Job Description
The Difference is seeking a Head of the Inclusive Leadership Course to lead our year-long programme for senior school leaders, training 200+ headteachers, deputies and assistant heads annually to reduce lost learning and transform inclusion practice across England's schools.
This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for designing and delivering a sector-leading professional development programme, building strong relationships with school leaders and strategic partners, and capturing evidence of impact. The role will lead facilitation of regional cohorts, oversee quality assurance across all programme delivery, and work closely with MAT and LA leaders to scale understanding and reach.
The role requires regular national travel for programme delivery, regular office attendance and representing The Difference at conferences and sector events. You will work directly with the Deputy CEO to develop course content, identify opportunities for programme expansion, and ensure the course remains at the forefront of inclusion leadership practice.
We are looking for a confident leader with a strong track record in senior school leadership, programme design and delivery, and stakeholder management, alongside the ability to translate inclusion strategy into measurable outcomes for young people.
About The Difference
Every day, the equivalent of 5,500 children are suspended from England's schools, doubling their likelihood of being NEET by 24. The Difference is a young education charity founded to change this story through whole school inclusion. Since 2019, over 1,000 school leaders have completed the Inclusive Leadership Course. 94% report shifted knowledge of inclusion, and 64% of schools subsequently saw suspensions data buck national trends. The course has been the test bed for our Whole-School Approach to Inclusion, with principles now evident in the Schools White Paper.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead design of the Inclusive Leadership Course to ensure full engagement across the year and measurable improvement in Whole School Inclusion practice
- Lead facilitation on regional cohorts, building cohort buy-in and belonging while maintaining high engagement and satisfaction
- Design and execute evidence capture to provide timely, valuable data for The Difference Impact Strategy
- Stay informed of promising practice to ensure the course remains sector-leading, piloting new content before wider roll-out
- Represent The Difference through speaking engagements and writing
About You
Essential:
- Senior leadership experience in schools with a track record of leading inclusive work that gives credibility to stakeholder relationships
- Experience designing and delivering professional development that has led to improved student outcomes
- Proven ability to build teams with strong identities to deliver against ambitious targets
- Experience quality assuring autonomous staff in ways that empower while delivering consistent outcomes
- Strategic ability to juggle competing priorities, spot and mitigate risks, and identify opportunities
- Credibility to hold significant relationships with MAT CEOs, Directors of Children's Services and DfE
- Commitment to personal growth, including diagnosing your own development areas and using others' expertise
- Shared values with The Difference and personal commitment to improving life outcomes for young people
Desired:
- Insight through life or work into school experiences of over-excluded young people
- Product design experience building business cases for new services in the school sector
- Early-stage social enterprise or charity experience
Please see the attached Job Description for full role details and person specification.
We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector. As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and protected characteristics redacted where possible.
