Diocesan Schools Adviser
46,002 per year
Clayton House, Blackburn
Full-time
Listed today
Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education Ltd Job Description Job Title: Diocesan Schools Adviser Salary: Hours: £46,002 FTE (Two Year Temporary) 35 per week Location: Clayton House, Blackburn Responsible to: Head of Schools The Diocese of Blackburn The Diocese of Blackburn represents the Church of England in most of Lancashire and part of Wigan Metropolitan Borough, covering an area of 878 square miles with a population of 1.3 million. The Diocese is made up of two archdeaconries, Blackburn and Lancaster, with a total of fourteen Deaneries. There are 281 Churches, comprising around 226 parishes, with around 250 clergy (c. 200 stipendiary) and 230 licensed Readers. Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education The Diocese of Blackburn represents the Church of England across most of Lancashire and part of Wigan, supporting 191 Church of England schools in delivering high-quality education rooted in the Christian faith. The Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education (BDBE) works to support, challenge, and equip schools in delivering excellence in: leadership development • school effectiveness • Christian distinctiveness and spiritual development • • governance • curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment • organisational structures and academisation • safeguarding, wellbeing and inclusion • SEND and vulnerable learners Every school has an assigned School Advisor and receives a bespoke programme of support, challenge, and leadership development. The Role The Diocese of Blackburn seeks an experienced, relational and rigorous Diocesan Schools Advisor support, challenge, and strengthen school effectiveness across the Diocese. This post focuses on: leadership development • school effectiveness (policy, procedures, systems from a Christian perspective) • school improvement (learning, teaching, curriculum from a Christian perspective) • Christian distinctiveness, collective worship and spiritual development • • governance advice and training • admissions and appeals support • structures, partnerships and academisation pathways • SEND, inclusion and wellbeing (from a Christian perspective) Working as part of the School’s Team and reporting to the Head of Schools, the postholder will provide high-quality advisory support to headteachers, governors, clergy and school leaders, ensuring that every school is equipped to flourish academically, spiritually and organisationally. Key responsibilities 1. School Effectiveness and School Improvement • Provide high-quality advice, challenge and support to headteachers and senior leaders regarding school effectiveness from a Christian Perspective including leadership, policy, systems and culture. • Contribute to the diocesan statutory duty to monitor and support effectiveness across all CE schools. 2. Christian Distinctiveness (Core to the Role) • Support schools to articulate, live out, and evaluate their Christian vision. • Provide advice on SIAMS, collective worship and spiritual development. • Deliver training and guidance on RE (in line with diocesan expectations and the Blackburn RE syllabus). leaders • Equip to embed Christian character in behaviour, relationships, decision-making and curriculum. 3. Leadership Development • Contribute to diocesan leadership programmes, including aspiring leaders, new heads, and senior leader development. • Mentor new headteachers and support leadership transitions. • Provide coaching and reflective supervision for leaders as appropriate. • Support the development of Christian leaders who prioritise spiritual, moral and character formation. 4. SEND, Inclusion and Wellbeing • Support schools to meet the needs of pupils with SEND in line with the SEND Code of Practice. • Offer Christian-informed wellbeing support for leaders and staff. • Contribute to SEND networks, and developing specialist provision. • Contribute to the Abraham Network for schools serving majority of other faiths. 2 5. Contribution to Diocesan Systems and Governance • Prepare reports for the School Effectiveness Committee and other governance bodies. • Contribute to diocesan strategy, including Vision 2026/2033. • Support emergency or crisis response to schools as required. 6. Wider Expectations • Participate fully in the BDBE leadership team where appropriate. • Be available to deliver training, including occasional evenings. • Model the Christian values of the Diocese in all interactions. • Maintain accurate records of visits, reports and follow-up actions. Key relationships • Diocese: Collaborating with senior leadership, Diocesan Synod, and Board of Education members. • Schools and Academies: Working with headteachers, staff, and chaplains in Church of England and Methodist schools. Person Specification Criteria Faith Commitments Regular involvement in a church in membership of Churches Together in England, The Evangelical Alliance or North West Partnership. (This requires evidence of current church involvement and a clear indication of the applicant's beliefs in relation to a Church school) Qualifications and training Educated to degree level (or equivalent) Essential / Desirable Criteria Assessed by Appl/Int/Refs Essential A/I/R Essential A/R Qualified teacher with significant leadership experience Essential A/I/R Enhanced DBS clearance due to regular dealings with children and vulnerable groups Essential R NPQ or equivalent leadership qualification Desirable A/R Experience and Knowledge Successful leadership experience in a school Understanding of school improvement processes to enhance knowledge of school leader pressure Essential A/I Essential A/I Experience of evaluating teaching, learning and curriculum Essential A/I Familiarity with Ofsted and SIAMS frameworks Essential A/I 3 Experience of supporting/challenging school leaders Essential A/I Knowledge of Church of England vision for education and Christian distinctiveness Experience of working with governors and admissions Essential A/I Desirable A/I Understanding of SEND and inclusion systems Desirable A/I Personal Qualities and Attributes Occupational requirement: practising communicant Anglican or church in full communion Essential A/R Strong relational skills; able to build trust across diverse settings Essential A/I/R to deliver challenge with grace, wisdom and Able professionalism Essential A/I/R Excellent communicator—written and verbal Essential A/I Highly organised with the ability to manage support of multiple schools Essential A/I/R Reflective, resilient and committed to professional growth Essential A/I/R A team player with a positive, hopeful and solution-focused approach Essential A/I/R Able to travel effectively across the Diocese Essential A Outline of Terms and Conditions Employer: Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education Contract type: Temporary Salary: £46,002 FTE Hours: This is a full-time role based on a 35-hour working week, but the post holder may be required to work additional hours as to meet the reasonable requirements of the role. The post holder will be entitled to time off in lieu for attending meetings outside normal office hours which may include evenings and weekends. Location: The post holder will be based at the Blackburn Diocese Board of Education, Clayton House, Walker Office Park, Blackburn, BB1 2QE. The nature of the role requires regular travel around the diocese, and sometimes beyond. A smartphone and laptop can be provided to assist remote working. Pension: The default for staff is a Royal London Pension Scheme, 10% Employer contribution 2% minimum employee contribution. Clergy can opt into the Church of England Clergy Pension Scheme via a salary sacrifice. Details of this are available on request. 4 Annual leave: The full-time entitlement is 25 days (not including statutory bank holidays) in the first year of employment rising by 1 day per completed calendar year up to a maximum of 30 days per year. This is pro rata for part time employees. The holiday year runs from 1 January to 31 December. Probationary period: The appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period. Notice Period: During the six-month probationary period four-weeks’ notice is required on either party. Thereafter you will be required to give 12-weeks' notice should you wish to resign. Expenses: Working expenses are paid at the diocesan rates. Employee Assistance Programme: Employees of the BDBE are entitled to the Medicash Employee Assistance Programme following their second month of employment. Medicash is available to all employees whose contracts exceed 3-months from their continuous start date. Right to work: The post-holder must have the right to reside and work in the UK. Diversity - The Diocese of Blackburn believes that diversity enables us to thrive and develop and is committed to race equality, welcoming applications from UK Minority Ethnic/ Global Majority Heritage backgrounds The Diocese of Blackburn is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. Job Description Agreement Recruitment Manager’s signature HR Manager’s signature Date Date Preparation of Job Description Author of Job Description Iain Parks Date signed off Version 5