Online Co-Head

Online Co-Head (Quality of Online Education, Strategy & Digital Innovation)

Contract: Permanent

Starting Salary: £75,349 - £82,489 per annum (TCES Salary Band 2.01)

Location: Wimbledon, with up to 2 days WFH

The Role – Online Co-Head

Are you an experienced, outstanding senior leader with substantial leadership experience in a specialist or online school?

Have you been successful in leading a provision's education or academic progress focussing on robust teaching and learning?

Do you have the skills and expertise to drive digital innovation?

Interested in joining a growing national service provider, at the cutting edge of engaging pupils with lengthy gaps in education?

We are seeking a highly skilled education professional to lead the education provision and digital development of our innovative online special school (the first of its kind accredited in the UK!).

You will oversee the peripatetic teaching provision for neurodiverse young people, ensuring that teaching & learning is high-quality, and pupils are provided exceptional opportunities through innovative online virtual learning.

In this role you will bring your knowledge of advanced learning management systems, artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, and mobile applications, to develop the curriculum and its accessibility, ensuring it is robust, appropriate and engaging. 

You will collaborate with the other Co-Head to ensure a strategy for growth and scalability, maintaining high standards of provision and ensuring our vulnerable young pupils are supported fully to become effective adults and members of society.

You will lead your staff team to adapt teaching & learning opportunities to allow our vulnerable and complex young pupils to thrive, gain qualifications and become successful independent adults and leaders.

Our multi-disciplinary teams across the organisation work together to provide child-centric support, engaging with clinical, educational and social work experts, as well as partnering with our pupils’ families.

Essential requirements to be successful in the role are:

• A champion of education and advocate for neurodiverse young people, with similar values to match ours: Expect the very best from each other; Develop a strong work ethic; Respect and appreciate all difference; Include everyone and exclude no one; Listen to and involve everyone; Never give up on each other!
• Able to ensure outstanding teaching practice throughout the service,
• Resilient and robust, role modelling outstanding teaching and professionalism.
• Substantial demonstrable experience in providing high quality education leadership and people management.
• Substantial demonstrable experience within specialist therapeutic education provisions or specialist schools, collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams of educators, clinicians and social workers.
• Proven experience of positive performance management & developing teams, inclusive of coaching and influencing staff to deliver innovative ways of working and teaching.
• Experience of driving inclusive online education initiatives to support best practice with vulnerable and complex groups.
• Highly proficient digital skills, and/or a good understanding of IT systems and the ability to innovate provision with a range of digital tools.
• Proactive and innovative, collaborating with other senior leaders to ensure positive outcomes for stakeholders.

The Complete Education Solution (TCES)

TCES is a social enterprise, providing Good and Outstanding schools and services for pupils aged 7 to 19 with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and/or Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The majority of our places are funded by Local Authorities. We are committed to achieving the best outcome for each pupil and their family through access to outstanding education and family support.

TCES National Online School (NOS), the first – and only – Department for Education accredited online special school, is a growing service provider across the UK, engaging with young learners virtually. These young people have lengthy gaps from formal education for a variety of reasons, with the majority displaying Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA).

This is a very exciting time in the development of the online school, recently nominated for several industry leading awards, including TES and NASEN Specialist Provision of the Year. 

On joining us, pupils will have already – on average – experienced three permanent exclusions, been out of full-time education for up to 18 months and are recognised to be substantially at risk of being unemployed, developing severe mental health problems and involvement with the criminal justice system later in life. That is where the TCES National Online School comes in to support engagement with life-long learning, and development of independence and social skills so that our pupils become successful adults.

In return we can offer:

• An opportunity to make a real difference and join a leading provider of online specialist therapeutic education, directly contributing towards positive outcomes for neurodiverse pupils.  
• Excellent CPD opportunities with all staff provided an individual Learning & Development Plan to support career development, including education qualifications at all levels (QTS / QTLS / NPQs / NASENCo) and options to take progressive Ofqual registered Level 3 – 5 qualifications in Therapeutic Education.  
• Comprehensive induction process, including all pupil-facing staff supported in receiving the Level 3 Award in Therapeutic Education and Group Process.  
• Regular half termly staff wellbeing days.  
• A range of employee support and wellbeing benefits including our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), counselling and contributions towards medical costs and an exclusive rewards platform”

To apply:

Please complete an online application or contact recruitment@tces.org.uk

Interviews are to be held for shortlisted candidates in January 2025.

TCES is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and expects all staff to share this commitment. The appointment is subject to all relevant checks such as references, medical clearance and a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure.