Student engagement officer jobs in Belfast

Location: Remote with regular travel to multiple locations (including Head Office in London)
Contract Type: Full-Time, Standard Contract
Reports to: Executive Headteacher
Responsible for: Curriculum Leads and Teaching Staff
Start Date: 4th January 2027 

Please note: Applicants who successfully pass the initial CV screening will be required to submit a full Equal Education Academy application form in line with KCSIE statutory guidance prior to formal shortlisting and interview.

Interview schedule: 

• Online interview (45mins) - Friday 28th August 2026.

• In-Person Assessment Day (London) - Friday 11th September 2026.

About Equal Education Academy (EEA)

Equal Education is excited to launch a new online academy for Key Stage 4 students, accredited under the DfE’s Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS). We deliver high-quality alternative education tailored for learners facing barriers to education or with complex needs. This includes young people with SEND, SEMH needs, interrupted schooling, Children Looked After, and those requiring specialist or alternative provision.

Guided by our values of Belong, Empower and Aspire, we provide a safe, inclusive, and aspirational environment. We align with DfE guidance and aim to meet OEAS standards, ensuring that safeguarding, particularly online, is the foundation of our culture.

Purpose of the Role

The Head of Centre will provide strategic and operational leadership for Equal Education Academy, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, inclusive, and trauma-informed online provision. Serving as the Academy’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), the postholder will embed safeguarding, inclusion, and wellbeing into all organisational decision-making.

Key responsibilities include leading SEND and safeguarding strategy (including overseeing the Single Central Record)  delivering high-impact staff training, and driving rigorous quality assurance by monitoring and reviewing teaching and learning practices. 

Working collaboratively across the Academy and the wider Equal Education Limited group, the Head of Centre will serve as a vital operational bridge, facilitating seamless collaboration and synergy between Equal Education Academy and Equal Education Limited. Operating at the intersection of both entities, the post-holder is uniquely positioned to identify and leverage cross-group resources, optimising them to drive the growth and development of the Academy. By championing alignment across the ecosystem, this pivotal role ensures that the Academy’s functions, team, and strategic objectives are seamlessly integrated within the wider organisation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Quality of Education

• Support the Executive Headteacher in setting the Academy’s strategic direction and ensuring compliance with OEAS/DfE standards.

• Monitor and review teaching and learning across the Academy, using lesson observations, work scrutiny, and data analysis to drive pedagogical improvement.

• Contribute to the Academy Improvement Plan and lead on inspection readiness and quality assurance activities.

• Lead on developing and implementing a program of CPD and training for new staff. Ensuring the team is aligned under the vision and values of the EE Academy.

• Facilitate operational synergy between Equal Education Academy and Equal Education Limited, leveraging group resources to optimise performance.

2. SEND Leadership (SENCO)

• Coordinate all SEND provision, ensuring the identification, assessment, and effective support of learners with complex needs.

• Oversee EHCP management, annual reviews, and the development of targeted Individual Learning Plans (ILPs).

• Oversee PEP management for Looked After Children

• Champion inclusive pedagogy, ensuring all staff adopt trauma-informed and adaptive teaching strategies.

• Manage multi-agency collaboration with families, local authorities, and external professionals to secure positive learner outcomes.

3. Safeguarding and Wellbeing (DSL)

• Serve as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), maintaining oversight of all safeguarding systems, referrals, and online safety protocols.

• Ensure policies remain compliant with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and best practice.

• Promote a culture of vigilance, ensuring learner wellbeing, attendance, and emotional safety are central to all Academy functions.

• Lead on multi-agency safeguarding processes and provide expert advice to the leadership team.

4. Leadership & Staff Development

• Design and deliver high-impact staff training programs, specifically focusing on safeguarding, online pedagogy, SEND frameworks, and inclusive, trauma-informed practice.

• Lead staff appraisal, coaching, and professional development to ensure high standards of accountability and growth.

• Foster a collaborative, reflective culture, supporting recruitment, induction, and retention.

