educating your community
School improvement teams in local councils provide advice and support to schools in a range of areas including: school management and leadership; curriculum and assessment; school improvement; and professional development of staff. The remit of a school improvement adviser is to support, advise and challenge the school in its drive for continuing improvement through a programme of visits throughout the year.
School improvement advisers work for unitary, county and metropolitan councils.
Work Environment
School improvement advisers are office-based, but spend a lot of time visiting schools and attending meetings with other professionals.
Working hours are 37 per week, but advisers must sometimes attend additional evening meetings.
Daily Activities
School improvement advisers work closely with a designated group of schools in the local area providing appropriate support, challenge and intervention. A visit to a school might include some of the following tasks:
- observing lessons and suggesting ways to improve teachers’ performance;
- evaluating pupils’ progress and attainment;
- organising in-service training for teachers and head teachers;
- providing support in the lead-up to OFSTED (the Government’s regulatory body) inspections;
- drawing up post-OFSTED inspection action plans based on identified areas for improvement;
- using school and comparative data to help schools set achieveable, but demanding targets in pupil attainment, teaching and learning, leadership and management, resource planning, and professional development;
- monitoring a school’s progress against targets;
- promoting any council initiatives such as literacy schemes, or special needs programmes;
- providing strategic direction.
School improvement advisers might also get involved with a range of other activities related to the council’s children and young people and education policies, such as:
- writing reports and recommendations indicating how far standards and targets set by the Government are being met by the council and its schools;
- liaising with OFSTED inspectors;
- working with local universities and training providers to develop training materials for teacher training;
- assessing trainee teachers.
Skills & Interests
School improvement advisers need:
- excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to build relationships with a range of different people, from pupils, teachers, head teachers to governors and other professionals;
- drive to achieve continuous improvement in schools;
- an understanding of how schools and the education system work;
- good listening skills;
- an ability to assimilate and interpret information quickly;
- good report writing skills.
Entry Requirements
The usual basic requirement is a degree and qualified teacher status.
Experience as a teacher and in senior management – as a headteacher, for example – is essential.
Continuing professional development and training can be gained through membership of the Association of Professionals in Education and Children’s Trusts (Aspect).
Estimated salary range
Variable: Starting from £35.000.
Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.
Future prospects & opportunities
There is a clearly defined promotion path to senior and principal improvement adviser. There could be possible promotion routes to chief education officer, or head of children’s services. There are also opportunities in related areas linked to specific initiatives and specialisms such as Early Years Education, Literacy and Numeracy.
Related Occupations
Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Educating Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.
Further Information & Services
Department for Education and Skills www.dfes.gov.uk
General Teaching Council (England) www.gtce.org.uk
General Teaching Council of Scotland www.gtcs.org.uk
General Teaching Council for Wales www.gtcw.org.uk
Education jobs www.eteach.com
Association of Professionals in Education and Children’s Trusts www.aspect.org.uk
OFSTED www.ofsted.gov.uk
You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library - under F.
What should I do next?
Look for current local government School Adviser vacancies in the following places:
- LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
- Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
- Local council websites.
- Local newspapers
- National newspapers - The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.
Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:
- Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
- Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
- Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in - ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
- Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.