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Job summary

This is an exciting secondment opportunity for an experienced educationalist to work part time at the heart of the Government’s place missions programme, comprising Mission North East and Mission Coastal, supporting a new, place-based approach to improving educational outcomes in areas facing entrenched and long-standing challenges.

The place missions programme focuses on intensive school improvement across clusters of schools in tight geographical footprints, alongside innovation work to tackle the wider factors that hold back outcomes – for example, pupil engagement, inclusion, enrichment and transition. The programme is designed to complement existing national and regional improvement activity by focusing effort where previous approaches have not yet delivered sustained change.

As a Lead Educationalist for Place Missions, you will play a key role in delivering the school improvement strand of the programme, working directly with schools, trusts, local authorities and dioceses. You will support clusters of schools to diagnose shared challenges, strengthen leadership and teaching practice, and build the capacity of local systems so that improvement is rapid, embedded and sustained.

Innovation is an important feature of the place missions. Successful applicants will work closely with colleagues in the Department for Education’s Place Missions team, contributing practitioner expertise to Test, Learn and Grow activity in the mission areas, ensuring that innovation work is grounded in the realities of school improvement and delivery.

Job description

Lead Educationalists will be a core part of delivery teams supporting the school improvement strand of the Place Missions Programme. The role is focused on working intensively with groups of schools in defined geographical areas where outcomes have been persistently below national average.

The role is hands‑on, delivery‑focused and grounded in evidence‑informed school improvement practice. You will work directly with schools, trusts, local authorities and dioceses, alongside colleagues in the Department for Education’s Place Missions team, to help design, deliver and embed improvement through partnerships that is rapid, coherent and sustainable at both school and system level.

The role will include, but is not limited to, the following:

Intensive school improvement across clusters of schools

• Working with clusters of geographically proximate schools to undertake rigorous diagnostic activity, drawing on performance data, professional judgement and local intelligence to identify shared and school‑specific improvement priorities.
• Supporting clusters to move quickly from diagnosis to action, helping schools to focus on a small number of high‑leverage priorities most likely to secure improvement in outcomes.
• Working alongside senior leaders and specialist practitioners from high performing organisations to deliver intensive, time‑limited improvement support, strengthening core school improvement disciplines, including:

1. leadership of teaching and learning
2. curriculum quality, sequencing and assessment
3. behaviour, attendance and routines
4. inclusive and effective mainstream practice, including support for pupils with SEND
5. enrichment opportunities.

• Supporting schools to establish clear routines for implementation, review and adaptation, ensuring improvement activity is consistent, well‑sequenced and sustained over time.
• Helping schools and clusters to agree success measures and use data intelligently to track progress, assess impact and adjust approaches where required.

Embedding sustainable improvement

• Working explicitly to build the capability of school and trust leaders, so that improvement continues after periods of intensive support end.
• Supporting schools to strengthen internal improvement structures, including leadership roles, professional development and monitoring processes.
• Helping responsible bodies to plan for a phased exit from additional support, with clear arrangements for follow‑up, review and ongoing accountability.
• Supporting clusters to establish longer‑term collaboration arrangements so that schools continue to challenge, support and learn from one another beyond the life of the place mission activity.

Working with responsible bodies and the wider system

• Acting as a trusted professional partner to trusts, local authorities and dioceses, supporting a coherent and system‑led approach to improvement across places rather than isolated intervention in individual schools.
• Working with responsible bodies to clarify roles, expectations and lines of accountability during improvement activity.
• Supporting responsible bodies to deploy their own capacity and resources effectively in support of improvement across their schools.
• Facilitating collaboration between schools and partners within and across clusters, enabling the spread of strong practice and shared approaches to common challenges.

Contribution to leadership, engagement and innovation (with the Place Missions team)

• Working in close partnership with the Department for Education’s Place Missions team to ensure alignment between core school improvement activity and wider place‑based work on leadership, engagement, enrichment and transitions.
• Contributing practitioner insight from school improvement delivery to Test, Learn and Grow activity led by the Place Missions team, helping to ensure innovation is grounded in the realities of schools and classrooms.
• Supporting schools to engage where appropriate with relevant place mission initiatives – for example pupil engagement or enrichment activity – where these directly support identified improvement priorities.
• Feeding back learning from delivery to help refine place‑based approaches and inform future programme and policy development.

Strategic and professional contribution

• Working closely with Regional Directors, RISE teams and national policy teams to ensure that place mission activity complements existing school improvement arrangements.
• Contributing to the development of place‑based improvement strategies, informed by data, local context and professional judgement.
• Building strong relationships with system leaders and delivery partners to enable improvement work to proceed at pace in complex and challenging environments.
• Modelling effective, evidence‑informed school improvement practice and high professional standards in all interactions.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Applicants must be existing school leaders, currently employed in a school or trust leadership position, with an exceptional track record of supporting schools to improve rapidly and sustainably.
• A deep understanding of evidence-informed school improvement
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• A strong understanding of the education system and challenges facing disadvantaged communities.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of delivering complex system improvement
• Strong system leadership
• Experience of innovation or test-and-learn activity in education.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.

Benefits

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

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

Stage 1: Application

To apply for this role, you will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability.

• A CV (no longer than 4 sides) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years
• A Statement of Suitability(1000 words) about why you are suitable for this role against the criteria in the person specification. You can choose to outline any further information you believe is relevant or further demonstrates your suitability for the role.

Stage 2 - Sift

We will use your CV and statement to assess your suitability for the role against the essential criteria listed in the person specification section above.

To confirm, the maximum word count for the personal statement/ statement of suitability is 1000. Please adhere to this limit as anything over 1000 words will not be taken into account.

If there are a high number of applicants, we will perform an initial sift on the first essential criteria.

Stage 3: Interview

Short-listed candidates will be invited to a formal panel interview which will be scheduled to take place w/c 20th July 2026.

At interview you will be asked questions to assess your experience in line with the essential criteria listed above.

When looking at your experience, we’re looking for examples of things you have previously achieved or your knowledge in a particular field, which are relevant to the job role.
We’re not looking at how much time you spent in a particular field, but rather how you performed.
Sometimes experience can be transferable from a non-work context. Skills gained through voluntary work or a hobby, such as teamwork or communication, can demonstrate the experience required for the role.

We will assess your experience against all essential criteria.

Interviews will be in person the location will be confirmed to shortlisted candidates.

Successful applicants are expected to be in post in September 2026.

There will be training provided which will be a requirement for applicants. More details will be available upon appointment.

You will be required to declare all conflicts of interest.

Other Information

Interviews may be via Microsoft teams or face to face; the vacancy manager will confirm prior to the Interview.

In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Please refer to the attached ‘Reasonable Adjustments Guide 05_2025 – accessible version’ at the bottom of the advert, for further information.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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.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 : Kayleigh Walker
• Email : Kayleigh.walker@education.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk

Further information

The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via CentralRecruitment.Operations@education.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages