PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS (THE CHILDREN'S ACT 1989)
Any offers of appointment will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (formerly CRB), a certificate of good conduct if applicable, plus receipt of satisfactory references, Occupational Health clearance, an understanding of safeguarding and qualifications verification. An Enhanced DBS check is required for this position as you will be working within 'Regulated Activity' within a specific place (i.e. the College).
This role is classed as working within Regulated Activity. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. By applying for this position, you agree to an Enhanced DBS check in line with DBS regulations.
BACKGROUND TO THE POST
The HE Subject Leader is responsible for the management of a specialist subject area, with direct accountability for the success and positive progression of the higher education student cohort under the leadership of the Dean of Higher Education.
The post holder will ensure that each student in the specialist subject area has access to and receives an outstanding experience including high quality teaching, learning and assessment that will ensure our students develop WCG employability skills to gain a competitive advantage as they progress towards and along their chosen careers.
Whilst working within the core values and through continuous improvement, the post holder will develop the specialist subject are to meet or exceed the College's KPIs.
The person appointed will report to the Dean of Higher Education.
MAIN TASKS
1) Teaching, Learning & Assessment
Teaching – to teach an agreed number of hours. The post holder will teach up to 684 hours per annum. Teaching hours will be reviewed annually, the target agreed based upon the extent of the management duties.
2) Management
Line Management - to undertake line management of staff in the specialist subject area.
Subject Promotion – to support the recruitment of students in the specialist subject area
Subject Organising – the post holder will have responsibility for ensuring that all planned activity is appropriately organised within the area.
Resources – to ensure resources for students are fit for purpose and regular reviews are undertaken to improve their quality in conjunction with the Dean.
3) Quality improvement
Annual Review Cycle – the post holder will have responsibility for monitoring quality and ensuring appropriate quality improvement strategies are deployed during the academic year and will prepare the annual review document for the subject specialist courses in the area.
Student Experience – the post holder will have responsibility for improving the experience of the higher education students at each stage of the student life-cycle and undertake regular 'staff-student liaison groups'.
External liaison – the post holder will have responsibility for ensuring that they and their teams are networked within their subject area to the benefit of their students; to ensure placement opportunities are in place, to develop employability skills and behaviours with students and liaise with industry advisors to ensure course content is current and relevant.
Subject Quality - the post holder will have the responsibility to adhere to the quality requirements set out by the Quality Directorate including internal verification, preparation for Assessment Boards, ensuring surveys are completed and followed up on, attendance at quality review meetings plus any further requirements.
Student Recruitment and outcomes – Meeting recruitment targets, student retention and achievement, learning gain and graduate outcomes.
To be successful in the role the post holder will need to demonstrate:
A. Core Teaching Competencies
B. Planning and Organising Learning
● Plan appropriate, effective, coherent and inclusive learning programmes that promote equality and engage with diversity.
● Plan teaching sessions which meet the aims and needs of individual students and groups, using a variety of resources, including new emerging technologies.
Demonstrating teaching and learning skills
● Apply the principles of learning to provide learning activities which meet specialist subject area requirements and the needs of all students in their group.
● Select the relevant learning approaches and skill development to ensure students' progress in their lessons.
C. Demonstrating assessment skills
● Apply the theories and principles of assessment including diagnostic, formative and summative assessment.
● Use a variety of methods to check learning in their lessons
● Provide regular and timely feedback to students to enable them to improve and .achieve their qualifications.
● Prepare their students for summative assessment whether this be for an exam, coursework or assignments etc.
D. Driving student access and progression
● Provide prospective students with appropriate information about the College and its courses to enable them make informed choices at interview.
● Support students to progress beyond their course, and refer them to appropriate information and guidance.
E. Taking responsibility for subject specialist knowledge
● Update their own subject specialist knowledge to ensure the currency of their personal specialist teaching.
● Convey enthusiasm for their own specialist area to their students.
Managing personal learning and development
● Engage in annual continuing professional development and scholarly activity to improve teaching and learning practice and update subject specialist knowledge.
● Undertake reflection and self-evaluation of own practice and continuing professional development.
● Comply with the College expectations of professional conduct.
F. Core Management Competencies
General
● To have experience and a full understanding of the management of specialist subject area, staffing and courses in a specialist subject area.
● To manage specialist subject area and staffing.
● To have a demonstrable record of excellent student success in an area within the specialist subject area based on the utilisation of data, student feedback and emerging trends.
● To have a full understanding and knowledge of safeguarding.
● To be able to facilitate improvement and innovation.
Planning
● To be able to effectively and collaboratively plan the delivery strategy for the specialist subject area.
● To be able to identify innovation that supports teaching and learning, and plan the best and most suitable delivery to ensure student success.
● To be able to effectively plan the courses, staff, resources and timetables to create an effective learning environment that generates success for students.
● To be able to effectively plan work experience that will enable students to gain employability skills
● To be able to work effectively and collaboratively with commercial operations and other departments within the College to meet the students' needs.
● To be able to effectively plan an enterprising specialist subject area, including new developments.
● To be able to develop and deploy the appropriate resources in the most cost effective way, delivering continuous improvements and the best outcome for the student.
