Applicant Portal

About Us:

Supporting Education Group is an investor-backed provider of services to schools, school groups and government, with £300m turnover, 1,400 staff and 50 locations across the UK. Our mission is to enhance learning and life chances for all. 

Our culture is positive, values and mission-driven, commercial and aspirational. 

We deliver Professional Services (such as legal advice, finance, HR and compliance), Staffing (over a million days delivered in schools annually), the complete ‘Golden thread’ of Qualifications from Initial Teacher Training to Executive School Leadership, Tuition to tens of thousands of pupils in schools and alternative provision, and software systems for schools to manage their people, finances and data. 

Thrive is our brand for delivering mental health and wellbeing training, software and services to schools, school groups, and through contracts with local and central government. Our Thrive products are based on rich expertise in this field and are receiving investment for growth and development. (www.thriveapproach.com)

What's the Role About?

At Thrive, we are building a new team who will be committed to delivering outstanding apprenticeship and training programmes. Our goal is to support the development and success of our learners through high-quality teaching, coaching, and mentoring.  

As we continue to expand our impact, we are seeking a dynamic and strategic leader to spearhead our ambitions as the Head of Apprenticeship Delivery. 

The Head of Apprenticeship Delivery will provide strategic leadership, development, and delivery of Thrive Apprenticeship Standards and government-funded training programs. This role is crucial in achieving quality, impact and commercial performance indicators, as well as fulfilling Department for Education and ESFA/EQA contractual requirements. The initial focus will be on launching apprenticeship training and overseeing the End-Point Assessment process. 

Day-to-day, the Head of Apprenticeship Delivery will: 

• Establish and grow the Apprenticeship function, setting the vision and culture for the team, as well as motivating and supporting them. 

• Stay informed about the apprenticeship and education market, maintaining professional knowledge, and ensuring continual staff training and qualifications to meet regulatory requirements. 

• Lead the design and development of apprenticeship training within agreed parameters, engaging employers and collaborating with the Product Team. 

• Manage data collection and reporting to achieve targets, reduce costs, and deliver excellent customer service. 

• Partner with cross-functional teams to embed and improve tools, systems, and reporting. 

• Ensure high-quality standards to achieve excellent apprenticeship completion rates and high NPS scores. 

• Collaborate with Marketing to develop partnerships and manage relationships, increasing profile and opportunities. 

• Achieve growth in apprentice recruitment, setting annual targets, and engaging with Marketing on strategies. 

• Design evaluation and quality frameworks to meet Ofsted requirements and achieve an Outstanding rating. 

• Achieve contractual KPIs and measures from ESFA and other bodies. 

• Plan and prepare for external evaluations, audits, and quality assurance processes. 

• Produce case studies and thought pieces for marketing and events. 

• Manage staff and define the staffing model to meet financial targets. 

• Conduct workforce and capacity planning to ensure timely hiring. 

• Identify market opportunities and present business cases to the Senior Leadership Team.

Please note that this role will involve hybrid working, based from either our Bloomsbury, London, or Newton Abbott, Devon offices. 
 

What Can You Bring to the Role?

• Strategic leadership within an apprenticeship or educational setting. 

• Proven experience of apprenticeship standards and government-funded training programs. 

• Excellent leadership, motivational, and team-building skills. 

• Exceptional data management and reporting abilities. 

• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners. 

• Strong understanding of quality assurance, regulatory requirements, and inspectorate standards, including Ofsted.

• Experience in managing budgets and achieving financial targets. 

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills. 

• Commitment to continuous professional development. 

Please note that this role will require BPSS clearance.