Service Manager - Head of Hounslow Virtual School

London Borough of Hounslow; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Hounslow is seeking a Service Manager – Head of the Virtual School. This role involves leading a motivated team to improve outcomes for looked-after children and vulnerable groups, strengthening partnerships with educational and social care providers. Candidates should have a degree-level qualification with qualified teacher status and experience in educational leadership. A passion for inclusive practice is essential. Salary and benefits are competitive.

Qualifications

• Experience of successful senior leadership within a school.
• Proven ability to use performance data effectively.
• Experience of building strong partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Virtual School team to drive strategic improvements.
• Strengthen partnerships with schools and social care.
• Ensure high-quality Personal Education Plans are delivered.
• Advocate for looked-after children and influence policy.

Skills

Collaboration

Educational leadership

Partnership building

Data analysis

Education

Degree-level qualification with qualified teacher status

Job description

About Us At Hounslow

We’d love you to join us at the London Borough of Hounslow! Our people are deeply committed to providing excellent services to our residents, doing all we can to make lives as good as they can be.

We are an outstanding council, serving an outstanding borough.

With brilliant, visionary leadership, a dynamic Cabinet and a can‑do culture, we’ve built strong partnerships which have transformed how we serve one of London’s most diverse boroughs. Hounslow is the world in one place and full of potential. We are stepping up for our residents like never before.

About Our Commitment To Diversity And Inclusion

We live by five core values: Lead with Heart, Do New, Pass on the Power, Harness the Mix and Be a Rock. All our work has equality, diversity and inclusion at its very heart, best articulated in “Harness the Mix”. It’s about breaking down barriers between our parts and people and unlocking the problem‑solving power of our amazing mix of minds.

We serve a diverse community, we have a diverse workforce and we are committed to being an inclusive employer. We work hard to create representation across our workforce and leadership community, we have thriving employee network groups and our learning and development programmes help us lead, model and breathe ways of working that eliminate inequality, inequity, injustice and bias.

As part of this and under our commitments as a Disability Confident Employer, we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate our candidates. There’s space for you to tell us what you need within our application form.

About The Role

There are some exciting opportunities to be part of the leadership team within the Access, Inclusion and Participation pillar in the London Borough of Hounslow.

Service Manager – Head of the Virtual School

As The Service Manager – Head Of The Virtual School you will lead our well‑regarded, motivated Virtual School team and drive strategic improvements in outcomes for looked‑after children, care leavers and other vulnerable groups. Reporting to the Head Of Service for Access, Inclusion and Participation, your responsibilities include:

• Strengthen partnerships with schools, social care, and post‑16 providers, voluntary sector organisations, and out‑of‑borough schools where our children are placed.
• Ensure our model continues to deliver consistently high‑quality Personal Education Plans, improve attendance, raise aspirations and support progression into education, employment or training.
• Provide effective strategic and operational leadership and management to staff in the Virtual School, ensuring we advocate in the best interests of the children and young people to whom the local authority owes a corporate parenting duty.
• Ensure that the children and young people’s futures are secured by good care and excellent educational, lifelong learning and enrichment opportunities.
• Act as the Council’s principal advisor for looked‑after children, care leavers and other vulnerable groups, influencing policy, strategy, and decision‑making across education and children’s services.

If you’re a collaborative and knowledgeable educational professional, with a passion for inclusive practice and system improvement, we’d love to hear from you.

About The Team You Will Be Working In

The Lifelong Learning, Skills & Employment division provides a range of statutory and community services, regulated and non‑regulated. Our vision is for a thriving community where all our residents can engage in and benefit from lifelong learning opportunities – for personal growth, health and wellbeing and economic success.

The division, which sits within the Children’s & Adults Services Department, is organised into four operational service areas, each led by a Head of Services, and each contributing to achievement of the Borough’s ‘limitless’ Lifelong Learning Strategy.

As a Service Manager – Head of the Virtual School within the Access, Inclusion and Participation pillar, you will be a member of our extended Hounslow Leadership Team who play a key role in delivering high‑quality, resident‑focused services.

You'll provide expert guidance, support and leadership across Hounslow to set high standards for practice and service delivery, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards. You will work pro‑actively and collaboratively with other Council services and partners to deliver the effective service for residents.

Through collaboration with your senior team, and other leaders and stakeholders, you will advise on best practice, offer strategic insights and support the development and implementation of critical initiatives. Your role involves training and mentoring staff in your area of expertise and succession planning for roles of similar level.

You will provide regular updates on outcomes to your Head of Service and Director, and as an effective senior team member, promote a positive, inclusive culture, championing staff development and continuous improvement.

The Access, Inclusion and Participation pillar includes our Statutory SEND (Learning Support and Assessment) function, Specialist Practice & Advice (including the Educational Psychology service), Education Inclusion and Participation function, and the Virtual School.

About You

As a Service Manager – Head of the Virtual School, you will have:

• A degree‑level qualification with qualified teacher status.
• Experience of successful senior leadership within a school and/or previously as a Headteacher.
• Experience of building strong partnerships, maintaining relationships and co‑producing solutions to challenges across a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Proven ability to effectively use performance data, intelligence and evidence to accurately identify trends, create meaningful insight, recommendations and inform your own decision‑making.

If you’re an innovative, collaborative and knowledgeable leader, with a passion for inclusive practice and system improvement, we’d love to hear from you.

Read more about the work you’ll be doing in the Role Profile.

When Interviews Will Be Held And Who To Contact

The key information you need about the role should be in the Role Profile, but if you have any further questions about the role, please contact:

Email: [e-mail]

Interviews for this job will be held during the week commencing 5th January 2026.