Organising
● To be able to prioritise, organise and utilise resources to deliver to time, and agreed quality standards.
Monitoring
● To be able to monitor and improve performance.
● To be able to drive continuous improvement and monitor progress to ensure the specialist subject area is outstanding in all products and services and remains responsive to customer needs.
● To encourage others to embrace innovation and enterprise as improvement opportunities.
● To take ownership for improvements in performance and be able to evaluate the outcomes using appropriate benchmarks within the area.
● To lead appropriate moderation/verification to ensure compliance with awarding institution criteria.
● To work proactively and consistently within the area to achieve greater efficiencies and benefits for students.
Evaluation
● To support the Dean to evaluate options and make decisions based on the value added for the customer and the business.
● To support the Dean with the implementation of potentially challenging management decisions designed to bring about improvements.
● To actively encourage continual dialogue with students and employers based on their needs, and engage them where possible in decision making.
Manager Qualities
● To manage transformational change within the area, empowering staff to make a difference and benefit end users.
● To be able to provide, support and encouragement to enable teams to perform to their full capacity and achieve all goals and KPI's.
● To be able to contribute to a team culture which is supportive of and aligns with the College Core Values.
● To expect and demand high standards in all aspects of the area.
● To act as a role model and champion of College Core values.
Focussing on targets and results
● To be able to monitor and provide support to enhance the specialist subject area.
● To be able to clearly define success criteria, targets and goals for self and team within the specialist subject area.
● To be able to work with, persuade and influence others in embracing beneficial change.
Managing people positively
● To be able to demonstrate honesty, integrity and a tolerance of different working styles.
● To be able to demonstrate a flexible attitude to team roles and share own knowledge, experience and skills to enable others to meet team and College goals.
● To be able to inspire others.
● To actively encourage student led/ student centred teams.
● To continually develop own personal expertise.
Communications
● To be able to clearly articulate and translate strategy into the area of responsibility.
● To be able to hold genuinely open discussions, listening to others views, and showing a willingness to compromise for the good of the College.
● To be able to give and receive 360 degree feedback to improve both self and team performance, welcoming contributions from all levels of the organisation as learning opportunities.
● The post holder will be required to attend the Dean's fortnightly Monday afternoon meeting.
In order to support during busy exam periods, you may be asked to undertake exam invigilator duties. The College will provide training.
The list of duties is not exhaustive but outlines the main features of the post at appointment and may vary as the job evolves without affecting the nature of the duties or the responsibility level.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Student experience;
1. Student outcomes;
2. Development of the specialist subject area;
3. Driving student access and progression including promotion and recruitment of students;
4. Quality improvement;
5. Performance and management of staff within the area;
6. Efficient delivery models;
7. Delivery of all higher education provision in line with the College Strategy;
8. Progressive application of technologies to enhance learning;
9. Awarding institution compliance; and
10. Effective work with internal and external partners to ensure priorities are met.
In order to support during busy exam periods, you may be asked to undertake exam invigilator duties. The College will provide training.
The list of duties is not exhaustive but outlines the main features of the post at appointment and may vary as the job evolves without affecting the nature of the duties or the responsibility level.
HOURS OF WORK
The post holder will be expected to work such hours as are necessary for the proper performance of their duties and responsibilities, normally 37 hours per week.
LEAVE ENTITLEMENT
The College offers a generous leave entitlement of 48 days leave (includes 35 days leave, 8 statutory Bank Holidays, 4 College closure days at Christmas and an annual Relaxed Day) pro rata for part time.
PLACE OF WORK
The principal places of work will be Leamington Spa College. However, the post holder may be required to work on either a temporary or an indefinite basis at any premises at which we may provide services.
OFFERS OF WORK
For the successful candidate a conditional offer of work will be made. Our offer of work will be conditional upon a number of mandatory pre-employment checks, to include but not limited to: DBS, Barred List check, right to work check, internet search, TRA check (academic posts).
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
When you join WCG we offer you a whole host of employee benefits, including:
● The opportunity to apply for Hybrid working
● Generous leave entitlement plus up to 4 free College Closure days a year
● Comprehensive training programme
● Leadership & Management training programme to develop our next generation of managers
● Superb health and wellbeing support with
● The opportunity to join our voluntary health cash plan run by Health Shield
● Free on-site gym
● Discounted Full Cost Recovery courses
● Cycle to work scheme
● Discounted hair & beauty treatments in our college salons
● Pension schemes
● Free will writing service
● Free car parking on-site
TEACHING QUALIFICATIONS
The College values having a fully trained workforce to provide outstanding instructing and learning for our students, and has supportive teacher training pathways to help new colleagues thrive from day one. All student facing staff will be enrolled on our 8 week Teaching Essentials course as part of our onboarding programme.
And if you're not yet teacher qualified, don't worry — you'll follow a tailored training route linked to your role, with full guidance from our Quality Department after your appointment to get on to the Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET).
Essential Attainments:
* Honours degree (level 6) in a subject related to the specialist subject area (Business).
* Teacher qualified to level 5 (such as a DET or PGCE), or Fellow of the HE Academy
Desirable Attainments:
* Master's Degree (level 7)
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £36,362.00-£43,866.00 per year
Benefits:
* On-site parking
Work Location: In person