Head of GCSE

York College; Bishopthorpe; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

50 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Free gym membership

On-site parking

Job summary

York College in the UK seeks an exceptional educational leader to join the College Leadership Team as Head of GCSE. This role leads GCSE English and Mathematics delivery, drives quality assurance, examination planning and performance monitoring to secure strong student outcomes.

You will oversee curriculum development, intervention strategies and attendance improvements, working with Curriculum Managers and support services to raise attainment and progression.

Qualifications

• Must hold a recognised teaching qualification and a degree-level qualification.
• Proven track record of leading GCSE/Level 2 English and Mathematics provision.

Responsibilities

• Lead GCSE English and Mathematics provision across the college.
• Oversee quality assurance, examination planning and performance monitoring.
• Drive improvements in attendance, achievement and learner engagement.
• Lead a team of curriculum coordinators and support staff to deliver outcomes.
• Ensure funding and compliance requirements are met for English/Mathematics.
• Contribute to College Leadership Team and strategic priorities.

Skills

Educational leadership

Data analysis

Performance management

Curriculum development

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Education

Teaching qualification

Degree-level qualification

Job description

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Head of GCSE

Reference: OCT20263435

Expiry date: 09:00, Fri, 27th Nov 2026

Location: Sim Balk Lane campus

Benefits: Please visit the York College website to explore our range of benefits

Salary:£54,822 per annum. Plus generous benefits. These include:

• 50 days annual leave per year (including bank holidays and efficiency closures)
• Generous Occupational Pension Scheme

About the role
We are seeking an exceptional educational leader to join our College Leadership Team as Head of GCSE. This is a strategically important role responsible for leading and improving the delivery of GCSE and Level 2 English and Mathematics across the college.

Working closely with Curriculum Managers, teaching teams and support services, you will drive high standards of teaching, learning and assessment, ensuring students achieve the outcomes they need to progress successfully. You will provide leadership for GCSE English and Mathematics provision, overseeing quality assurance, curriculum development, examination planning, performance monitoring and intervention strategies.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in ensuring the college meets funding and compliance requirements relating to English and Mathematics, while developing innovative approaches to improve attendance, achievement, progress and student engagement. Leading a team of curriculum coordinators, you will champion evidence-informed practice and support colleagues across the college to deliver excellent outcomes for learners.

As a member of the College Leadership Team, you will contribute to wider strategic priorities and continuous improvement activities across the organisation.

About the person
We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced educational leader with a proven track record of securing strong student outcomes and leading improvement in Further Education.
You will hold a recognised teaching qualification and degree-level qualification, together with substantial experience of teaching and leading English, Mathematics or a closely related curriculum area. You will have a strong understanding of GCSE and Level 2 qualification delivery, quality assurance processes, performance management and curriculum improvement.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Successful leadership of teams that achieve ambitious student outcomes.
• A strong track record of improving achievement, attendance, progress and value-added measures.
• Excellent understanding of current developments in Further Education and English and Mathematics policy.
• Experience of driving quality improvement through effective use of data, monitoring and intervention.
• Outstanding communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build positive relationships across departments.
• A commitment to inclusive, student-centred education and high expectations for all learners.
• The ability to inspire, motivate and develop staff while maintaining accountability for performance and standards.

This role would suit an ambitious leader who is passionate about improving life chances through outstanding English and Mathematics provision.

About the College
We are a deeply ambitious organisation that is committed to delivering the highest quality of provision to the communities we serve. Our 2025-2030 Strategic Plan is clear, we want to be the best 16-to-18 college in the country.

York College & University Centre is the largest further education college in the region, offering a comprehensive range of courses from Entry Level to degree level. We are committed to upholding our values of ambition, care, respect and success, and are dedicated to providing the highest standards of education and support to all our students and apprentices.

We have approximately 4,200 school leavers, 1,200 apprentices, 2,000 adult students, and 400 higher-level students studying with us.

With a vibrant working environment, excellent transport links to the city centre and surrounding area, plus on-site parking, you will find York College to be fulfilling and supportive place to work. As a member of College staff you will have full use of the College facilities including free gym membership at the Athletic Suite, our brand new state of the art gym.

Want to know more?
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Katharine Dent-Jones, Director of Curriculum: Further & Adult Education, at [e-mail]

Staff benefits & Important notices
You can find full details on our job vacancies page, just below the current vacancies: Job Vacancies | York College & University Centre. Be sure to explore the range of additional benefits and perks that make York College a brilliant place to work.

Please note that we do not accept CV applications. If you are viewing this vacancy through any job board then please go to our website www.yorkcollege.ac.uk/job-vacancies and apply using our application form.

Most correspondence regarding vacancies will be sent via email, so please check your emails regularly for updates on your application. We would also advise checking your junk/spam folder, as some emails may end up here depending on your mail provider settings.

Closing date: 27 November 2026 (9am)
Interview date: 7 December 2026