• Support learner engagement, attendance and successful transition pathways

• Contribute to self-evaluation and school improvement activities

5. Partnership Working, Influence and Professional Representation

• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal stakeholders to drive seamless integration between Equal Education Academy and the wider Equal Education Limited group.Work closely with the Executive Headteacher, Group CEO and relevant members of operational teams to ensure effective collaboration across the group. 

• Develop and sustain effective partnerships with families, schools, local authorities, virtual schools, and external agencies.

• Support policy development, implementation, and review.

• Represent Equal Education at professional meetings, conferences, and external forums.

• Undertake any other duties reasonably directed by the Headteacher or Executive Headteacher.

• Contribute to strategic planning and organisational development, effectively pitching ideas and challenging the status quo.

• Ability to constructively and professionally challenge colleagues and stakeholders at all levels, including leadership as necessary, in the interest of managing risk and developing a quality service offering.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

• National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO). 

• Significant (3 years minimum) senior leadership experience in a school, AP, SEND, or online setting within the last year. 

• Proven experience in designing and delivering whole-school staff training.

• Extensive (1 year minimum) experience as a DSL (safeguarding) and SENCO (SEND provision).

• Deep understanding of KCSIE, the SEND Code of Practice, and OEAS/DfE requirements.

• Experience in reviewing teaching and learning to drive quality improvement.

• Significant experience supporting children and young people with barriers to learning and/or emerging or complex needs, including those with SEND, SEMH needs, interrupted education, Children Looked After, and learners requiring specialist or alternative provision.

• Significant experience supporting learners with EHCPs and complex needs, while coordinating multi-agency support and collaborating effectively with local authorities, schools, and external agencies.

• Experience contributing to quality assurance, school improvement or inspection readiness activities. 

Skills and Attributes

• Strong strategic, operational and project management skills

  • Ability to manage complex projects in an organised manner, develop project plans with effective tracking (e.g. Project Initiation documents, gantt charts,   reporting on key metrics, meeting key milestones and working to budgets). 

  • Ability to lead projects and processes in a collaborative way, identifying and engaging key stakeholders to ensure efficiency and avoid duplication of work across a group business structure. 

  • Demonstrates a commercial mindset, with the ability to articulate business cases, work effectively with budgets and interpret information effectively. 

• Excellent communication: capable of building high-trust relationships with staff, families, and local authorities.

• Resilient, reflective and adaptable. A champion of inclusion: deep commitment to supporting vulnerable learners and EEA’s values.

• Strong organisational skills, data-literate and improvement-focused with the abilities to support and develop colleagues. 

• Analytical mindset, able to challenge own assumptions and adapt based on learnings.

• Up to date educational landscape knowledge and a desire to remain informed of sector shifts and updates.

General

The post-holder will be provided with the technology required to complete their role. Equal Education works exclusively on Apple devices using Google software.

Equal Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All colleagues are expected to share this commitment. The post is subject to Enhanced DBS clearance, right to work in the UK, and two satisfactory professional references (one from the last employer). 

Every young person we support is unique and our team isn’t any different. Our differences are our strength when it comes to providing a tailored, human approach to education. We are proud of our people and provide an environment where everyone can bring their most authentic self to work. 

Our recruitment practices are carried out in line with equal opportunities and all candidates will be reviewed fairly regardless of age, gender reassignment, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.

As a Wheelchair Skills Training Coordinator, you will work directly with young people and their families, schools, colleagues, partners etc to deliver accredited training across the UK

Whizz Kidz: the facts

Over 75,000 young people aren’t getting the wheelchair or support that fully meets their needs.

Without the ability to be independent young wheelchair users are restricted in their ability to socialise and participate in society.

We’re here to change that.

As the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users (9 months -25 years old), we empower young people by providing the wheelchairs, equipment, support and confidence-building experiences they need, and campaigning for a more inclusive society.

And we won’t stop until they are mobile, enabled and included.

Our vision

A society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included.

Our values

We are young people focused, ambitious, collaborative and inclusive.

Job summary

This role will predominantly support the Service Delivery Managers and Support Officer across the UK in the effective planning and delivery of wheelchair skills training to meet the strategic objectives. The postholder will be required to work directly with young people and their families, schools, colleagues, partner organisations and professionals, delivering accredited training across the UK.

