Deputy Head Of School Jobs in London, Greater London
Reports to: Head of Inclusive Leadership Course
Start date: ASAP or mid-August 2024
Location: London / Hybrid - minimum 3 days per week in office (The Difference’s office in
Bethnal Green). Willingness to travel for programme delivery across Nottingham, Manchester,
Newcastle 3 days per half term.
Contract: Permanent, full time/flexible working considered
Salary: £55k - £65k per annum (+6% employer pension contribution and sector-leading parental
leave policy shared with all applicants)
Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 21st April 23:59
Person Specification
The Difference are seeking an outstanding school leader to take on the role of Programme Lead
through an exciting period of growth and development, with a particular focus on developing
our People and Practice work. The successful candidate will be instrumental in the delivery of
our various programmes, actively engaging in its implementation and engaging with valuable
insights for continuous improvement. This role offers a distinct chance to make a significant
impact on The Difference's overarching strategic goals. As the Programme Lead, you'll have the
opportunity to shape our programmes, ensuring they align with our mission and vision. Your
contributions will not only drive tangible outcomes but will also shape the future direction of
our organisation. You will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the outcome of
children who experience vulnerability and disadvantage by working closely with school leaders
to develop school practice and systems.
You will have real ownership over your area of work, be happiest in a flexible and ambitious
environment, and enjoy testing out new ideas. You will have experience in professional
development design, delivery, project management and supporting school staff and leaders
through professional coaching.
Essential knowledge, experience and skills
● Demonstrated Alignment with The Difference’s values. A history of actions and decisions that
align with The Difference's values, showcasing a personal commitment to the mission of
improving life outcomes for vulnerable children
● Credibility as a proven school leader of inclusion as a Trust middle leader, Headteacher, Deputy
or Assistant Headteacher in a Primary or Secondary setting in contexts of high disadvantage and
vulnerability
● A record of impact for children experiencing vulnerability including designing and delivering
work that led to reduced harmful behaviours, repeat suspension or persistent absence
● A record of empowering work with children and families
● Evidence of designing and delivering impactful professional development, high quality
learning sessions, fostering sustained staff development and contributing to a culture of
continuous learning
● Understanding of Relational Practice within Education: A track record of utilising or implementing practice aligned with the relational approaches to deliver improved student
outcomes.
● Aiming high and holding people accountable through visionary leadership: Ability to
articulate an ambitious vision, inspiring and motivating others to meet high standards. A proven
ability to hold individuals accountable for their contributions.
● Flexibility and a willingness to travel, including overnight stays, particularly within London,and
across the North East, North West, and Yorkshire & Humber. A likely travel pattern of 2-3 days
travel per fortnight
Desired knowledge, experience and skills
● Stakeholder management & relationship-building: Proven experience in managing
relationships with various stakeholders, including navigating HR processes, demonstrating
effective stakeholder engagement skills. Experience of sales and a business to business sales
process would be advantageous.
● Adaptability: Track record of prioritising and creating clarity in ambiguous, challenging, or
fast-paced situations. Experience in working directly with colleagues, implementing strategies
such as coaching and structured reflection to establish clear and effective plans.
● Research Engagement: Engagement with research and evidence-based strategies for school
improvement. Demonstrable quantifiable impact using evidence-informed approaches.
● Contextual Awareness: Varied experience in different schools, showcasing an understanding of
how contextual factors impact schools and teachers, and an awareness of the wider educational
landscape.
● Teaching Qualification: Possession of Qualified Teacher Status, demonstrating the foundational
qualification for the role.
Why Work for The Difference?
Schooling isn’t working for the children who need it most. Every week in England 109 children –
equivalent to three full classrooms – are permanently excluded. This is just the tip of the
iceberg. Since the pandemic, school suspensions have risen significantly, as has persistent
absenteeism. 1 in 5 children are missing more than 10% of their time in school. Children who
are excluded or persistently absent are much more likely to already be experiencing
vulnerability or disadvantage. They are more likely to live in poverty, have additional learning
needs, suffer mental health challenges, or experience a lack of safety outside school. Certain
ethnicities are also disproportionately affected, notably Gypsy Roma Traveller and black
Caribbean children.
