Job specification

Policy Lead, Education Inspection, Cross Remit Education

Team
Education Directorate

Grade: Band A APT (Civil Service Equivalent Grade 7)

Section 1: Job description
About us

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. We
inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people, and services
providing education and skills for learners of all ages.

Every week, we carry out hundreds of inspections and regulatory visits throughout
England and publish the results online. We also report on standards across the
country and are accountable directly to Parliament. Ofsted’s inspections are
independent and impartial.

The Education Directorate is led by the National Director of Education. It is

responsible for policy development in early years, schools, further education and
skills, teacher development, and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The Directorate is responsible for the continuous improvement and development of
Ofsted’s education inspection policy and methodology, driving improvement through
the education system with a clear focus on pupils.

A significant part of the Directorate’s role includes leading on policy development and
associated legislative change, including developing inspection frameworks,
instruments and guidance. The Cross Remit Education team (CREd) sits within the
Education Directorate. It holds overall responsibility for the continuous improvement
of the education inspection framework (EIF) and leads the directorate’s cross-remit
inspection work, including in special education needs and disabilities (SEND) and
teacher development. We also lead, coordinate and influence cross-cutting work
across all education inspection remits to ensure consistency and coherency.

Overall purpose

The post holder will personally lead a range of high-profile, cross-cutting policy
projects, and oversee projects that are being undertaken by members of CREd.

This will include leading the development and maintenance of policies and guidance
on teacher development, as well as leading, coordinating and overseeing cross-remit
policy projects. The postholder will be expected to work flexibly across the team’s
policy areas as needed and in response to priorities. They will work to the Principal
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Officer (PO) and Deputy Director (DD), and will have line management responsibility
for members of staff at a range of grades.

Key responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the role are outlined below. However, this is an overview
of the role and is not exhaustive. Ofsted reserves the right to assign other duties
commensurate with the Band A grade as required.

▪ Lead the development and maintenance of inspection frameworks, policies and

guidance for Ofsted in the teacher development remit. Coordinate the work of
multiple policy, operational and analytical teams and input from inspectors in
Ofsted’s regions to deliver frameworks, policies and guidance that meets the Chief
Inspector’s priorities for inspection and reflects the balance of evidence about the
purpose and validity of inspection.

▪ Alongside the other Band As, jointly lead the CREd policy team, programme
managing the work of the team as a whole and line managing staff at a range of
grades B1 – B3.

▪ Develop the policy team, acting as a role model and mentor within the team and
the wider education directorate, taking a lead in supporting colleagues to build
excellence in policy making.

▪ Lead other cross-cutting policy projects to address strategic issues across our
education remits, providing high quality advice and challenge for the Education
Directorate and Ofsted’s leaders.

▪ Lead on consultation and engagement with stakeholders to ensure the right set of
proposals are developed, challenged and approved for implementation. Ensure that
internal colleagues are kept up to date with key developments.

▪ Work effectively with colleagues across Ofsted, DfE and wider government to build
strong relationships and engage with them in an appropriate and timely manner to
help develop and deliver policy.
▪ Provide high quality briefings and responses to official correspondence and clear
and timely advice.

General responsibilities

▪ To work in accordance with Ofsted’s policies and procedures.

▪ To lead by example and uphold and embody our values at all times, ensuring the
protection of children and learners is paramount.

▪ To contribute to organisational development initiatives as required.

▪ To adhere to responsibilities under health and safety legislation and policies.

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▪ To demonstrate a positive commitment to equalities and diversity.

▪ To contribute to building a “One Ofsted” culture.

▪ To ensure the safeguarding of children and students is paramount and at all

times lead by example. Demonstrating and embedding Ofsted's core values of
putting children and students first, upholding our independence, and exhibiting
accountability and transparency in all we do.

Additional requirements of the role

From time to time, the post holder may be required to travel to other Ofsted offices or
to attend stakeholder events and shadow inspections around the country.

Ofsted operates a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time
in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Our expectation is that you
will spend at least 60% of your time working in your office, or at external meetings
or events. The exact balance will depend on the nature of your role and the
suitability of your home environment, and will be discussed and agreed with your line
manager.

