Compass Associates
Head of Specialist Colleges
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Head of Colleges
Salary: £80,000 – £85,000 + Mileage + £3,000 Car Allowance
Location: Multi-site | National Travel Required
The Opportunity
Compass Associates are working with a leading specialist education provider to appoint a Head of Colleges to oversee a portfolio of specialist further education provisions across England.
This is a strategic leadership opportunity, reporting into the Divisional Director of Education and forming part of the Education Senior Leadership Team. The successful candidate will provide leadership across multiple college sites, supporting College Principals whilst driving educational standards, quality assurance, and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership across a portfolio of specialist colleges.
- Line manage and support College Principals to achieve outstanding educational outcomes.
- Drive improvements in teaching, learning, assessment, and learner progression.
- Lead quality assurance, self-assessment, and continuous improvement across all sites.
- Support colleges through Ofsted inspections, ensuring high standards of compliance and educational practice.
- Use performance data to identify trends and implement improvement strategies.
- Work collaboratively with operational, safeguarding, and therapeutic teams to ensure a joined-up learner experience.
- Contribute to the wider education strategy as part of the senior leadership team.
- Build strong relationships with external stakeholders including Local Authorities, commissioners, and regulatory bodies.
- Promote a culture of high expectations, collaboration, and professional development.
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About You
To be considered for this opportunity you will have:
- Significant senior leadership experience within Further Education and specialist education.
- Experience managing multiple education settings or leading senior leaders across a geographically dispersed portfolio.
- A strong understanding of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework.
- A proven track record of driving quality improvement and improving educational outcomes.
- Experience leading through inspection and embedding high-quality educational practice.
- Excellent leadership, coaching, and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong strategic thinking combined with the ability to influence operational delivery.
- A genuine commitment to improving outcomes for learners with additional needs.
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Essential Qualifications
- PGCE or equivalent recognised teaching qualification.
Desirable
- NPQH or equivalent leadership qualification.
- SENCO qualification.
Package
- £80,000 – £85,000 basic salary.
- £3,000 annual car allowance.
- Business mileage paid.
- National multi-site leadership role with genuine strategic influence.
- Opportunity to shape and develop a growing specialist education portfolio.
Contact Details
To apply, or for more information and an informal confidential discussion please contact Jordanna Osborn at 02394211147 or josborn@compassltd.co.uk
Compass Recruitment Solutions Ltd is acting as a Recruitment Consultancy for this permanent vacancy; we offer £500 vouchers for each successful recommendation.
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