Interim Project Lead – School Place Planning
Based in Essex, hybrid working & Inside IR35
Length: 6 months


We’re seeking an interim Project Leader to work with the education division, to support two areas of the Education Service:
· School Investment, Organisation and Admissions
· Education Strategy, Commissioning & Intelligence


Key Responsibilities of the interim Project Lead:
· To support the Head of Service in leading on School Place Planning to ensure that the Council fulfils its strategic and statutory functions with regards to ensuring there are sufficient school places to match demand
· To be a key contact for and provide comprehensive local intelligence, including a detailed area overview of the statutory functions and processes connected with provision of sufficiency
· To undertake statistical analysis to produce comprehensive and accurate forecast demand for pupil places in primary, secondary and specialist SEND
· To be responsible for the production and submission to the Department for Educations (DfE) of the annual School Capacity Survey (SCAP)
· To work in partnership with colleagues in local Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) and the DfE and Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to ensure that appropriate processes are followed to secure funding for the expansion of existing schools and the development of new schools when need arises
· Draft high-quality reports on different education topics and deliver presentations to assist operational and strategic decision-making and policy direction
· Assist in the development and implementation of robust data management systems and processes
Skills, Experience and Knowledge required of the interim Project Lead:
· Extensive knowledge of pupil place planning, and related Education Legislation and DfE guidance
· Able to present and communicate complex information to range of audiences, including elected members, senior Council officers and Headteachers
· Proven experience of compiling, analysing and evaluating large, technical and complex data sets, ideally including datasets relating to Local Authority school place planning
· Strong IT skills including data visualisation skills, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint & PowerBI skills, GIS mapping experience and knowledge of VBA programming


*Venn Group’s "Recommendation Scheme": if you recommend a candidate who is subsequently placed by Venn Group (for a minimum of 2 weeks) you will be eligible for vouchers from a choice of high street organisations