About the team
The School Planning team commissions schools and school places as part of the Local Authority's statutory duty to ensure a sufficient supply of school places across the county. It strategically plans school capacity across an area, engaging with Head Teachers, Governing Bodies and Academy Trusts to negotiate the right number of school places to meet demand through the adjustment of admissions numbers, expansion and contraction of school size, opening new schools as well as school closures, leading and coordinating statutory processes round school reorganisation.
We formulate the Local Authority's education infrastructure response to long term housing growth proposals ensuring land is secured for new school provision as part of District Council Local Plan making processes. The team leads on planning new school provision within areas of new strategic housing growth across the county whilst also engaging in discussions with schools in existing towns and villages about the right number of school places to meet local demand, working with muti-disciplinary teams across the organisation including Admissions, Property, Finance, Growth & Infrastructure colleagues.
About the role
This role involves leading on school planning activity, initially in the south-eastern area of the county.
You will be responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient school places across your area.
You will devise strategies from data analysis and other intelligence, formulating deliverable proposals through multi-disciplinary working and negotiating with school leaders, Governing Bodies and Trusts.
You will lead on statutory proposals in line with relevant legislation and draft reports to support member decisions through the political process.
You will produce evidence based need cases to identify and secure land as part of strategic local plan making processes and feed into negotiations to secure funding contributions from developers to mitigate the impact of new housing on education infrastructure in your area.
You will work collaboratively with other teams and organisations to ensure schemes are delivered on time and to budget.
About you
Essential:
- Qualifications to include at least 2 A levels or equivalent.
- Demonstrable critical thinking skills with the ability to analyse complex datasets and draw well-founded conclusions.
- Experience of strategic thinking and planning.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences both in writing and verbally.
- Evidence of sound and effective negotiation skills demonstrating the ability to influence outcomes in challenging situations.
- Experience of successfully achieving positive results through working collaboratively with others.
- Strong organisation skills, able to work self directed under pressure.
- Demonstrable good understanding of the complexities of operating in a political environment.
- Driving license and access to a car.
Desirable:
- Qualified to degree level.
- Previous school planning experience or similar/associated roles such as town planning or project management.
- A good understanding of school organisation and the role of the Local Authority as commissioner.