The person

You will be part of the Young People’s Services Team who provide a range of services and activities for young wheelchair users and their families. You will have a friendly and professional approach to working with families and professionals and be highly organised to manage planning, delivery and relevant paperwork for all wheelchair skills services. 

Key accountabilities

• Coordination and delivery of wheelchair skills training, travel training and train the trainer across the UK.
• Conduct on site visits prior to delivery of travel training to plan routes and inform risk assessments.
• Book relevant modes of transport for travel training sessions.
• Writing Service Level Agreements for key partners; content providers and schools.
• Obtaining information from content providers and schools, such as Public Liability, DBS and key Risk Assessments.
• Writing Care Plans & Risk Assessments.
• Ensure schools complete paperwork for accredited services and liaise with Skills & Education group regarding learners
• Sending event invites to young people and families and updating the database as required.
• Updating all documentation for events and participants onto the database.
• Promoting Whizz Kidz services to third party organisations in order to drive new applications/referrals.
• Attending events such as Kidz to Adultz exhibitions to promote Whizz Kidz and showcase wheelchair skills training.
• Ensuring feedback and monitoring data is collected at each event and at set intervals after the event in order to measure long term impact.
• Collate information for case studies to measure impact of training.
• Liaising with Trainers when required.
• Liaising with young people, families and schools as required.
• Ordering equipment and resources where needed.
• Attending Whizz Kidz services across the country if required in order to support the Service Delivery Managers and Services Support Officer.
• Attending Team Meetings and contributing to the development of Whizz Kidz services.

The post holder will also

• Work within all policies, procedures and budgets set by Whizz Kidz.
• Act at all times in the best interest of Whizz Kidz.
• Form effective working relationships with all colleagues members, volunteers and outside organisations as appropriate.
• Take responsibility for ensuring that the policies and procedures relating to Health & Safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times.
• Respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means in line with the Data Protection Act.
• Not disclose to an unauthorised person any confidential information acquired through official duties unless they have received official permission to do so.

The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be expected within the scope and job rank of the post.

Please note: This post is subject to an Enhanced level DBS Disclosure, which will be sought prior to the confirmation of a job offer.

Person specification

Skills and knowledge

• Understanding and familiarity of good practice and law around child protection, disability discrimination and equal opportunities legislation, health and safety, confidentiality, and data protection.
• The ability to teach and demonstrate wheelchair skills, using a wheelchair
• Excellent organisational and planning skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at all levels
• Ability to motivate children and young people of all ages
• The ability to deliver training using coaching/teaching skills.

Experience

• Experience of working directly with disabled children, young people and their families.
• Demonstratable experience of delivering training, teaching or coaching.
• Youth work experience.
• Experience of risk management procedures.

Personal qualities

• Alignment with our values – young people focused, ambitious, inclusive and collaborative
• Passionate about supporting young wheelchair users and creating societal change
• Ability to get on with and motivate children and young people of all ages
• Ability to multi-task, work calmly under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative
• A high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
• Good level of computer literacy, including databases

Weekend working, travel, irregular hours and overnight stays will be required. The ability to drive and have access to a car is therefore necessary.

A few perks

The wellbeing of our colleagues is of paramount importance to our success as an organisation, and we want to ensure that our benefits package provides something of value for everyone, whether it is our generous holiday entitlement, wellbeing days, Healthcare cash plan, long-service awards. We hope you agree!

Annual leave

25 days of annual leave per annum plus Bank Holiday (pro-rata for part time colleagues).

Christmas closure

In addition to annual leave, employees get three days of paid Christmas leave.

Pension

Automatic enrolment for all colleagues with the option to opt out. Contributions of 5% gross salary made by both Whizz Kidz and employees. We will match higher contributions of up to 6% of gross basic salary.

Simply health

Automatic enrolment in a fully paid for cash plan that assists you with everyday health costs. This scheme is also available to your families for an extra charge.

Season ticket loan

An interest free loan of up to £5,000 following the successful completion of the Probationary Period.

To apply please visit our website via the Apply Button.

We are committed to achieving equal opportunities in employment. Please let us know whether you require any reasonable adjustments for application or interview.