Director of Education and Achievement

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

About The Role

As Director of Education and Achievement at Islington Council, you will play a pivotal role in driving the bold ambitions we have for the future of the communities we serve. It is an exciting time to join Islington as we seek, with the support of our partners, stakeholders and providers, to work together to achieve the shared ambition of a more equal Islington to ensure all children and young people in our borough thrive.

The work of Islington's Children's Services and our Youth Justice Services are both rated as being outstanding by Ofsted, placing Islington amongst the leading Council areas nationally in this space. This is in addition to 97% of Islington's schools and 98.1% of our early years settings currently being rated good or outstanding, with outcomes for our learners being amongst the best nationally. This is a high performing organisation and education system.

We are ambitious in wanting Islington to continue to be at the forefront of change and improvement in the world of Education, retaining good relationships between education partners, providers and the Council, in addition to our strategic partnerships and close working relationships with regional and national level partner organisations.

Through our Child Friendly Borough ambitions, we will continue to ensure Islington is one of the best places across the UK for children and young people to live, learn and grow. As Director, you will ensure that every Islington child has the skills, resources and relationships to thrive in safe and happy settings to enable them to succeed in achieving their goals.

To help lead the work of Education through the next phase of development locally, we require a new Director of Education and Achievement to lead the work of the local area Education system and the Council's Education Directorate.

As Director, you will be part of a Council committed to getting things done. You will find supportive political leadership and work with a committed and talented senior leadership team, driving improvement for children and families in a meaningful and impactful way. This is the time and the place for a successful leader who shares our ambition and will drive progress and innovation to continue our aim of exceeding national ambitions for quality, achievement and attainment for all groups of learners.

Contact Information:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Lara Omotayo - Recruitment Advisor; Email: Lara.Omotayo@islington.gov.uk

How to Apply:

To be considered for interview, your CV and supporting statement will clearly evidence the criteria marked as essential on the person specification: In your supporting statement, please clearly demonstrate how you meet the shortlist criteria marked with an 'Application' at shortlist stage. We operate an anonymised application process, so be sure to remove personal details when uploading your CV or personal statement.

Important dates:

Longlisting: 10 March 2025

Shortlisting: 27 March 2025

Employment and Appointments Committee (Final Panel): 17 April 2025

Further dates, such as technical assessment and stakeholder panels will be confirmed at a later date.

Working for the team, service and our organisation

Islington is a place rich with diversity and culture. As a council our sense of purpose couldn't be clearer: we serve. It's in the logo. We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Together we can change the future.

We are determined to create a more equal Islington, where everyone who lives here has an equal chance to thrive.

To do this, everyone who works at Islington Council lives by a set of values which guide us in everything that we do: collaborative, ambitious, resourceful, and empowering. They spell out 'CARE', which is what we think public service is all about.

Our offer to you

We are committed to challenging inequality in the borough and as one of the largest employers we know that to look after the place and the planet, we have to look after our people. Our staff benefits include:

• Up to 31 days leave per year, increasing to 36 days after five years of local government service
• A range of flexible working arrangements to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as well as a 35-hour working week
• Learning and development opportunities to maximise your potential
• Competitive pay and a commitment to paying all staff the London Living Wage at minimum
• Excellent local government pension scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme and discounted gym memberships
• Local discounts from restaurants, shops, health and beauty therapists, and more!

Recruitment information

It is the policy of Islington Council that no user of service, present or future employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their sex, perceived or actual sexual orientation, marital status, race, religion or belief, age, creed, colour, nationality, national origin, ethnic origin, or disability, or on the grounds of their association with someone in one of these groups; nor is disadvantaged by any conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justified. We welcome applications from Black and Minority Ethnic candidates and acknowledge our responsibility to mitigate against racial discrimination.

Islington Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria and we are committed to providing support to applicants who request reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process and throughout their career with us.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. Some posts are subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

The post is subject to a enhanced DBS check, qualifications and 3/5 years referencing check.

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Islington Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.