Cover Manager

Coast and Vale Learning Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Wheatley Park School in Oxford is seeking a proactive Cover Manager to lead the cover team and oversee supervision during planned and unplanned absences. The role involves training, monitoring, and coordinating with teachers to ensure timely provision of work and high-quality learning experiences for students.

The successful candidate will manage resources strategically, support senior staff, and contribute to a positive school environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing school cover teams or attendance supervision.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to training and supervise staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead the school cover team to ensure supervision for planned and unplanned absences.
• Manage and deploy cover staff and resources efficiently.
• Provide training and performance monitoring for the cover team.
• Coordinate with teaching staff to provide appropriate work for lessons.

Job description

COVER MANAGER

Required as soon as possible

37 hours per week

Term time only (38 weeks)

Salary: Grade 8 Pro rata £26734 - £29189 (Full time equivalent £31537 - £34434)
Plus Temporary Recruitment and Retention allowance of £2000 (pro rata for part time hours) to be reviewed August 2027

Are you an individual who believes that every young person can be successful; someone who is unwilling to put limits on what young people can achieve?

We are looking for an excellent Cover Manager to lead our energetic, enthusiastic and highly skilled team of cover teachers. Ensuring that our students have a calm, focused and productive learning experience on the occasions when their ordinary classroom teachers are unavailable is an important factor in their overall academic success.

As Cover Manager, you will not only be responsible for the efficient administration of our systems to ensure that supervision is in place for all planned and unplanned absences, stepping in to cover lessons yourself as and when necessary. You will also be responsible for training, monitoring and holding the cover team to account to ensure that students are always receiving a high quality experience, as well as liaising effectively with teaching staff so that appropriate work is provided in a timely manner.

In collaboration with senior staff, you will make decisions to deploy our resources strategically and with financial efficiency.

We will offer comprehensive training with regard to the administrative element of the role and the opportunity to work in a very supportive environment with high morale.

Situated just east of Oxford in a unique parkland site, Wheatley Park School is a flourishing 11- 18 academy with a vibrant comprehensive intake.

Education has the power to change lives, communities and society for the better. At RLT we believe that we can achieve more for our pupils, trainees, staff and communities by working together rather than alone. Schools in RLT are united by a common belief in the benefits of working together, and by our commitment to shared principles.

OUR VISION is for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously and sustainably: to be better faster together.

OUR 'WHY?' is that children and young people 'only get one go' in school and therefore as part of RLT we aim to ensure the best possible 'go' for our pupils.

OUR 'HOW?' is through the highest support and challenge for our schools and each other, underpinned by our principles.

Our employees benefit from a wide variety of support including extensive continuing professional learning and development opportunities, wellbeing and staff networks and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS) for all staff. For more information on what it is like to work for the Trust, and the benefits you could access, please see our Working in RLT guide.

This role includes regulated activity relevant to children.

If you would like to know more, or arrange a visit, please contact Mrs Skye Wigley (HR Manager) on 01865 872441 or by email to [e-mail]. Full details can be found on our website here. To find out more about the River Learning Trust, please visit www.riverlearningtrust.org.

Closing date and time: Monday 28th September 2026 at 9am

The school reserves the right to consider and interview candidates ahead of the closing date if appropriate. An offer may be made to an exceptional candidate in this instance.

Provisional Interview date: To be confirmed

The River Learning Trust and Wheatley Park School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. The Trust is required to conduct a variety of checks and online searches about you as part of their recruitment process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

For all RLT Safer Recruitment Documentation candidates should click on the following link RLT Safer Recruitment Documents for Candidates. Please see our website for up to date policies including our Child Protection and Behaviour Policies.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. For further guidance for applicants click on this link List of offences that are not filtered

Our staff are expected to maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, by not undermining fundamental British values including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Wheatley Park School, Holton, Oxford, OX33 1QH

Tel: [phone]

www.wheatleypark.org