JOB PURPOSE
The Careers and Data Lead is a dual-role position responsible for overseeing the effective management, analysis, and reporting of school data while also leading the school’s careers education, information, advice, and guidance programme. The post holder will play a key role in supporting school improvement, student outcomes, and strategic decision-making through accurate data management and high-quality careers provision.
The role combines strategic planning with operational delivery and requires excellent communication, IT, and organisational skills, together with a commitment to supporting student achievement and progression.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership
- Oversee the careers team, including teachers, administrators, external partners, and any other staff members who deliver careers guidance
- Prepare and implement a careers guidance development plan
- Review and evaluate careers guidance and provide information for school improvement planning, Ofsted, and other purposes
- Report on guidance advice to senior leaders and governors
- Understand the impacts of changing education landscapes for careers guidance
- Ensure compliance with the school’s legal requirements to provide independent careers guidance and publish the relevant information on the school’s website
- Lead the data strategy for the school to include all statutory data collections for the Department for Education, Census collections, data capture for internal exams, attendance analysis and general school data management
- To lead the running of the school MIS system and all data managed within it
Strategy
- Plan the programme of activity in careers guidance
- Brief and support staff members involved in careers guidance or who provide initial careers information
- Monitor the delivery of careers guidance across the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks
- Manage the work of careers staff and support tutors who are delivering careers advice
- Oversee the deployment of careers advisor for independent careers advice
- Manage the data collection, input and reporting annually across the school
- Oversee the data collection and statutory reporting to external bodies such as the DfE.
Co-ordination
- Manage the careers section of the school website, ensuring that information is accurate and up to date
- Work with the senior leadership team to deliver our school’s careers programme
- Manage the provision of career and labour market information
- Refer pupils to careers advisers
- Communicate with pupils and their parents
- Engage with relevant subject leaders (such as the PSHE lead) to plan their contribution to careers guidance
- Coordinate the data input and reporting through all school systems for student outcomes
- Work collaboratively with the senior leadership team and exams officer to ensure all data systems are used effectively to support student wellbeing and outcomes.
Networking
- Establish and develop links with further education colleges, apprenticeship providers, technical colleges and universities
- Establish and develop links with employers and work experience providers
- Negotiate a service level agreement with the local authority (LA) as appropriate
- Work with external organisations and external careers guidance services where appropriate
- Liaise with careers leaders in other schools and share best practice Secure funding for careers-related projects
- Maintain and grow a network of alumni who can help with the school’s careers programme
Safeguarding
- Work in line with statutory safeguarding guidance (e.g. Keeping Children Safe in Education, the Prevent duty guidance) and our safeguarding and child protection policies
- Work with the designated safeguarding lead to promote the best interests of pupils, including sharing concerns where necessary
- Promote the safeguarding of all pupils in the school
Managing own performance and development
- Prioritise and manage own time effectively.
- Achieve challenging professional goals.
- Take responsibility for own professional development and use the outcomes to improve the careers and data provisions in the school
Safeguarding Children
- Promote and safeguard the welfare of all students
- Adhere to the staff Conduct Guide and the Computing Code of Conduct.
Health and Safety
- To have due regard for issues of Health and Safety relating to staff, students and visitors
Other Specific Duties
Staff at UTC Reading are genuinely interested in distinctive and dynamic methods of teaching and learning. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment.
GROUP/ EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES
● To always work and act in accordance with the Trust’s Vision, Values and Strategic Plan
● To demonstrate professional behaviours and Attributes
● To be responsible for ensuring that the activities under your control are conducted in accordance with the safeguarding and health and safety
requirements of Activate Learning Education Trust’s policies and procedures
● To safeguard the welfare of children, young persons and other vulnerable people for whom you come into contact with, ensuring a learning
environment where students feel safe and supported, and British values are celebrated
● To be accountable for own safety and that of colleagues/ visitors to the workplace
● To work in a flexible manner and be willing to undertake other duties as reasonably requested
SALARY
£26,403 - £28,142 FTE (Pro rata £20,255 - 21,589 term time plus two weeks)
Work Location: In person
