Head of Achievement for Secondary and All Through Schools

The job requirements are detailed below. Essential qualifications, skills and experience are listed in the Job Descriptions/Person Specification which can be found under the attachments section below.

Job reference

REQ001926

Date posted

07/11/2025

Apply by

23/11/2025

Salary

£75,002 - £78,821, (plus 3 SPAs, £80,100 - £82,653)

Contractual hours

37

Basis

Full Time

Job category/type

Management

Job description

Mae'r ddogfen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg / This document is also available in Welsh.

Head of Achievement for Secondary and All-Through Schools

Soulbury Scale Point 26-29 £75,002 - £78,821, (plus 3 SPAs, £80,100 - £82,653)

This critical role sits within the Education and Inclusion Services Directorate which provides high quality support services to its 111 schools, which includes 52 learning support class provisions, four ALN schools (a further one in development) and two pupil referral units. As a member of the Education Directorate's supportive and aspirational senior management team, you will be instrumental in delivering effective strategic approaches to meeting the diverse needs of our learners, schools and communities.

The Education Directorate has 12 secondary and five all-through schools, four ALN schools with secondary provision, and one secondary Pupil Referral Unit. Robust partnerships have been forged between the local authority and our schools, which has strengthened our collective drive to ensuring that we have effective leadership and governance in our schools and that all learners access the highest quality provision, and teaching and learning experiences. Ensuring that all learners, irrespective of their personal circumstances and needs, make good progress and are supported to overcome barriers to learning is our core purpose.

Despite a very positive Estyn inspection of Rhondda Cynon Taf Education and Inclusion Services in 2023 and improving school inspection and learner outcomes, there is still work to be done in ensuring continuous improvement across our services and schools. We are seeking a highly effective leader to ensure that our expectations for our learners and schools continue to be aspirational, and who can provide the right balance of support and challenge so that further school and service improvements are realised.

Our new school improvement model is based on a collaborative model and the post holder will be actively involved in encouraging school-to-school working, shared responsibility, and a shift from competition to collaboration, where leaders play a key role in sharing best practice and supporting each other to raise standards across the system. The Head of Achievement for Secondary and All-Through Schools will focus on ensuring that the Directorate is well placed to respond effectively to current and future challenges, reshaping services to meet evolving needs where required and the delivery of high performing support services for our schools.

As the strategic lead for secondary/all through school improvement, a proven track record in delivering high quality services and effective working with schools and partners will be key. If you are a creative strategic and solution focused thinker, committed to continuous improvement and forging strong relationships we would love to hear from you.

For further information, please contact Gaynor Davies, Director of Education and Inclusion Services at , or Tim Britton, Head of Primary Achievement and School Improvement at .

Interviews will be held on 16/12/2025.

Protecting children and vulnerable adults is a core responsibility of all staff appointed to the Council.

In addition to this safeguarding responsibility, the successful applicant for this role will also be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

The Council values diversity in its workforce. We are committed to ensuring that no unlawful discrimination occurs in the recruitment and selection process on the grounds of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, transgender, including those with non-binary identities, religion or belief or pregnancy and maternity. We offer a number of staff networks for employees including the Allies Network, a Disability and Carers Network and Perthyn our LGBTQ+ Network.

An application submitted for this post in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English.

As part of the Council's longer term objectives in relation to the Welsh language and its Workforce Planning Strategy, it is committed to a guaranteed interview scheme for Welsh-speakers of Level 3 and above. If you meet the essential criteria as identified in the person specification for the job and are a Welsh-speaker of Level 3 and above, you will be invited to interview if you choose to participate in the scheme.

In support of the Council's voluntary pledge to support the Armed Forces, the recruiter must always be prepared to ensure that applicants who have identified themselves as members of the Armed Forces including Service Leavers, Veterans or Reservists and who meet the essential criteria of the person specification, are offered an interview.