Head of English (16-18 & Adult Provision)
Barking and Dagenham College, Dagenham Road, Romford, Essex, RM7 0XU14 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
19 October 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
5 October 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher or lecturer
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- English
Working pattern
- Full time: 36 hours per week, Monday-Friday on site
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- £57,788 to £72,348 per year Including London Weighting, based on Experience
What skills and experience we're looking for
Our ideal Head of English should have the following qualifications, skills and experience:
- A genuine passion for English education and the ability to lead impactful improvement through innovation and effective curriculum leadership.
- A strong track record of improving learner outcomes, achievement and progression from a range of starting points.
- Proven success in leading curriculum improvement through evidence-informed practice, effective intervention and strong use of data.
- A strong understanding of current FE priorities, Ofsted expectations, awarding body requirements and quality assurance processes.
- Demonstrable experience of successful leadership and management within Further Education.
- Proven ability to develop and inspire high-performing teams, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Experience of working effectively with internal and external stakeholders to secure positive outcomes for learners.
- Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills.
Essential criteria:
- CertEd/PGCE or relevant teaching/training qualification
- Degree or equivalent qualification
- Managing in either the Adult Education or Further Education sector
- Working to frameworks and external requirements, including Ofsted and awarding bodies, and how they relate to the role.
- Planning provision to meet local and external needs
- Demonstrable experience in leading change that has resulted in performance improvements and improvements in teaching and learning
- Performance management of individuals and teams
- The ability to influence and motivate teams and individuals to support positive change
- Strong analytical skills (of both quantitative and qualitative data) and a proven ability to interpret and critique policy influencing teaching and learning and skills
- Effective team working with partners and colleagues
What the college offers its staff
We offer a competitive salary of £57,788 - £72,348 per annum (dependent on experience) alongside an excellent benefits package, including:
- Generous pension scheme
- 35 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
- Two-week Christmas closure
- Wellbeing days
- Free on-site gym and parking
- Subsidised hair and beauty treatments
- A wide range of staff benefits and development opportunities
Ready to make an impact? If you're excited by the opportunity to lead a high-profile curriculum area and drive outstanding outcomes for learners, we'd love to hear from you.
Barking & Dagenham College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All appointments are subject to appropriate safeguarding checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
We are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Further information about the job
The Head of English role:
The Head of Department (HoD) is responsible for the growth and performance of designated department(s) including teaching, learning and assessment practices and business planning.
Key Responsibilities of our Head of English:
You will lead the College's 16–18 English, Adult English and Community Learning provision, taking ownership of a high-profile curriculum area with genuine scope to influence learner achievement, attendance, progression, teaching quality and the overall learner experience.
You will:
- Work closely with the Vice Principal Curriculum & Quality to drive strategic development and continuous improvement across the College's English provision.
- Shape and develop a responsive, innovative and future-focused curriculum that meets learner needs, reflects learners' starting points and supports ambitious progression outcomes.
- Lead strategies that improve learner attendance, engagement, achievement and progression, ensuring English is recognised as a key contributor to learner success across the College.
- Be creative, forward-thinking and ambitious in developing innovative and technology-enabled approaches that enhance learner engagement, improve outcomes and support high-quality teaching and learning.
- Use performance, quality and learner voice data to identify priorities, implement interventions and secure sustained improvements in outcomes.
- Identify barriers to success, address performance gaps and take decisive action to improve the learner experience and achievement.
- Lead outstanding teaching, learning and assessment practices, embedding a culture of high expectations, accountability and continuous professional development.
- Work collaboratively with vocational curriculum teams and support services to embed literacy, aspiration and learner success across the wider curriculum.
- Deliver and oversee all aspects of the College's quality cycle, including observations, standardisation, performance monitoring, RARPA, verification processes, staff development and Ofsted readiness.
- Drive curriculum performance to achieve ambitious targets for attendance, achievement, progression and income.
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on college website (opens in new tab)Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Barking and Dagenham College
- Organisation type
- FE College, ages 16 to 99
- Education phase
- Sixth form or FE college
- Size
- No information available
- Age range
- 16 to 99
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- rachel.dinnes@bdc.ac.uk
Barking and Dagenham Further Education College is a forward thinking college, which is vibrant and committed to the success of our staff, learners, businesses and communities!
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