An exciting opportunity for an experienced senior leader to shape system wide improvement and improve outcomes for children and young people known to social care.

All About the Role

We are seeking an exceptional senior leader to join the leadership team at Peterborough Virtual School and play a key role in driving continued improvement in outcomes for children and young people known to social care.

Working alongside the Virtual School Head Teacher, you will provide strategic leadership across an ambitious service promoting educational outcomes for children in care, children previously in care, children in kinship arrangements, children known to social care and care leavers. You will deputise for the Head Teacher, lead key areas of service development and represent the Virtual School across local, regional and national partnerships.

This role requires someone who can influence beyond their immediate area of responsibility. You will work with multi-agency stakeholders and partners to improve educational outcomes, remove barriers and drive sustainable change. You will lead strategic improvement activity, ensure the effective deployment of resources, use data to inform decision-making, and contribute to the wider development of education and children's services across Peterborough.

This is an opportunity to make a genuine difference at both an individual and system level, improving life chances for some of the city's most vulnerable children and young people. You will have the opportunity to shape strategic priorities locally whilst contributing to wider sector improvement through regional and national networks.

All About Our Team

Peterborough Virtual School is an ambitious and highly regarded service with a track record of improving outcomes for children and young people known to social care.

Working across education, social care and wider partnerships, we influence practice, build capacity and ensure children receive the support, opportunities and ambition they deserve. Our work is rooted in collaboration, evidence-informed practice and a relentless focus on improving outcomes.

For information about the other teams within the Virtual School, please visit our website https://learntogether.peterborough.gov.uk/peterborough-virtual-school 

All About You

You will be an experienced senior leader with a strong track record of delivering improvement in complex environments.

You will have significant leadership experience within education, inclusion, children's services, a Virtual School or a related service, together with the credibility to influence senior stakeholders and build effective partnerships.

We are looking for someone who can:

• Motivate and inspire others around a shared vision.
• Influence decision-making and drive improvement across organisational boundaries.
• Build strong relationships whilst providing robust support and challenge.
• Lead teams through change and continuous improvement.
• Use data, evidence and professional judgement to inform strategic decisions.
• Balance strategic thinking with effective delivery.

You will be passionate about improving the educational experiences and outcomes of children and young people known to social care and committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Most importantly, you will bring the leadership, resilience and ambition needed to influence systems, develop others and deliver lasting change.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact:

Nichola Phillips - nichola.phillips@peterborough.gov.uk

Interviews will be held on 30/9/2026

Our Benefits 
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme… 

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes 
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)  
• Access to car lease scheme 
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances 
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings 
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth 
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day 
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network 
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards 

Our Commitments 
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success. 

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.