About The Role
Innovating Education. Empowering Success. Strengthening Our Community’s Future.
EKC Group are seeking to appoint a Deputy Head of Department to be in charge of our Junior College.
Responsibilities
You will be responsible for managing the statutory education of the pre‑16 provision and promoting very high standards in a positive and supportive culture that aspires to be outstanding.
As a Deputy Head you will be responsible for improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the department, monitoring key performance indicators and instigating swift and effective intervention.
Teaching hours
Your teaching hours will be carried out within our Junior College and could consist of a range of subjects dependent on your specialism and qualification. Our Junior College students currently study:
* GCSE Maths & English
* Vocational routes (Sport or Catering)
* Well‑Being
* Science/STEM
* Personal Growth & Well‑Being (PGW)
In the role of Deputy Head your responsibilities will include supporting the development of the Junior College curriculum, working with the Head of Department to implement the strategic plan for the area, and implementing the department’s quality improvement plan to enhance the student experience. You will also scrutinise and analyse data relating to the department at least monthly, including retention, achievement, attendance and student satisfaction, ensure its accuracy and implement timely and effective measures to drive improvement.
Benefits
* Generous Annual Leave – 38 days FTE per annum
* Learning and Development Opportunities – 3–4 annual paid group development days, bespoke programmes such as the First Line Manager Development Programme, and strong internal progression (1 in 3 roles are filled internally)
* Flexible Personal Leave – Time off for your child's first day at nursery or school, moving homes and for interviews
* Competitive Pension Scheme – 28%
* Exclusive Discounts & Perks – Includes restaurant, grocery, retail and holiday discounts, as well as car leasing and tech purchasing schemes, and an on‑site nursery
* Wellbeing and Health Support – Generous sick pay, counselling services, discounted gym membership at Canterbury College, free eye tests and glasses vouchers, flexible support for medical appointments and return‑to‑work support
* Culture and Recognition – Participation in Community Days, an Annual Staff Celebration Day, and a commitment to an eco‑friendly organisation dedicated to reaching net‑zero by 2030
About You
What are we looking for?
We are seeking a highly organised and enthusiastic individual to work alongside the Head of Department to oversee the running of our Junior College and full‑time study programmes.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record of implementing high standards and improvement within a department. The candidate should adopt a trauma‑informed approach to behaviour management and support our young people to achieve their qualifications while building lifelong skills for their future.
Ideally you will hold a teaching qualification and have a strong background in education. You will also be responsible for completing staff appraisals, teaching and learning observations, staff one‑to‑one meetings, and line‑managing a team of lecturers and support staff.
You will have experience in a further education and pre‑16 environment, supporting lecturing staff to deliver high‑quality teaching to young people, and will be the first point of contact for programme leaders when the Head of Department is off‑site.
No need to spend time updating your CV – just click apply and complete our short application form. You can save your progress as you go, and we’ll review all applications and get back to all candidates after the closing date.
If you are interested in an informal chat about the role, or have any queries, please email us on jobs@ekcgroup.ac.uk.
About Us
Outstanding Ofsted Provider
East Kent Colleges Group is an Ofsted Outstanding rated provider and the first General Further Education college organisation in the country to receive the Outstanding grade under each strand of the new Ofsted inspection framework. An inclusive provider, our colleagues place our students and the communities we serve at the heart of everything they do across EKC Group, illustrated by our ‘Strong’ skills grading by Ofsted.
Commitment to Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and ensure that all staff are aware of their responsibilities for upholding these principles.
As a designated establishment, we are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore have an obligation to carry out checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks include conviction/caution self‑declaration, Enhanced DBS check and sufficient referencing.
It is a criminal offence to apply for a post involving regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from doing so.
If you are shortlisted for interview, your suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults will be explored as part of the interview process.
Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
East Kent CollegesGroup is an equal‑opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all members of our communities. We are particularly keen to increase diversity in our staff body and encourage applicants where there is underrepresentation.
We are proud to hold the Positive About Disability Award and are a Disability Confident Employer. This confirms our commitment to interviewing all applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. For successful candidates, we will explore reasonable adjustments to the role due to health needs or disability.
Similarly, we have a commitment to Care Leavers (Care Covenant Pledge) and to current or previous Armed Forces personnel (Armed Forces Covenant Pledge) and will interview applicants who meet the essential criteria and have declared this on their application.
We welcome applications from anyone wishing to work flexibly and those considering a return to work from a career break.
We do not engage with agencies for permanent staff and have an in‑house recruitment team.
#J-18808-Ljbffr