Head of Flourishing Programmes

Job Description

About the Department

The Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership was set up in 2017 with the mission to ‘develop inspirational leaders who are called, connected, committed to deliver the Church of England vision for education’. Since then, it has operated a wide range of leadership development programmes, networks, research, conference and events, and published a range of key leadership resources to equip school leaders at every level to put their vision into practice.

Part of this provision has been as a very successful national provider of NPQ programmes. Beginning in 2017 with the delivery of NPQs for Headteachers, our suite of programmes has now expanded to include programmes for Specialist Teachers, Senior Leaders and also Executive Leaders. More recently, a partnership between the Church of England and the Catholic Education Service is also enabling programmes to be delivered more widely as together our school provision represents around 34% of the sector.

In 2025, the department will launch three new national programmes:
Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Teachers, and Flourishing ECTs (in partnership with UCL). These programmes respond to growing demand for high-quality, values-led professional learning and represent a significant expansion of our work across the education sector.

The role

As Head of Flourishing Programmes, you will lead the strategic and operational delivery and expansion of our growing suite of values-led professional learning programmes:
Flourishing Leaders, Flourishing Teachers, Flourishing ECTs (in partnership with UCL), and Leaders Like Us. These programmes are designed to support the flourishing of educators at every stage of their journey, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, vocation, and leadership development. You will oversee a dedicated team and work closely with internal colleagues, delivery partners, and national collaborators to ensure these programmes are impactful, inclusive, and sector-leading.

This role requires a visionary and relational leader who can manage complexity, inspire excellence, and drive continuous improvement across the programmes.

For an information conversation about the role, please contact andy.spens

• Provide strategic oversight of the Flourishing Programmes, including ‘Leaders Like Us’, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and the Church of England Vision for Education.
• Lead the development and implementation of robust quality assurance processes to ensure excellence in delivery and readiness for external evaluation.
• Use data, evaluation, and research to drive continuous improvement and innovation across all programmes.

• Line manage team members, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.
• Support the development of a high-performing team through coaching, mentoring, and clear performance expectations.
• Champion a values-led leadership culture that reflects the ethos of the National Society for Education and wider Church of England.

• Oversee the full participant journey across all Flourishing Programmes, including recruitment, onboarding, retention, and completion.
• Ensure effective systems and processes are in place to support delivery, including digital platforms, communications, and participant support.
• Ensure all contractual elements of the UCL partnership are met in a timely and accurate manner, including KPI reporting and compliance.
• Ensure Flourishing ECTE programme is ready for UCL monitoring, Ofsted or other external evaluations.
• Lead on the resolution of complex operational issues, including participant transfers, deferrals, and reasonable adjustments.

• Work closely with delivery partners, including UCL, and MAT/Diocesan networks, to ensure effective communication, training, and support.
• Build and sustain relationships with key stakeholders across the education sector, including dioceses, MATs, and other national providers.
• Drive growth and programme engagement/recruitment across…