Virtual School Education Advisor

Peterborough First group; Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional educational authority in Peterborough seeks a committed Education Advisor to enhance educational outcomes for vulnerable children. This role involves providing high-quality support to schools and working collaboratively with professionals in education and social care. The position allows hybrid working and requires excellent communication skills, along with a strong understanding of the educational landscape related to students known to social care. Join a passionate team dedicated to making a difference in children's lives.

Benefits

Generous annual leave starting at 25 days

Employee Benefits Platform including discounts

Access to development opportunities

Paid volunteering hours

Qualifications

• Passionate about improving educational outcomes for vulnerable students.
• Experience in inter-agency partnership work.
• Familiar with assessment systems in education.
• Knowledge of barriers faced by children in care.
• Ability to maintain positive working relationships.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to educational settings for children known to social care.
• Participate in targeted support for children with social worker involvement.
• Collaborate with professionals in education and social care.
• Contribute to statutory obligations for care-experienced children.
• Deliver training and manage educational challenges.

Skills

Communication skills

Knowledge of special education needs

Ability to work with vulnerable young people

Organizational skills

Education

Experience working in a school or virtual school

Understanding of educational legislation

Job description

Are you an experienced education professional, passionate about improving outcomes for the most vulnerable students?

Peterborough Virtual School is looking for a highly motivated and innovative individual to join our aspirational team as an Education Advisor who can work collaboratively to influence, challenge, engender motivation and support a range of stakeholders to make a positive contribution to educational outcomes for children who are, or have previously been known to social care.

What will you be doing?

• Provide high quality support and challenge to schools, settings and other education providers in relation to children known to social care, ensuring that leadership, culture and curriculum design promotes high quality educational experiences and outcomes.
• Actively participate in approaches that specifically impact provision for children who have or have had a social worker (0‑18 years), through child and/or school level targeted support, including delivering training.
• Work in partnership with the networks of professionals around children and schools, including colleagues within the education and social care directorates, carers and partners beyond the local authority.
• Contribute to the City Council’s effective delivery of its statutory and associated obligations in relation to care‑experienced children.

All About Our Team

All local authorities in England have a statutory duty to promote the educational outcomes of children in care and children previously in care. Additionally, the Virtual School has a non‑statutory strategic leadership role for children who have or have had a social worker (Ever‑CiN) and children living in kinship care (from September 2024).

All About You

The successful candidate must be passionate about and have experience improving the educational experiences of vulnerable young people. You will be a confident communicator who is outcomes driven, knowledgeable of key performance indicators and effective interventions relevant to children known to social care, and familiar with assessment systems within education.

• Ability to form and maintain positive working relationships with a range of professionals.
• Knowledge of specific barriers and vulnerabilities faced by children known to social care and experience of inter‑agency partnership work.
• Up‑to‑date knowledge of the education system, recent experience of working in a school or virtual school, and ability to offer support and challenge to maximise educational outcomes.
• Familiarity with legislation and national guidance relating to the education of children in care and children who have or have had a social worker; knowledge of SEND and recent experience of delivering training and supporting children in transition.
• Efficiency, organisation and ability to work using own initiative within a wider team.

This role is hybrid working – office and home working are supported in line with the needs of the service. Time will also be spent visiting schools. You must be able to drive. This is a fixed‑term post until March 2027. The closing date is Wednesday 21st January; interviews are likely to take place week beginning 26th January 2026.

For further information and an informal conversation please contact: [e-mail]

All About Our Benefits

We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme…

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in‑store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro‑rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

All About Our Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail] and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you’ve already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there is no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.