Interim School Organisation Officer

Salary: £37 / Hour
Specialism: SEND
Location: Ealing

We are seeking an Interim School Organisation Officer to support the Council’s work on school place planning, school organisation and the sufficiency of mainstream and specialist provision. 

This is an important role at a time of significant demographic change and increasing pressure on education provision. You will provide practical, analytical and project management support across a range of school organisation and sufficiency priorities, helping the Council to plan sustainable and inclusive provision across the borough.  

About the role 

Working closely with the Head of Education Planning, Resources and Sustainability, you will: 

• support the development and delivery of school organisation and place-planning activity; 

• analyse pupil numbers, admissions, demographic, housing and school-capacity data to identify current and future demand; 

• contribute to planning for mainstream, specialist and SEND provision; 

• support options appraisals and business cases for changes including school expansions, reductions, amalgamations, closures, relocations and/or age-range changes; 

• coordinate statutory school organisation processes and ensure that projects meet relevant legislative, governance and timetable requirements; 

• support with preparing clear consultation documents, reports, public notices, briefings and decision-making papers; 

• support public and stakeholder consultation, including engagement with schools, academy trusts, governors, parents, residents and elected members; 

• monitor project milestones, risks, issues and dependencies; and 

• work collaboratively with colleagues across SEND, admissions, finance, property, legal, communications and policy.  

About you 

We are looking for someone who can quickly become effective in the role and provide additional capacity for a busy and high-profile area of work. 

You will ideally bring: 

• experience of school place planning, admissions or school organisation work;  

• experience of SEND sufficiency planning or SEND-related projects; 

• a good understanding of the education system and the local authority’s role in securing sufficient education provision; 

• knowledge of statutory school organisation and public consultation processes; 

• strong analytical skills, including experience of working with complex datasets, demographic information or forecasts; 

• excellent report-writing skills and the ability to present complex information clearly; 

• effective project management and organisational skills; 

• confidence in working with schools, academy trusts, governors, elected members, senior officers and other stakeholders; 

• the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines; and 

• advanced Microsoft Excel and data-management skills.  

You will be collaborative, politically aware and solutions-focused, with a commitment to inclusion, equality and improving outcomes for children and young people. 

Why Choose Ackerman Pierce? 

Ackerman Pierce calls upon over 15 years' worth of experience in recruiting directly into the Social Work Sector. We can offer a unique experience within recruitment where you have your own personal consultant, a DBS and Compliance service with a quick and easy registration process. We pride ourselves on a guaranteed weekly payment process. 

To discuss this vacancy further or any other opportunities, please contact Elise Revett or email in your updated CV to us at Ackerman Pierce.