Exclusion and high rates of absence can have a dramatic effect on life chances. These young
people are more likely to drop out of education or employment, become vulnerable to
long-term mental ill health, or be at risk of criminal exploitation. The Difference believes that
children and young people deserve better and that the education system has to change.
Our Organisation
The Difference is a young education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. By
2030, we want rates of exclusion and absence to be falling nationally and for schools to be better
equipped to support all children, including those who may be vulnerable.
The Difference was born out of a year of research into school exclusions with think-tank IPPR.
This research identified a lack of inclusion expertise in schools and proposed a new leadership
development programme to fill this gap. In 2018, Difference founder Kiran hired the team who
took this idea from concept to reality, beginning work with our first schools.
The Difference is now a 22-strong team delivering multiple school leadership programmes,
alongside a growing research and policy arm. The team is supported by our Youth Advisory
Board, made up of young people who have experienced exclusion and who provide their
expertise and insights on how school inclusion work should be done. This work is needed more
than ever. Effects of COVID-19, coupled with the spiralling cost of living, have substantially
increased levels of vulnerability. Schools serving excluded pupils face under-funding. The
Difference has had excellent early impact but there is work ahead to scale this impact through
our programmes, share learning with schools and policy-makers, and grow our capacity to
lower exclusions across England.
The Task Ahead: Programme Lead
In 2019 The Difference launched their programmes working with 22 school leaders in
London. Since then we have worked with 447 school leaders nationally. We want to continue
to scale our programmes and reach more school leaders to help shape their schools practice
and systems to improve pupil wellbeing, safety and belonging. We intend to further develop
our programmes to improve inclusion in schools and successfully changing the story for
students currently struggling in school.
Key tasks for this role include:
● Deliver The Difference’s Inclusive Leadership Course to senior leaders from a
range of school settings. This takes place in venues across the country including
but not limited to the North East, North West, and the Midlands. Confidence
and passion to deliver the course to the high standards required.
● In-school support for The DIfference’s School Partnership (DSP). Delivering
across a variety of schools including mainstream secondary, mainstream
primary and Alternative Provision settings. Supporting the implementation of
key themes and content from The Difference’s Inclusive Leadership Course.
● Working closely with The Differences Research, Impact & Influencing team
members to capture case studies, research and impact metrics that demonstrate
the impact of the Difference’s programmatic work.
● Input to the evolution and development of the Difference’s programmatic offer
using insight from delivery and feedback from programme participants
● Working closely with the The Difference’s Partnership and Sales team to
support the reach and impact of the programmatic work.
Our Values
● High Expectations - We are ambitious for excellence from young people, colleagues and
ourselves. We don’t believe in writing off someone’s potential because of their identity or
experience of crisis.
● Strong Relationships - We prioritise genuine relationships over transactional interactions,
and know that this requires deliberate relational practice. We see colleagues and partners as
people first and their roles second; and know this greater trust allows us to take more risks,
gain more feedback and have greater impact.
● Internalised Locus of Control - We work hard to reframe difficult situations to discover
what we have within our power in terms of solutions. We take it upon ourselves to walk
towards challenges and can take a high level of ownership and agency in our work/
● Pragmatism - We believe leadership means recognising current limitations and striving for
improvements within and beyond them. We develop consensus and chart new ways
forward, challenging false and extreme positions like “zero exclusions” or “no excuses”.
● Scientific approach - We take a diagnostic approach to unpicking causes of problems. We
are loud and proud of our failures, recognising failing fast and often is key to finding the
best solutions. We test solutions and are willing to use data and feedback to make
adjustments and choose new directions.
● Not Squeamish about Structural Inequality - We believe patterns of inequality can and
should be disrupted. We strive to be clear-eyed about these inequalities, and both the
individual practice and system-changes required to address them. We push ourselves to
overcome awkwardness in talking about this; and begin by acknowledging our own biases
and blind spots.