Ofsted have identified this role as one which will require an standard criminal
record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This role may not bring
you into direct contact with children or vulnerable adults, however it may give you
access to material or sensitive information about children or vulnerable adults in the
future.
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Section 2: Person specification

Essential/
Experience Tested by
desirable

Experience of leading successful policy projects in a fast-

moving and pressurised environment, mastering new areas
quickly in order to make credible policy proposals.

Strong verbal and written communications skills, with

proven ability to build and maintain relationships effectively Essential
with colleagues at all levels of the organisation.
Application/
Ability to analyse both strategic and operational issues
Assessment/
and provide positive and innovative solutions, and lead
Interview
these through to implementation.

Experience of managing staff to deliver high quality

outcomes through direct line management and/or task
management.
Desirable
Understanding of the current political and professional
issues in education, particularly in teacher development,
and those relating specifically to Ofsted.

Essential/
Behaviours Tested by
desirable

Seeing the Big Picture

Develop and maintain an understanding of economic,
social, political, environmental and technological
developments to ensure activity is relevant. Ensure plans
and activities in your area of work reflect wider strategic
priorities and communicate effectively with senior leaders
to influence future strategies. Adopt a government wide
perspective to ensure alignment of activity and policy.
Bring together views, perspectives and diverse needs of
stakeholders to gain a broader understanding of the issues
Essential Interview
surrounding policies and activities.

Making Effective Decisions

Clarify your own understanding and stakeholder needs and
expectations, before making decisions. Ensure decision
making happens at the right level, not allowing
unnecessary bureaucracy to hinder delivery. Encourage
both innovative suggestions and challenge from others, to
inform decision making. Analyse and accurately interpret
data from various sources to support decisions. Find the
best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks and
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implications. Present reasonable conclusions from a wide

range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence.
Make decisions confidently even when details are unclear
or if they prove to be unpopular.

Communicating and Influencing

Communicate with others in a clear, honest and
enthusiastic way in order to build trust. Explain complex
issues in a way that is easy to understand. Take into
account people’s individual needs. Deliver difficult
messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive
when required. Consider the impact of the language used.
Remain open-minded and impartial in discussions, whilst
respecting the diverse interests and opinions of others.
Introduce different methods for communication, including
making the most of digital resources whilst getting value
for money. Monitor the effectiveness of own and team
communications and take action to improve where
necessary.
Essential Interview
Working Together
Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and
contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives.
Challenge assumptions while being willing to compromise if
beneficial to progress. Build strong interpersonal
relationships and show genuine care
for colleagues. Ensure consideration and support for the
wellbeing of yourself and individuals throughout the team.
Understand the varying needs of the team to ensure
they are supported and their experiences are utilised.
Create an inclusive working environment where all opinions
and challenges are taken into account and bullying,
harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Remain
available and approachable to all colleagues and be
receptive to new ideas.

Delivering at Pace
Ensure everyone clearly understands and owns their roles,
responsibilities and business priorities. Give honest,
motivating and enthusiastic messages about priorities,
objectives and expectations to get the best out of people.
Comply with legal, regulatory and security requirements in
service delivery. Set out clear processes and standards for
managing performance at all levels. Ensure delivery of
timely quality outcomes, through providing the right
resources to do the job, reviewing and adjusting
performance expectations and rewarding success. Maintain
own levels of performance in challenging circumstances
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and encourage others to do the same.

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Section 3: Terms and conditions

Job title: Policy Lead, Education Inspection
Reference: 286728
Grade: Band A APT
Salary: £60,873 (National) - £64,073 (London) per annum. Rising to £61,482
(National) - £64,682 (London) per annum on successful completion of probation.
Number of posts: 1
Location: Clive House, London; 2 Rivergate, Bristol; Piccadilly Gate, Manchester
Basis: Temporary
Hours: Full time
DBS check: Yes
Travel requirements: From time to time, the post holder may be required to
travel to other Ofsted offices or to attend stakeholder events and shadow inspections
around the country.

Please note: Whilst this post is currently based at either of the above offices, future
changes may require the post holder to be based at another location.

This post is being offered on a temporary basis until 31 March 2025. Please note that
there may be the possibility of an extension beyond this date, depending on business
requirements.

