Hours: 37 hours per weekContract: Permanent
We are looking to appoint a highly motivated professional to manage the Pupil Places & Planning Team. The team is responsible for the LA’s statutory responsibilities for school admissions, school academy transfers, school place planning and for overseeing and/or supporting school organisation change processes initiated by demographic growth, new births (decreasing and increasing) or as a result of the Children’s Services school-based Capital Programme.
The successful candidate will be a flexible team player who will be responsible for ensuring high quality service delivery through self and others – including traded services with schools and other partners, developing team service plans in alignment with service strategies, implementing and embedding new ways of working, monitoring and maintaining service standards, using and interrogating data to inform place and team planning, contributing to service improvements and developments, and delivering on work streams allocated from other functions. He/she will manage staff to facilitate the change process on behalf of the LA for projects to deliver accurate and timely school place allocations and school organisation development and sufficiency initiatives, with an emphasis on setting delivery objectives, monitoring progress and resolving issues to ensure projects are delivered within scope and that project sponsors are fully informed, including any required reporting arrangement to the DfE and other bodies.
Applicants will have an approved degree or equivalent professional qualification relevant to this area of work, and practical experience of working within an Educational environment giving rise to a variety of technical skills and thorough understanding of the principles of the services available. A comprehensive working knowledge of admissions legislation and statutory procedures; experience in service development and embedding improvements into work methodologies; practical experience in service delivery and customer service and in leading others to deliver a quality service; a knowledge and understanding of budgets and income generation; a knowledge and understanding of statistical data and how to interrogate and use this; a knowledge and understanding of safeguarding protocols; an understanding of the threshold levels for service users groups to make decisions about service needs; an ability to engage with service users and partner agencies within the relevant codes of practice values (dignity, respect etc); an ability to manage/organise one’s own work and that of a team to meet agreed deadlines; and an understanding and recognition of professional and personal boundaries are essential to this role.
For an informal discussion, please contact Sally Varley, Head of Strategic Planning & Governance on 01275 884857 or Sally.Varley@n-somerset.gov.uk.
Anticipated interview date: Wednesday 08 December 2021
North Somerset Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all sections of our community regardless of age, disability, sex, race, religion, belief or sexual orientation. North Somerset Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
