Job vacancy details

 

The salary will be subject to experience and on the leadership scale (L11 – L19) which ranges from £76,498 to £92,480 plus Outer London Weighting of £3,382

 

Woodhouse College is one of the top-performing sixth form colleges in England, with large numbers of students each year progressing to Oxbridge, medical schools and leading research-intensive universities. It is academic in focus and appeals to students who are ambitious and, in the main, intend to go on to higher education. Being 16-19 only, it has the characteristics of a very large school sixth form, yet it has scale, diversity and a liberal, tolerant ethos often associated with colleges.

 

The College:

• is one of the most successful, academic SFCs in England

• has excellent staff, management and governance

• enjoys a well-deserved reputation and is over-subscribed

• benefits from a sound financial position

• has well-maintained buildings on a pleasant campus in North Finchley

• is secular, diverse and committed to equality and inclusion

• has an outstanding pastoral support and extra-curricular offer

• is focused on continuously improving

 

Woodhouse College converted to academy status in 2021 in order to open a maths school. In doing so, it formed a strategic partnership with Imperial College London to form the Frontier Learning Trust. The Trust is small, comprising just two organisations: the College and the Imperial College London Maths School which opened in September 2023.

 

The purpose of this full time SLT post is to lead on key academic processes which underpin the success of the College. The first is through the explanation and marketing of what the College offers and the subsequent student application and enrolment processes. These encourage thousands to apply and place hundreds of young people onto courses where they will thrive. The second is through the organising and oversight of internal and external exam series and related reports which allow students to rehearse what they need to do, learn from their mistakes and then perform at their best. In addition, the postholder will take operational charge of the College calendar to ensure logical planning, coherent communications and a highly textured, interesting programme where no two weeks are the same.

 

These key processes touch every part of the College and rely on close, cross-institution liaison. The postholder will do this as a member of a high-functioning, friendly and supportive Senior Leadership Team which meets weekly as a whole and as necessary in pairs and sub-groups so that we understand each other’s roles and our responsibilities are very much part of a collective endeavour.

 

Potential candidates wishing to discuss the post confidentially are invited to contact Lydia Antoni, HR Manager, on personnel@woodhouse.ac.uk or on 020 8492 8228 to arrange a call with Sugra Alibhai, Principal, on Friday afternoon.

 

The closing date for applications is 9.00 am on Friday 27 February 2026.

 

 

 

The College is a member of The Maple Group of leading sixth form colleges in England.

This post is a full-time senior leadership position centred around the organisation, leadership, evaluation and improvement of the regular, cyclical work which underpins ‘a year in the life of’ a sixth form college. The role leads on critical work that supports the success of the College. 

 

Specifically, this will include responsibility for: 

• Admissions and enrolment

• Exams – both internal and external

• Parental communications including reports

 

It will also include partial responsibility for two areas: 

• Marketing – especially marketing to potential students

• Establishing and communicating aspects of the College calendar

 

The post will involve the direct line management of the Registrations Manager and the Exams Manager. The role is also likely to involve line managing one of the Heads of Faculty.

 

The post holder will work closely with other SLT members as part of the leadership of the College and will report to the Principal. We will expect active participation in other key groups such as the College’s Curriculum Committee, and other, wider leadership groupings. We anticipate the postholder will teach the equivalent of a full set of A level classes each week – up to five hours. The precise details will depend on experience and our curriculum needs.

 

Woodhouse College is one of two institutions in the Frontier Learning Trust and whilst the focus of the role is very much on the life of the College it is anticipated that the postholder will rapidly form a good understanding and a close relationship with key staff at the Imperial College London Mathematics School so that its needs can be considered when required.

 

• Plan, lead, evaluate and improve admissions processes and communications

• Lead, manage, appraise and support staff with roles in exams and admissions.

• Take a leading role in marketing the College via the website and through in-person events, succinctly explaining our work to those who are considering applying

• Ensure enrolment is well-planned, efficiently fills the spaces we offer and is no more stressful than it needs to be

• Contribute to the process through which students can change their courses

• Ensure the cycle of internal exams is meeting needs, well-scheduled, understood and executed

• Lead the organising of external exams from exam entries to post-results services

• Explain to students the requirements of external examinations through assemblies and in other ways

• Have strategic oversight of the annual cycle of parental communications through emails, reports and parents’ evenings

• Plan the NEA cycle, communicating key information to staff, students and parents

• Contribute to staff induction and training

• Contribute to the work of the College as a tutor or teacher

• Oversee the organisation and facilitation of College events

 

• Plan the development of admissions, enrolment, exams, student marketing and parental communications both strategically and operationally.

• Evaluate and refine as necessary, the work of exams, admissions staff teams through self-assessment, use of data and other means

• Write reports and policies as required

• Line manage a faculty area

• Represent the College externally as appropriate

• Attend and report to meetings of the Trust and governing body as required

• Fully contribute to the leadership and management of the College as a whole, through participating in and seeing through decisions made by SLT

• Assist in the appointment of new staff

• Contribute to the ethos of the College and work to uphold its reputation in the community and more widely

• To undertake any other duties as reasonably directed by the Principal

 

1. A good honours degree and qualified teacher status along with a record of successful A level teaching

2. Knowledge and understanding of the particular needs of the 16-19 age group especially in relation to how they make choices, successful assessment and feedback processes and the right content, format, timing and volume for parental communications

3. Understanding and experience of leading and managing a significant area of work for this age group in a school or college setting

4. Experience of and commitment to promoting inclusion, equality and diversity in principle and practically so that all students experience effective communications, a fair admissions process, well-run enrolment and exams

5. Commitment to safeguarding the interests and needs of young people.

 

 

1. Excellent planning, organisation, ICT and administrative skills

2. Proven excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with a very wide range of prospective and current students, their families, colleagues and those working in other settings

3. Excellent inter-personal skills, emotional intelligence and the ability to work in a range of teams

4. Proven ability to work under pressure and to deadlines and to prioritise and manage personal workload

5. Humour, energy, creativity and enthusiasm

 

 

1. Strong track record in a middle or senior leadership role with the ability to lead, inspire, support and motivate teams, delegating and supervising effectively

2. Ability to manage simultaneous projects and annual processes well so that they are successful

3. The perspective and confidence to evaluate processes and organise their improvement with candour and humility

4. Confidence and disposition to represent the College externally

5. Ability to foster a culture of cooperation and collegiality as part of the leadership and other teams

6. Experience of analysing complex issues, drafting reports and policy documents.

 

 

Experience of any or all of the following:

• Line management and development of middle leaders

• Admissions and enrolment in a sixth form setting

• Exams planning and oversight

• Parental and whole cohort communications planning

• Educational marketing to students

For further information about the Trust, the department and for downloadable documents, please go to the following links. The links will no longer be accessible following the vacancy deadline.

 

 

Job description 

 

Person specification