Section 4: Benefits
Ofsted is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is
physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support
employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension
Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities, 32.5 annual leave days
per annum (plus eight days public holiday) and access to counselling and advisory
services.
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Section 5: Application and selection

Eligibility

Please note that applications for this role are restricted to current Civil Service
employees. This includes individuals currently employed by Government departments,
Executive Agencies, and Accredited Non-departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) who were
appointed on merit following a fair and open competition or were appointed to a
permanent Civil Service post in accordance with an exception certified by the Civil
Service Commissioners. The post is available on promotion or as a level transfer.
Applications which do not meet these criteria will not be accepted.

This role is broadly open to the following groups:

▪ UK nationals
▪ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
▪ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
▪ nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who
apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme
(EUSS)
▪ relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
▪ relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in
the Civil Service
▪ certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals.

Please check Civil Service nationality rules for further information about your eligibility
to apply.

For the most up-to-date information on the requirements of working in the UK, please
go to the UK Border Agency website.

Any move to Ofsted from another employer will mean you can no longer access
childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may
however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare.
Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Application

Please submit your application online through the Civil Service Jobs website
(https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi). Please register or login and
search for the vacancy using the department name (Ofsted), click on the vacancy
advert and click on ‘apply now’. If you are an existing Civil Servant, we encourage you
to discuss your interest in this role with your line manager in the first instance.

The closing date for submission of applications is Sunday 21 May 2023. Late
applications will not be considered so please ensure your application is submitted by the
closing date. You will receive acknowledgement of your application and updates on the
progress of your application through the Civil Service Jobs site.
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Queries

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Lauren
Harness on 0300 013 0815 or by emailing [email protected]

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Harry McNeill-Adams on 0300
013 1792 or by emailing [email protected]

Selection

All applications will be considered by the selection panel. The panel will consider the
relevant skills, knowledge and experience demonstrated in the application form. We will
inform you whether or not you were successful at each stage.

The most suitable candidates will be invited to attend an interview and assessment
during the week commencing Monday 5 June 2023. The location of the assessment
and interviews will be held at Clive House, London, Piccadilly Gate, Manchester
or 2 Rivergate, Bristol.

Communication

We will contact you by email in relation to this recruitment exercise. We will use the
email address registered with your Civil Service Jobs account.

To ensure you do not miss any communication from us, please check that your
registered email address is correct, and that incoming emails will not be blocked by any
filters.

Complaints

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the
basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's
Recruitment Principles, which can be found at:

https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2019/03/02a_RECRUITMENT-PRINCIPLES-April-2018-FINAL-.pdf

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment
Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email Ofsted recruitment at
[email protected] in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can
contact the Civil Service Commission at:

https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentco
mplaints/
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Safer recruitment
Our commitment

We put children and learners’ wellbeing at the heart of everything that we do and,
therefore, do all that we can to ensure those who work for us share our
commitment. This is reflected in our rigorous recruitment processes and pre-
employment checks.

We select the best candidates through good, thorough recruitment practice, ensuring
equality of opportunity, and deterring, or rejecting, those who may not be suitable to
work for Ofsted.

All roles require the following

▪ Your identity must be confirmed by sight of original official documents such as a

Birth Certificate and photo identification such as a Passport.

▪ Original documents relating to all professional qualifications required to fulfil the

post must be supplied.

▪ Full employment and education history since leaving secondary education must
be provided. All gaps in employment and education history will be scrutinised by
the selection panel to ensure there are no causes for concern.

▪ We will request a minimum of two references covering at least the last three
years. The identity of all referees will be verified, and they will be asked to
comment on your suitability for the role you are applying for.

▪ We will consult any relevant records we hold which may provide additional
information on your suitability.

▪ We reserve the right to take account of your presence in both public and social
media in our selection decisions.

▪ We will ask you to provide details of any criminal history as appropriate.

Guidance will always be provided in your application to help you understand
what you must declare and when.

▪ Throughout selection, including at interview, the panel will probe your values and
motivation for working with Ofsted.

At all stages, information you provide us with will be treated in confidence and in full
accordance with legal requirements. For all roles which require a Disclosure and
Barring Service check, this will be clearly outlined in the job specification.

You do not have to consent to these checks. However, if consent is withheld or

revoked at any stage, we will be unable to proceed with your application.
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All Ofsted employees are expected to understand their duties and responsibilities in
relation to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. For those who
are successful in joining Ofsted, this is continually assessed through probation and
day-to-day performance management.

You can find out more about Ofsted’s approach to safeguarding by reading our
Safeguarding Policy.