Project Coordinator
Project Overview
Children North East, Resolve Poverty and the Welsh Government are partnering to deliver a three-year programme designed to reduce the cost of the school day and lessen the impact of poverty on learners across Wales. Running from April 2026 to April 2029, the initiative will support schools, local authorities, learners and families to remove financial barriers to education and ensure every child can thrive, whatever their economic circumstances. This work forms a central part of the Welsh Government’s commitment to equity in education and its wider mission to tackle child poverty.
The programme will help schools, settings, governing bodies and education staff identify the barriers to attendance, engagement and attainment that arise from economic circumstances. It will provide evidence-based support, professional learning and guidance to help achieve equity in provision.
A key focus will be contributing to a national conversation about poverty and its impact on learners, using learner voice to challenge stigma and unconscious bias. The programme will also support schools in removing barriers linked to the poverty related attainment gap and develop a consistent bank of resources and guidance to promote non stigmatising practice across the Welsh education system.
Alongside this, it will strengthen local authority initiatives aimed at tackling the impact of poverty on education and help coordinate national efforts. It will also contribute to the development of professional learning for the teaching workforce - from initial teacher education through to NPQH candidates - ensuring that issues of equity and poverty are embedded throughout the system.
Purpose of the Role
The successful candidate will be responsible for developing this project, with support from our existing Poverty Proofing Coordinators and the Poverty Proofing the School Day Team manager, based in North East England and the West Midlands.
Working alongside a Policy Officer and Communications Executive, this role will have support from other Poverty Proofing the School Day Coordinators based in North East England and the West Midlands.
This role will be home-based with regular travel throughout Wales, and occasionally to North East England.
Line Management
· This role will be line managed by the Poverty Proofing the School Day Team Manager.
· Line-manage sessional staff and volunteers as needed.
Main Responsibilities
Lead the development of a representative, bilingual national learners’ network to gather and amplify the voices of learners experiencing poverty in education.
· Engage and recruit learners across Wales.
· Create and deliver training that empowers young people to co-design and co-produce poverty-aware resources and approaches, ensuring that Welsh Government accessibility standards are met.
· Coordinate participation opportunities for children, young people and families for them to develop skills, build confidence and influence decisions as active partners.
· Apply a Children’s Rights Approach in all aspects of the work.
Support the development of a bilingual national educators’ network.
· Provide training and guidance to the education workforce and local authorities to reduce school-day costs and eliminate poverty stigma.
· Recruit partners across the Welsh education system and coordinate a national bilingual network focused on reducing costs and stigma, strengthening understanding of and support for Welsh Government priorities.
· Create new learning opportunities to help educators access resources and approaches that reduce poverty related stigma and lower school costs for pupils.
Support the Senior Policy Officer to engage with local, regional and Welsh Government teams.
· Contribute to planning sessions and policy workshops as required.
· Share insights and data from delivery to support policy refinement.
· Support the Local Authority Policy Network and Advice events.
Implement and manage monitoring and evaluation
· Implement an agreed monitoring and evaluation framework, and track progress against milestones and agreed outcomes.
· Collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data for continuous improvement, providing evidence-based reporting and supporting external audits or reviews if required.
Develop, manage and maintain stakeholder relationships
· Build new relationships with a view to solutions-based collaboration.
· Maintain up-to-date and accurate record keeping.
Promote the project through conference speaking, events and contributions to publications, including coordinating a national conference in Year 3.
The Salary is 29,024 to £31,856 per annum (Scale Points 29-32).
This role is fixed term until 31st March 2029.
A normal working week is 37 hours per week.
How to Apply
Please visit the “Our Vacancies” section of our website at www.children-ne.org.uk/work-with-us/vacancies to apply. Please note CVs will not be accepted.
We welcome a diverse range of applications and are passionate about promoting equality, and valuing diversity. We welcome applications from all suitable qualified persons particularly black, Asian and minority ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce.
Contact
Please contact Lorna Nicoll, Operational Lead – Poverty Proofing, if you have any questions regarding the role - [email protected]
Pay: £29,024.00-£31,856.00 per year
Work Location: On the road
