Job title: Assistant Principal – Curriculum – Petty Pool College, Cheshire
Salary: £45,011.87 – £51,652.15
Hours: Term Time 35 hours per week, Permanent
Main geographical location of role: Petty Pool College, Pool Lane, Sandiway, Cheshire, CW8 2DR
Closing date: 21 June 2026
Where do applicants need to apply (preferred option): https://www.pettypool.org.uk/job/assistant-principal-curriculum/
Where do applicants need to apply (secondary option): recruitment@pettypool.org.uk
Job Description
Job Title: Assistant Principal – Curriculum
Reporting to: Vice Principal
Line Management: Curriculum Managers, Careers & Futures Lead
Location: Petty Pool Trust, Pool Lane, Sandiway, Cheshire, CW8 2DR
Contract: Term Time 35 hours per week, Permanent
Salary: £45,011.87 – £51,652.15
DBS: Enhanced check required
Role Purpose
The Assistant Principal for Curriculum is a senior leader responsible for driving the quality of education across Petty Pool College and ensuring learners with SEND receive an ambitious, inclusive and impactful curriculum that prepares them for adulthood, independence, employment and meaningful futures.
The role provides strategic leadership for curriculum design, teaching, learning, assessment, learner progress, destinations and quality improvement across the college. The Assistant Principal will lead Curriculum Managers and work closely with the Quality & Standards Lead to ensure the college remains inspection ready, evidence-informed and aligned to the expectations of the Ofsted Further Education and Skills Inspection Toolkit.
The Assistant Principal will champion a culture of high expectations, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement, ensuring learners make strong progress from their starting points and achieve the very best outcomes possible.
The role focuses on five key areas:
- Strategic Curriculum Leadership
- Quality of Education
- Leadership & Staff Development
- Learner Progress & Outcomes
- Careers, Destinations & Preparation for Adulthood
The Assistant Principal will play a key role in shaping the future direction of Petty Pool College as the organisation continues to grow following independence.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Curriculum Leadership
Provide strategic leadership for the design, implementation and continuous development of an ambitious and progressive curriculum offer for learners with SEND.
Ensure the curriculum:
- Prepares learners effectively for adulthood, independence and employment
- Reflects learner aspirations, EHCP outcomes and preparation for adulthood priorities
- Responds to local labour market intelligence, employer needs and Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs)
- Promotes meaningful destinations including employment, supported internships, volunteering, independent living and further learning
- Embeds Functional Skills meaningfully across the curriculum
- Remains innovative, relevant and responsive to emerging national priorities and opportunities
Lead curriculum planning and review processes to ensure curriculum pathways remain purposeful, coherent and impactful.
2. Quality of Education & Inspection Readiness
Lead and quality assure teaching, learning and assessment across the college, ensuring a consistently high-quality learner experience.
Work closely with the Quality & Standards Lead to:
- Drive continuous quality improvement
- Monitor the impact of teaching and learning
- Analyse learner progress and outcomes
- Evaluate curriculum effectiveness
- Lead self-assessment and improvement planning processes
- Prepare for external inspection, audit and awarding body activity
Ensure leaders and staff understand and deliver against the expectations of the Ofsted Further Education and Skills Inspection Toolkit, particularly around:
- Curriculum, teaching and training
- Achievement and learner progress from starting points
- Inclusion
- Safeguarding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Participation and development
- Preparation for adulthood and destinations
Oversee:
- Learning walks and quality assurance activities
- Curriculum reviews and deep dives
- Standardisation and moderation processes
- RARPA and non-accredited provision
- Internal verification and awarding body compliance
- Quality improvement actions and impact monitoring
Ensure all curriculum areas remain inspection ready at all times.
3. Leadership & Staff Development
Line manage Curriculum Managers and the Careers & Futures Lead, ensuring strong leadership, accountability and support across curriculum and learner progression functions.
Develop a positive leadership culture where:
- Staff feel supported, challenged and valued
- Expectations are clear and consistently applied
- Professional development is prioritised
- Learner-centred practice remains at the heart of decision-making
Support Curriculum Managers to effectively lead:
- Teachers and Learner Mentors
- Curriculum quality and learner progress
- Staff wellbeing and performance
- Attendance, behaviour and safeguarding responses
- Timetabling and operational delivery
Lead and coordinate curriculum-related CPD and professional development aligned to:
- College priorities
- Inspection findings
- Emerging SEND and FE practice
- Staff development needs
Act as a visible and credible leader across the college.
4. Learner Progress, Outcomes & Inclusion
Lead robust systems for monitoring learner progress, attendance, behaviour, achievement and destinations across the college.
Ensure:
- Learners make strong progress from their starting points
- Learners at risk are identified early and supported effectively
- EHCP outcomes meaningfully inform curriculum planning and review
- Vocational, Functional Skills and non-accredited outcomes are tracked rigorously
- Learner voice informs improvement activity
- Learners receive ambitious support and challenge regardless of need
Use data intelligently to identify strengths, trends, risks and areas for improvement, ensuring swift and effective intervention where required.
Work collaboratively with safeguarding, inclusion and pastoral teams to ensure learners receive joined-up support that enables them to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
5. Careers, Destinations & Employer Engagement
Provide strategic oversight of careers education, transitions and destination planning through the line management of the Careers & Futures Lead.
Ensure learners receive high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance that:
- Raises aspirations
- Supports informed decision-making
- Reflects Gatsby Benchmarks
- Prepares learners for adulthood and employment pathways
Oversee destination planning and progression processes to ensure learners transition successfully into:
- Employment
- Supported internships
- Volunteering
- Further learning
- Independent or supported living opportunities
Support the development of strong employer and community partnerships that enhance learner opportunities and experiences.
Promote a culture where employment and meaningful futures are viewed as achievable outcomes for all learners.
Non-Negotiable Expectations
The Assistant Principal for Curriculum is expected to:
- Be highly visible across the college
- Know curriculum strengths, risks and priorities in detail
- Maintain high expectations for quality, professionalism and learner outcomes
- Ensure robust accountability systems are in place
- Drive improvement through evidence-informed leadership
- Lead self-assessment and improvement planning effectively
- Ensure all curriculum areas are inspection ready
- Promote ambitious outcomes for learners with SEND
- Develop and support effective middle leaders
- Champion a positive and inclusive culture for learners and staff
Person Specification
Essential
- Qualified teacher status or recognised teaching qualification
- Leadership experience within FE, SEND or inclusive education
- Strong understanding of the SEND Code of Practice and Preparation for Adulthood agenda
- Experience of leading curriculum quality improvement
- Experience of managing staff teams and developing middle leaders
- Strong understanding of teaching, learning and assessment
- Experience of analysing data to drive improvement
- Knowledge of the Ofsted FE & Skills Inspection Toolkit
- Experience of self-assessment and quality improvement planning
- Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills
- Commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and high expectations
Desirable
- Leadership or management qualification
- Experience of inspection leadership or nominee activity
- Experience within specialist SEND provision
- Knowledge of supported internships, careers education and employment pathways
- Experience of curriculum innovation and employer engagement
Safeguarding & Professional Expectations
Petty Pool College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment.
The post holder will be expected to uphold the values, policies and professional standards of the college at all times and undertake any other duties reasonably required within the scope of the role.
Staff Benefits
- Working 41 weeks per year (term time) 11 weeks holiday
- On-site parking
- Company Sick pay (after passing probationary period)
- Employee Assistant Programme
- Free meals when commuting by car sharing, walking, or cycling
- Bike rack
- Company pension
- Smart casual dress
Please submit applications by 9:00am Monday 22 June 2026. Interviews to be held Monday 29 June 2026.