Virtual School Education Advisors

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people known to social care? We are seeking 2 Education Advisors to join our dynamic service for a September 1st 2026 start date. The successful candidates will possess a deep understanding of the barriers faced by these children and young people and the impact on their educational outcomes. You will play a crucial role in supporting education settings and local authority services to develop and embed policy and practice which supports improved outcomes for our cohorts, driving preventative initiatives based on emerging trends and patterns. This will also include strengthening the education planning for individual children., You will work at a strategic school and system level to improve educational outcomes for children and young people, including those who require additional support in removing barriers to enable full access to well-matched education. You will provide expert guidance, support and appropriate challenge to schools and the wider professional network, using a solution-focused, trauma-informed approach to address barriers to learning. Working in close partnership with education settings, social care, SEND and other key stakeholders, you will use data, share best practice, and influence culture, policy and practice to support continuous improvement and ensure compliance with statutory guidance, helping to secure high-quality, inclusive education for all., Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.

You will have up to date knowledge of the education system, recent experience of working in a school, Local Authority or virtual school, and a strong understanding of the barriers faced by care experienced children and will offer support and challenge to ensure that educational outcomes are maximised. You will be familiar with SEND, exclusions, attendance and admissions statutory guidance. You will be responsible for building relationships and providing support and challenge for key partners including senior leaders in schools to promote inclusion. Specifically, you will work to address concerns around attendance, suspension, exclusion and engagement. You will be confident at communicating effectively, efficient, organised and be able to work using your own initiative within a wider team. You must be able to drive and may be expected to travel outside of Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes