer support and challenge to promote inclusion.
Assistant Head Teacher: Partnership and Outcomes
•Lead the work of a team of Education Advisors/Officers to advise, support and challenge schools to ensure that statutory duties around Children in Care and Children Previously in Care are met. This will include quality assurance of the PEP and the allocation and impact of the PP+ grant.
•Promote culture, policy and practice within settings, schools and providers which takes into account the specific vulnerabilities of children known to social care.
•Effectively track, analyse and use data to maximise attainment and progress for all Children in Care as if they were on a single roll.
Assistant Head Teacher: Wider Cohort (0.8 FTE)
•Develop the strategic and operational approaches for Children Previously in Care, Children Known to Social Care (Ever-CiN) and Children living in Kinship Care. This will include embedding the wider remit across the breadth of the Virtual School team.
•Leading work with key partners and other stakeholders to champion the educational attendance, attainment and progress of the wider cohort of children. This will include:
- making visible disadvantages experienced by this group
- promoting practice that supports children’s engagement
- levelling up children’s outcomes to narrow the attainment gap so every child has the opportunity to reach their potential
Please state within your application which of the three roles you would be interested in.
About you
The successful candidate must be passionate about and have experience of improving the educational experiences of vulnerable young people. You will be outcomes driven and able to motivate, challenge and support your team in a sometimes complex, but also rewarding environment. Alongside this being a strategic thinker, effective communicator, with the ability to successfully manage change would be beneficial.
This is a great opportunity to join a successful team and to have a significant impact on the lives of young people across a wide range of settings.
You will have up to date knowledge of the education system, recent experience of working in a leadership position in a school or Virtual School, and a strong understanding of the barriers faced by children in care and will offer support and challenge to ensure that educational outcomes are maximised.
You will be familiar with children in care, SEND, suspension, attendance, admissions and OFSTED statutory guidance.
You will be responsible for building relationships and providing support and challenge for key partners including senior leaders in schools to promote aspirational outcomes for children who have or have had a social worker.
You will be confident at communicating effectively, efficient, organised and be able to work using your own initiative within a wider team. This role is hybrid working – office and home working are supported in line with the needs of the service. Additionally, it is expected that there will be time spent visiting schools.
You must be able to drive.
Shortlisting will take place on Monday 26th February. Interviews are planning for Thursday 29th February.
For further information and an informal conversation please contact Zoe Lattimer (Head Teacher) zoe.lattimer@peterborough.gov.uk or Nichola Phillips (Deputy Head Teacher) Nichola.phillips@peterborough.gov.uk
We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Peterborough and want our workforce to reflect this diversity, which we believe is beneficial for our employees, the organisation and the communities we serve
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.