Advisory Teacher (Education Qualified)
The postholder will provide intensive educational casework for a designated cohort of children and young people looked after, ensuring access to appropriate services, interventions and multi disciplinary support. They will contribute to the delivery of the Virtual School’s education vision, aligned with local, regional and national priorities, legislation and good practice, with a strong focus on raising educational standards and narrowing attainment gaps for children in care.
The role includes providing specialist support, advice and direction to the Virtual School team within an agreed area or age group specialism. The postholder will ensure that high quality Personal Education Plans (PEPs) are completed within statutory timescales, that identified needs are addressed, and that Pupil Premium Plus funding is used effectively and in line with local authority policy.
Direct work with children and young people will form a core part of the role, including work in schools, homes, placements and community settings. This may involve observation, mentoring, tuition and bespoke learning support, and will include travel nationally to placements to ensure educational needs and barriers to learning are identified and addressed promptly.
The postholder will develop and maintain effective relationships with schools and colleges, including senior leaders and designated teachers, to improve educational experiences and outcomes. This will include challenge where practice or decision making negatively impacts looked after children, agreeing additional or alternative provision as required, sharing best practice, and contributing to training packages that embed inclusive teaching strategies and support schools to meet Ofsted and DfE expectations.
The role requires maintaining effective systems for tracking attendance, attainment and progress, using data and business intelligence reports to identify concerns early and secure timely interventions. This includes working with the Virtual School Head or Deputy to implement and monitor attendance strategies and overseeing planning for children without an education placement, ensuring return to education with minimal delay.
The postholder will contribute to the design and delivery of cross service training for school staff, carers and social workers to increase understanding of the complex educational needs of children in care. They will also plan and support enrichment activities, learning programmes, events, celebration activities and specialist group teaching, including the development of bespoke learning materials across curriculum areas such as literacy and numeracy.
In addition, the role includes maintaining productive partnerships with traded services and voluntary organisations, providing statistical, management and financial information as required, and complying with the Council’s equality, employment and wider policy frameworks. The postholder will undertake any additional duties required by the Virtual School Head that are consistent with the overall purpose of the role and the needs of the service.