Head of Data and Analysis, Early Years, Children’s Social Care and SEND

Job summary

We are recruiting a Head of Data and Analysis, Early Years, Children’s Social Care and SEND to join our Data and Insight team.

The Head of Data and Analysis, Early Years, Children’s Social Care and SEND reports directly to the Deputy Director of Data and Insight, who is also Ofsted's Chief Statistician. The post holder provides effective and strategic leadership and management to their team of statisticians, operational researchers, digital professionals and analysts.

The post holder is responsible for leading Ofsted's quantitative analysis and insight programme focused on early years, children’s social care and area SEND. They work with a range of people across the organisation and across government to identify the right analysis to undertake, at the right time, and ensure it is disseminated effectively and has impact. They develop and deliver outstanding quality data products, analysis, and insight to direct and support policy and framework development, to evaluate the quality of provision and inspection, and to directly inform regulatory and inspection activities. In addition, they oversee the production and publication of management information, data commentaries, and official statistics for publication.

A key part of the role is providing strategic leadership for the development and use of digital analytical applications and tools. This includes driving the design, delivery and continuous improvement of user‑centred digital products that bring data, analysis and insight together to support inspectors, policy colleagues and senior leaders.

The post holder leads Ofsted’s growing operational research capability within their remit, ensuring the effective application of analytical modelling, optimisation, and other OR techniques to address complex operational and strategic challenges.

The post holder is also responsible for the provision of high-quality pre-inspection information and, where relevant, on-inspection analytical support for the inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services, a range of children’s social care inspection, and the inspection of Area SEND services. The post holder works closely with senior colleagues to ensure that our quantitative and qualitative analysis forms a coherent programme which meets the needs of HMCI, colleagues across Ofsted, as well as users across government and the sectors that we regulate and inspect.

The post holder provides significant support to the Chief Statistician in leading and managing the Data and Insight Division in conjunction with the other members of the senior leadership team. The post holder will also be part of and contribute to one of the government analytical professions (GSS, GORS, GES or GSR).

Job description

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Person specification

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Qualifications

Degree level qualification in a numerate discipline, or professional qualification or equivalent relevant knowledge and experience.

Memberships

Member of, or able to demonstrate eligibility for membership of, the Government Statistical Service (GSS), Government Operational Research Service (GORS), Government Social Research Profession (GSR), or Government Economics Service (GES).

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Highly developed knowledge, understanding and experience in a statistical or analytical leadership role.
• Experience and successful track record of leading and motivating multidisciplinary teams to deliver change and innovation in a complex and fast-paced environment.
• Experience of working effectively with external stakeholders across central or local government, partner organisations, and/or academia.
• Ability to analyse and evaluate large quantities of information, identify key issues and trends to meet user needs and effectively communicate these to a wide range of stakeholders including at Board level.
• Experience of leading the development and deployment of digital products, such as web applications.
• Experience of operational research (OR) or advanced analytical techniques, or the ability to apply quantitative methods to complex operational or strategic problems (for example modelling, optimisation or simulation)

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Highly developed knowledge, understanding and experience in a statistical or analytical leadership role.
• Experience and successful track record of leading and motivating multidisciplinary teams to deliver change and innovation in a complex and fast-paced environment.
• Experience of working effectively with external stakeholders across central or local government, partner organisations, and/or academia.
• Ability to analyse and evaluate large quantities of information, identify key issues and trends to meet user needs and effectively communicate these to a wide range of stakeholders including at Board level.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £85,850, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills contributes £24,870 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Full details of the benefits available can be found in our Ofsted Offer brochure.

Ofsted is devoted to equality, diversity and inclusion. Within our Ofsted Strategy 2023-2027 we have stated that we will improve the representation of under-represented groups across the organisation and publish our progress on this annually. We are always looking to expand on our diverse workforce by recruiting candidates from varied backgrounds and differing experiences. We are proud to be a Disability Confident – Leader, we continually engage with our 5 staff networks for protected characteristics, and highlight the work of our Equalities,Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group. We ensure all candidates are treated with fair and open competition, with all appointments being made on merit and we use our Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) to provide assurance to all candidates of this.

Ofsted is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities, 32.5 annual leave days per annum (plus eight days public holiday) and access to counselling and advisory services.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application and shortlisting:

The selection panel will assess your application based on your evidence you have provided against the essential/desirable criteria as set out in the job specification.

Use the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to present your evidence.

You will also be asked to provide information within the “Employer/Activity History” section of the application form. This information is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV setting out your career history (this may be used in the sifting process).

Assessment and interview:

Candidates who pass the benchmark at the shortlist stage will be invited to an assessment and interview where you will be assessed against a mixture of the Civil Service behaviours and on the technical/experience skills as detailed in the job specification.

Assessment and interviews will be held during the week commencing 29 June 2026 at 2 Rivergate, Bristol.

Details on the assessment will be provided near the time of the interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : People Services Delivery Team
• Email : jobs@ofsted.gov.uk
• Telephone : 03000 131 487

Recruitment team

• Email : jobs@ofsted.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email Ofsted recruitment at jobs@ofsted.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recrutiment

Attachments

Head of Data and Analysis - EY- SC - SEND Opens in new window (pdf, 223kB)