Head of Policy and Public Affairs

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

As Head of Policy you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan. Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall.

• Widen the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services.
• Reduce perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits.
• Capture and analyse data on lost learning for multi-academy trusts, including how it disproportionately affects different groups.
• Improve local alternative provision eco-systems to enhance outcomes for young people.
• Set national standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level.
• Develop professional development standards for school inclusion.
• Build implementation expertise in the middle tier.

Advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders. Support the Programme team in its design, plan strategically for recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and plan the research influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Work with the CEO to build out our research function. The influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates;

alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

This Is An Exciting Time To Join The Difference As We Increase Our Impact, Reach More Schools, And Develop Our Influencing Strategy. As Head Of Policy And Public Affairs You Will

• Design an influencing plan – Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones.
• Execute an influencing plan – Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.
• Relationship building – Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks.
• Leadership – Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

• Policy positions and solutions – Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives.
• Thought leadership – Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert.
• Generating income – Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability.

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy surrounding this policy topic.
• S…