● Asset-based - We work hard to avoid deficit thinking and aim to start with what’s strong, not
what’s wrong. We are careful not to frame our colleagues and stakeholders - particularly
young people and families – as victims but instead to recognise their agency.
● Wise selves - To both enjoy work and do their best, we want to make decisions and work
with others in our “wise” - or regulated - selves. We also want to bring our compassionate
self to those we work with, externally and internally, to support one another through
challenging times.
How To Apply
To apply, please complete all sections of the application form by midnight on Sunday 21st April.
First round interviews will be held during the week beginning 6th May, over video call.
Please indicate if you would not be available to attend an interview during this week.
If successful in this stage, second round interviews (including a task to be completed the same
day) will take place on the week beginning 13th May, at our office in Bethnal Green.
We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from
under-represented groups in the charity sector such as people from black, Asian and minority
ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the
care system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.
As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names
and any protected characteristics redacted.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
1. About Us
Sound and Music is the national charity for new music.
We support anyone who wants to make music and sound to shape the modern world. We enable individuals to challenge expectations and discover their potential, and act as a friendly guide for those who want to listen deeper. Our work sustains more careers, progresses creativity and achieves greater equity across music in the UK.
We are guided by our Fair Access Principles, a code of best practice which ensures our work is open and inclusive for all.
Sound and Music is supported by Arts Council England and proud to be a National Youth Music Organisation.
The creative programme for Sound and Music makes a unique and distinctive contribution to the arts in the UK. We are a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England. NPO funding is confirmed until March 2026.
Sound and Music is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to making recruitment and employment at Sound and Music inclusive and accessible. We particularly welcome applications from backgrounds that experience racism, and/or who are disabled or neurodiverse, to whom we will offer an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role (see section 4).
2. Job Description
The Head of External Engagement is a key leadership post within the organisation. The role encompasses responsibility for the development and delivery of the organisation’s external activity, including profile, brand identity and stakeholder engagement (including the public), fundraising, and driving income generation in new areas, notably commercial partnerships. It also forms part of Sound and Music’s senior management team, who under the leadership of the Chief Executive are responsible for overseeing the organisation’s programme of activity, strategic development, external profile and a positive and productive organisational culture.
An experienced fundraiser and communicator, you will lead the external engagement team and support the delivery of its strategic and operational plans. The broad remit of the role means the successful candidate will be a strong and confident communicator who builds networks easily and prioritises exceptional stakeholder management and relationship development.
Sound and Music operates a hybrid working model with a mix of in person and remote working, so we welcome applications from anywhere in the UK. Our office is in London and the minimum requirement will be to attend one day per week.
The post holder will support Sound and Music’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, contributing to a culture of respect and collaboration in the organisation’s internal and external activities.
3. Key Responsibilities
Leadership and management
External leadership:
· Represent Sound and Music publicly, including through stakeholder and supporter events
· Work with the Head of Programmes to ensure Sound and Music’s advisory groups are meaningfully engaged
· Be the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for Sound and Music
Internal leadership:
· Shared strategic responsibility and accountability for Sound and Music’s three core aims and their associated objectives, outcomes and outputs
· Shared accountability (with other senior management colleagues) for the successful delivery and implementation of the organisation’s Business Plan
· Lead the organisation’s External Engagements team. This team includes a Communications and Insights Manager and Fundraising Coordinator (both line managed by the Head of External Engagement) plus support from other Sound and Music team members
Development and fundraising
· Develop and support the Chief Executive on the overall business and development strategy for the organisation to ensure we meet fundraising targets (£200k in 2024-25) for annual programmes and major projects
· Develop an ambitious fundraising programme which builds our supporter base and individual funding streams, including individuals, major gifts and public funders
· Drive income growth by identifying and negotiating commercial partnerships and contribute to the development of an enhanced commercial mindset across the organisation
· Develop and cultivate the existing trusts and foundations pipeline
· Prepare documents and reports for key funders including Arts Council England
