Admissions Applications & Awards Lead

Overview

The Admissions, Applications and Awards Lead will manage a team responsible for the delivery of statutory school admissions, transport and uniform grant processes in Essex. These services are highly regarded and generate significant volumes of stakeholder contact with high reputational profile.

Admissions Applications & Awards Lead

Permanent, Full Time • £40,353 per annum
•

Location:

Chelmsford
• Working Style:
Anywhere worker
• Closing Date: 4 February 2026

• Manage a customer facing Admission, Applications and Awards team that validate and determine more than 50,000 applications annually for over 500 schools for a school place, education transport and uniform grants within statutory timescales.
• Investigate, analyse and evaluate parental and school complaints and appeals, applying the law and statutory guidance across Admissions and Awards, making recommendations and driving the implementation of continuous improvement.
• Be responsible for the recruitment, induction and ongoing development and flexible deployment of all members of the team, undertaking performance management by ensuring clear targets and objectives are set and tackling poor performance positively and effectively.
• Manage the interface with the School Appeals, Children Missing Education and Passenger Transport Teams to ensure the Council meets its statutory duties, whilst protecting its reputation delivering services for some of the most vulnerable children in society.
• Prepare and present the Local Authority’s case at statutory independent admission appeal hearings under the national Code of Practice and consider both Stage 1 and escalated Stage 2 appeals under the Council’s Education Transport Policy.
• As a subject matter expert, manage changes in policy, legislation and guidance, including technology developments to customer access points and internal systems, in order to maintain and improve fair access for parents, children and other service users.
• Responsible for the interpretation and application of ECC policies in order to manage high quality responses to customer appeals, senior leaders, MPs, Councilors, Press Enquiries, Freedom of Information and Local Government Ombudsman.
• Deputise for the Head of Operations for all Admissions, Applications and Awards matters, collaborating with senior leaders as necessary.
• Ensure schools and the Council comply with their statutory responsibilities, protecting the needs of the most vulnerable and implement process changes to promote fair access to schools.
• Collaborate effectively across multiple Council services to improve access to services for residents, implementing change because of national guidance or Local Government Ombudsman recommendations, protecting the Council’s best interests.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent by experience.
• Demonstrable experience of managing a team with the ability to motivate, engage and develop the team in order to achieve high performance and business results.
• Ability to problem solve effectively, anticipating and intervening early to diffuse conflict and be resolute in situations of challenge.
• Experience of service delivery within Local Government, with a proven record of management in a busy customer facing environment.
• Expert knowledge and understanding of education provision, school admissions and transport legislation and the political and reputational profile and context of these services.
• Knowledge and understanding of Admissions, Applications and Awards legislation and policies, with proven experience of translating policy into practical application and of keeping up to date with relevant legislation to ensure policies remain current.
• Ability to manage and develop staff in high volume and pressurised environments with a significant reputational profile, with expert skill in managing and planning for peak workloads and maximising efficient use of staffing resources and adaptable processes.
• Good knowledge and experience of using a range of IT tools including service delivery databases,…