Welcome to Aurora Foxes, a specialist college and training hotel for young people with learning disabilities, situated in the friendly seaside town of Minehead. Foxes is a very special place.

We believe in changing lives and giving our students the skills, knowledge, and confidence to successfully shape their own future. Our aim is to equip our young adults with the life and hospitality skills to become work ready, life ready.

Your Role

The Head of Education provides both strategic and operational leadership for the quality of education across the college, including curriculum, teaching, learning, assessment and student outcomes.

Working closely with the Principal, you will set a clear direction for high-quality, ambitious provision, ensuring this is consistently delivered through strong leadership, clear systems and a culture of high expectations.

This role requires an experienced senior leader who is confident leading within a specialist SEND environment. You will bring strong experience of delivering high-quality education for learners with SEND, ensuring that provision is tailored, inclusive and outcomes-focused.

You will lead the development of an inclusive, well-sequenced curriculum that enables students with SEND to achieve meaningful outcomes aligned to their EHCPs and Preparing for Adulthood goals. You'll also play a key role in driving continuous improvement, developing staff, and ensuring the education offer remains responsive, relevant and in line with the college's wider vision.

Given the needs of the team, this role requires someone who can step in and lead from the outset, bringing established leadership experience and the ability to support and develop others.

In addition, you will maintain oversight of safeguarding within education, ensuring that student welfare remains at the heart of all aspects of practice.

Please see the link below for our full job description:

Job Description: Head of Education JD - 2026.docx

Successful candidate qualities:

• Cert Ed, or PGCE with QTS or QTLS
• Degree or equivalent relevant qualification
• Experience working within a specialist SEND and/or post-16 setting
• Substantial senior leadership experience in an education setting
• Significant experience of working with learners with SEND, including EHCPs and Preparing for Adulthood outcomes
• Strong understanding of high‑quality education, including curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment
• Proven ability to lead curriculum development and improve educational outcomes
• Experience of quality assurance, self‑assessment and improvement planning
• Strong people‑management skills, including staff development and performance management
• Secure knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities and statutory requirements
• Ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams

Desirable

• Postgraduate or leadership qualification
• Experience of leading through inspection or external review
• Knowledge of funding and compliance within specialist education

How to apply?

For candidates that haven't worked in this sector before please be aware that for regulatory reasons the application process is far more detailed and thorough compared to other sectors.

Please complete the online application form in full, including all employment and education details, and provide a personal statement that makes us keen to speak to you.

If you need any assistance or would like any more information, please contact Adele in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at Adele.richard@theauroragroup.co.uk

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.

This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled. 

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.