· Build and maintain positive and productive relationships with key funders, commercial organisations and stakeholders and cultivate existing relationships within the organisation
· Establish new income streams, for example, by maximising the intellectual property created within the organisation
· Engage the Board of Trustees and senior management team in fundraising activities and the ongoing strategy to optimise donor management and stewardship to develop a culture of fundraising across the organisation
· Maximise the opportunities provided by the new CRM system and contribute to the development of a data-led mindset across the organisation
Communications and campaigns
· Develop and lead the overall communications and reputation management strategy for varied stakeholders to ensure we increase our visibility and influence in the sector
· Support the Chief Executive to build the profile of our brand, drive the media messaging and oversee and power our content media campaigns
· Support the Chief Executive to build and maintain positive and productive relationships with government and culture and media opinion formers
Strategy and planning
· Work with the Chief Executive and other senior management team members to monitor, evaluate and review KPIs, strategies and activity so as to maximise Sound and Music’s impact. This includes reporting and presenting to the Board and externally to help build engagement and relationships in the sector and with funders
· Assess the reputational, financial, delivery and other risks associated with current and new projects and partnerships
· Empower, model, support and encourage cross-team working to realise the full income generating possibilities of projects
Finance and governance
· Contribute to creating and monitoring the overall organisation budget
· Work closely with the Chief Executive, Head of Programmes and Finance Manager to formulate financial strategy against specified budget areas, and to ensure that the programme activity is sufficiently resourced, planned and delivered to budget
· Ensure close monitoring of income and expenditure for relevant budget lines and contribute to senior management team financial planning and review
· Attend Board and Financial Subcommittee meetings to present and report impact on a quarterly basis
Special conditions of the post
· Travel within the UK, as required by the role
· A willingness to represent the organisation internationally on an occasional basis
· Evening and weekend working to attend and network at events will be required (time off in lieu is taken afterwards)
· Satisfactory completion of an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (if offered the role, and paid for by Sound and Music)
4. Candidate profile
Essential:
· A demonstrable commitment to Sound and Music’s vision, mission and values
· A track record of generating income across different channels, meeting targets, with the ability and experience to manage and develop long-term and sustained fundraising relationships (for example, with major donors and trusts and foundations)
· Leadership (a strong combination of these are essential):
· A track record of leadership, including leading or working at a senior level in an organisation during a period of growth and change
· Excellent team leadership skills, with high emotional intelligence and generosity, a genuine enthusiasm for encouraging the input and ideas of others
· Strong budgeting and financial planning skills, and the ability to work collaboratively on this
· An entrepreneurial mindset: success in leveraging income, developing new income streams and value through commercial acumen and effective strategic partnership building
· A track record in championing and addressing under-representation in culture and a deep-rooted commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
Desirable:
· Experience of increasing brand profile, developing brand awareness, and expanding audiences for a specialist product or service
· Understanding of the current political, economic, social and technological climate, including the context for culture and public funding and an active engagement with technological developments in creativity
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills: able to engage confidently with different audiences and areas of the sector both publicly and on a 1:1 basis
· Excellent understanding of digital communications and infrastructure and how it can build reach and engagement, including using data to drive decision making
5. How to apply
If you are interested in working with us, please apply by completing the application form.
Sound and Music is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to making recruitment and employment at Sound and Music inclusive and accessible. We particularly welcome applications from backgrounds that experience racism, and/or who are disabled or neurodiverse, to whom we will offer an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.
If you feel you have just some of the required skills and experience but meet the person specification, we would still encourage you to apply; we are very open to continuing the training and development of individuals who are self-motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to the role.
Do you have a passion for ending poverty, building partnerships, and growing the Kingdom of God? Then join our energetic, visionary and creative team.
We’re looking for an experienced and driven fundraising and communications professional to help us achieve God’s vision of human flourishing.
In this varied and versatile position, you’ll lead our fundraising and communications team and play a key role in resourcing and promoting CUF’s work to follow Jesus in serving the most disadvantaged people in our communities. You will help us communicate and celebrate the positive impact that churches have in the places in which we live.
