Appointment of a Contract Officer

The schoolThe Head of School is Lorraine Harrison, BEd (Hons), MPhil, FHEA.

The School of Education is one of the largest providers of education and training for student teachers, teachers and other professionals in the Higher Education sector. It is dynamic and forward looking, and enjoys a regional, national and international reputation for the quality of its provision.

The school has approximately 2500 students and is supported by a permanent teaching team of more than 70 academic staff and a large number of specialist associate staff. Staff are active and responsive in promoting new developments and ensure that provision is innovative, embraces the principles of widening participation, and is successful in meeting new market demands and government initiatives. Programmes within the school focus predominantly on education, learning and development. All aspects of the school’s portfolio are undertaken collaboratively and in partnership with educational establishments. Current partnerships include:

  • College-wide Initial Teacher Education partnerships with more than 750 schools in Brighton & Hove, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent;
  • Teaching School Alliance and Local Authority partnerships generating the joint development of professional development opportunities arising from government and regional priorities;
  • Lead sponsorship of two academies in Hastings, generating the education vision and assisting in the development of the continuing professional development strategy;
  • Joint delivery of an MA Education and Professional Doctorate with the Mauritius Institute of Education;
  • Employment-based programmes for students undertaking foundation degrees, including collaborative delivery of the Early Years Professional Status qualification.

Thus, the curriculum provided for all students is built upon strong and successful community engagement. Partners contribute to aspects of curriculum development and delivery and university tutors work with students in a wide range of professional settings.

The portfolio of provision is extensive and includes a range of pre- and in-service programmes. These include:

  • outstanding (Ofsted 2010) in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in a wide range of subjects across age phases: BA(Hons Primary Education with QTS; BA (Hons) Key Stage 2/3 Education with QTS; 2-year BA (Hons) Secondary Education with QTS; PGCE Secondary Education; PGCE Post-Compulsory Education and School Direct;
  • foundation degrees in Early Years Care and Education; Youth Work; Working with Young People and Young People’s Services and Professional Studies in Primary Education;
  • full-time degrees in Education; Working with Children and Young People; Supporting Learning 5-11; Early Childhood Practice and Supporting Learning 11-19;
  • full-time and part-time postgraduate (Masters level) courses delivered across different sites in the region and in Mauritius;
  • a professional doctorate, also delivered in Mauritius (EdD);
  • PhDs, normally relating to the specialist areas (identified below in the section on Research);
  • Early Years Initial Teacher Education courses.

Research

There is a strong commitment to national, international and applied research and scholarly activity within the school. The overall management of this is set within the Education Research Centre (ERC), led by Professor Andy Hobson, one of five professors in the school. There is also a team of four Research Fellows.

The ERC co-ordinates research activities and is continually seeking to build research capacity and enable more colleagues to become active nationally and internationally recognised researchers.

Our internationally excellent research in Education is focused around four main themes:

  • Children and Young People’s Education, Rights and Voice
  • Educators’ Learning, Development, Work and Lives
  • Higher Education Pedagogy and Policy
  • Narrative and Biographical Methodologies in Education

Across these areas, one of the main aims of our education research is to generate evidence that fosters critical understanding of learning and teaching, with a strong emphasis upon social justice, democracy and voice.

Educational researchers at the University of Brighton are especially known for their expertise in relation to narrative and life history research approaches, although there is a broad a commitment to mixed methods research and to further developing existing expertise in quantitative methods.

The ERC and School of Education are also committed to building sustainable research partnerships between the university and regional, national and international learning communities.

The ERC also takes responsibility for research degree students (PhD, EdD and MPhil) and a number of School colleagues are enrolled on these programmes.

Research in the school is supported by a series of research seminars, reading groups, writing groups and a publications group and all colleagues and research students are encouraged to attend. These events provide invaluable opportunities for exchanging ideas.

The online journal, REd (Research in Education) features articles and research on a variety of local and international education issues, as well as news and announcements about new publications and conferences. It provides a platform and intellectual meeting ground for three distinct voices in education; practitioners, teacher educators and academics. REd is available at:

Resourcing and Budget

The school currently receives allocations related tothe National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) and Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) (the majority being NCTL) target numbers for its mainstream undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. A small but growing element of the school’s budget is derived from Economic and Social Engagement (EASE) activities, e.g. consultancy, short courses.

