Programme Team Leader - Progression Pathways (High Needs Students) (Truro & Penzance)

We are one of the highest performing colleges nationally on all courses at all levels, rated Ofsted ‘Outstanding’.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Progression Pathways team. We are seeking to appoint an experienced, lively and enthusiastic programme team leader with a proven career and experience in inclusive Special Educational Needs curricula and teaching to contribute to the programme area. The Progression Pathways department offers a wide-ranging curriculum to students who experience barriers to learning. These include students with learning difficulties and disabilities, disaffected learners and students with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The curriculum offer in each of the three Progression Pathways includes:

Preparation for Adulthood Pathway 

This Pathway is for students with Profound and Multiple Learning difficulties and students with Autism who require a high level of support in a quiet environment as their first step in the College experience. The focus of this pathway is to prepare students for adulthood through developing their basic skills, independence, and community participation. Students will be engaged in Community volunteering for work experience and enrichment. They will enjoy a skills focused timetable including a wide variety of subjects such as English, maths, cookery, music and drama, art, physical and mental wellbeing. Where needed, students will be offered alternative communication systems within a multisensory teaching environment. All activities, skills development and targets will be based around the desired outcomes of their EHCPs and preparation for the future.

Preparation for Independence and Education Pathway

This Pathway is for students who are at Entry Level, with the pathway focus being on preparing students for independence and employment. The curriculum offer is wide-reaching with opportunities to develop employment skills through Enterprise and work experience alongside independent travel training, and independent living skills. The EHCP outcomes for these students are central to the timetable and skills development. Personal well being and mental health is fostered through an enrichment programme of sport, art, music and drama both within the department and cross college. Maths, English and digital skills are both timetabled and embedded in all subjects.

Preparation for Employment Pathway

This Pathway is for students who are at Entry 3 to Level 1. They may be disaffected learners, have progressed internally through the department, or require further maths and English development before embarking on a cross college course. There are two outcomes from this pathway, employment or a vocational course at Level 2. Throughout this course, students undertake work experience and work skills qualifications with working independently the desired outcome. Students participate in cross college vocational subjects as part of their timetable. There is a focus on furthering student skills in maths and English, following the cross-college curriculum and qualifications to enable entry to Level 2 courses as a progression route.

Each pathway is overseen by a Deputy Team Leader who is responsible for day-to-day operations, curriculum quality, timetabling, EHCP reviews, transition and progress monitoring.

The role of the Programme Team Leader is to monitor all of the above whilst maintaining positive communications with other providers, liaising closely with Cornwall County Council, controlling departmental budgets and working with the college Finance Team to monitor student funding and the additional individual student costings. The Programme Team Leader has responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the provision across all campuses, maintaining a parity of offer in each provision. Overseeing and assessing the quality of curriculum delivery and the support offered by the Learning Support team is an essential part of the role, as is the Safeguarding of all students and staff. Organising regular staff CPD and ensuring all staff are annually appraised, is also a priority.

Programme Team leaders are responsible for the quality of provision within their programme area, this includes the curriculum offer and content, teaching and learning, pastoral support, learning resources, recruitment and the overall student experience. It is essential that they lead, support and motivate staff members and build good relationships with stakeholders and employers. We are seeking applicants with good academic and professional qualifications, appropriate lecturing experience and experience of leadership in an educational context. Applicants should also have extensive experience of working with students who have complex learning difficulties and disabilities, and appropriate qualifications in Special Education.

The successful candidate will be a committed professional who is able to share their enthusiasm with students and staff to deliver a cohesive programme across the three Progression Pathways. The successful applicant will be required to provide high quality teaching on education programmes and contribute to providing an outstanding learning experience for our students. A commitment to curriculum development and a flexible approach to teaching and learning are required. They will also need to work with confidence with a wide variety of ability levels and project enthusiasm for all aspects of the subject.

Interviews are due to take place week commencing 16 October 2023.

We offer a generous package with benefits including 40 days annual leave plus bank holidays and College closure days, teacher pension scheme, relocation package, free on-site parking and a variety of on-site benefits and discounts.