As a key member of our management team, you’ll develop and implement comprehensive fundraising and communication strategies to help us deliver impactful work with the Church of England and other Christian denominations.
With a broad range of responsibilities across fundraising, communications, marketing and public relations, you’ll play a leading role in celebrating the CUFs achievements through powerful story-telling, impact reporting and effective media relations. You’ll also develop our digital strategy, with overall responsibility for our website, social media channels and email marketing.
How to apply
For an informal conversation about this role and for more information, please contact our Deputy CEO, The Rev’d Adam Edwards
To apply, please send/email an up-to-date CV and covering letter outlining your relevant skills and experience, relating to the listed responsibilities and person specification
Closing date: Midday Monday 15th April, with interviews Tuesday 30th April (in London)
Download the full Appointment Brief for details
About Future Frontiers
Our Vision: A society where equal access to education and career opportunities enables potential to overcome poverty.
Our Mission: To provide disadvantaged young people with the guidance, networks and opportunities they need to realise their potential at school and achieve post-16 qualifications that build towards secure, fulfilling employment.
We are an award-winning UK education charity committed to improving life outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our head office is in London, and we have over thirty employees in the central charity team, who are supported by our Board of Trustees, our Youth Advisory Group and over 1400 volunteer coaches.
We have a number of high-profile partnerships, including organisations such as; Allen & Overy, Coutts, Marex, Investec and Vitality UK. We also have a broad and diverse range of supporters, including; Garfield Weston Foundation, Wimbledon Foundation, Goldman Sachs Gives, and The London Community Foundation. We are proud of the sustainable charitable model we have developed, with good reserves and a range of funding and traded income streams, although income generation remains a priority for the effective delivery of our programmes.
Recognising the profound impact of family income on educational outcomes and future opportunities, Future Frontiers delivers a two-year programme of coaching, advice, and guidance. This highly personalised approach equips young people to realise their potential at school and transition positively into further education or training at sixteen.
Our programme is proven to enhance student engagement and increase progression to sustained destinations, and we are dedicated to breaking cycles of disadvantage and fostering equitable futures.
About the Role
The Chief Executive Officer will have as their overarching purpose the realisation of the mission of the charity; to provide disadvantaged young people with the guidance, networks and opportunities they need to realise their potential at school and achieve post-16 qualifications that build towards secure, fulfilling employment.
They will be responsible for safeguarding, leadership, financial sustainability, management and administration of the charity in delivering against the mission and in the development and execution of strategy, in agreement with the Board of Trustees.
The Chief Executive Officer will support the Chair to ensure that governance arrangements of the charity are effective and in line with the requirements of the Charity Commission.
About You
We welcome applications from a broad range of contexts and backgrounds; particularly those with significant strategic and leadership experience who have a track record of success and values-led working.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you have a passion for developing people, and supporting a Christian charity to tackle complex challenges like poverty and exclusion by mobilising people, churches, and whole communities to make a positive difference?
We are seeking an HR and Administration Officer to join our team, working closely across our organisation and our Senior Leadership Team to provide HR support, embedding policy and excellent practice in a way that strengthens our culture and upholds our core values.
This is a varied role that will suit a HR generalist, providing support and advice on the full range of activities that form the employee life cycle. This includes recruitment and onboarding of new staff, ensuring our policies represent best practice and that they are embedded in the culture of CUF, liaising with payroll, maintenance of the staff handbook, promoting personal development, ensuring our online HR software is used to its full capability, ensuring our appraisal process is robust and a range of other HR tasks.
The role will be key in our ambition to promote a positive working environment with good wellbeing and personal development opportunities for our team.
This role will also include other administrative tasks and project work to support our Senior Leadership Team.
To apply, please send/email an up-to-date CV and covering letter outlining your relevant skills and experience, relating to the listed responsibilities and person specification
Closing date: Midday Thursday 18th April, with interviews Tuesday 9th May (in London)