The school has an Open Learning Centre which provides a range of resources for students to support their professional development. Shared resources (e.g. lecture theatres, library, information services, workshops, pooled classrooms) balance the school's provision of specialist classrooms (e.g. art and design, science, design and technology), ICT suites and the Open Learning Centre. The major annual capital expenditure for the school relates to ICT for learning and teaching purposes.

Management and Committee Structures

The Head of School of Education is supported by a School Management Group of senior staff, which includes the Head of the Education Research Centre. The committee structure within the school includes the Board of Study (which considers cross-academic matters), the School Curriculum and Assessment Sub-Committee (which considers the development of new provision and matter of quality assurance) and programme boards for all undergraduate and postgraduate award-bearing programmes. The school and central departments have a number of other committees and working groups which support its provision. School of Education staff contribute to membership of university committees (including Academic Board, Academic Standards Committee, Academic Planning Committee and Research Strategy Committee).

Please visit the School of Education's website at

Job sharingThe University of Brighton welcomes job sharers. Job sharing is a way of working where two people share one full-time job, dividing the work, responsibilities, pay, holidays and other benefits between them proportionate to the hours each works, thereby increasing access to a wide range of jobs on a part-time basis.

Potential job sharers do not have to apply with a partner. However, if a post is to be operated as a job share there must be at least two suitable applicants who wish to share the job.

A job share appointment will only be made if it has been demonstrated that both shortlisted applicants can do the job to the required standards and within a working pattern of hours that is agreeable to all parties. If one applicant is unsuitable, neither can be appointed unless an alternative potential job sharer has been shortlisted.

When applying as a job sharer please indicate this on your application form. Please also indicate on the additional information tab whether you are applying with a job share partner and the name of that person. It would also be useful if you could indicate whether you would be interested in the post on a full-time basis if no suitable partner can be found. If you have indicated that you would be willing to take up the position on a full-time basis then the normal recruitment procedure will be followed.

If you are interested in appointment on a job share basis, please contact Human Resources for a copy of the university's policy, procedure and guidelines for job sharing. Alternatively staff in Human Resources will be happy to answer any queries you may have.

The jobDetails of the job are described in the attached job description.

The salarySalaries are paid monthly in arrears through the BACS System directly into the bank or building society account of each member of staff.

Salary payments for staff that work less than 52 weeks per year are spread evenly over twelve months of the year so that they continue to receive payment during the times they are not contracted to work. This means that, when they leave the employment of the university, they may have received either an over or underpayment for that year, according to the date of leaving in relation to the anniversary of the start date. In such cases, the adjustment would be made in the final salary payment, as a deduction or lump sum payment, as applicable.

Working weekThe hours of work for this post are 37 hours per week, excluding meal breaks (these are unpaid), 52 weeks per year. However, senior/managerial staff are expected to work such hours and at such times as are reasonably necessary in order to fulfil their duties and responsibilities. It would therefore be inappropriate to define the total hours to be worked in any week. A reasonable norm, having regard to the contractual position of other senior staff in the institution, would be 37 in a full week, although this should not be regarded as a minimum or maximum.

Duration of the jobThe appointment is for a fixed term until 31st July 2017. The role supports a specific contract with the Department for Education and funding for the post expires on that date.

Holiday For each full-year worked you are entitled to annual leavedependent on your grade of pay (see table below). The entitlement increases after five years’ continuous service, pro rata for part-time staff. Annual leave entitlement for part-time staff and staff on shift patterns will be calculated in hours. New members of staff are entitled to annual leave proportionate to their completed calendar months of service. In addition to the eight Bank and Public Holidays each year, discretionary days are granted in late December to allow the university to remain closed between Christmas and the New Year.

Grades / Basic entitlement per year / Grades / Basic entitlement after 5 years’ service
1-3 / 23 days / 1-3 / 28 days
4-7 / 25 days / 4-7 / 30 days
8-9 / 27 days / 8-9 / 30 days

Terms & conditionsIn determining terms and conditions of employment, the university has regard to recommendations made through the appropriate national negotiating framework. These terms and conditions of service can be varied by local agreements reached through the university’s local negotiating framework which comprises a Joint Negotiating Committee supported by two Common Interest Groups. These groups bring together representatives of the university and its recognised trade unions, which are:

•UCUUniversity and Colleges Union

•UNISON

Strategic planDetails of our Strategic Plan can be found at:

InterviewsInterviews are likely to take place during the second half of July 2015.