Team Leader - Learning Support Practitioners

Role: Team Leader – Learning Support Practitioners

Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £29,316 and £34,394 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s Pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have theRight to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Learning Support Practitioner Team Leader to join our Foundation Learning and Additional Learning Support department at The Bedford College Group.

As a Team Leader, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

• LSP Leadership & Workforce Management – Line manage Learning Support Practitioners, overseeing recruitment, induction, performance management, attendance and professional development to ensure high standards of support delivery.
• Deployment, Timetabling & Resource Efficiency – Plan, timetable and deploy LSPs effectively across the college, matching support to learner needs, maximising staffing capacity and promoting learner independence within funding constraints.
• Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement – Lead quality assurance of in‑class support through observations, walkthroughs and reviews, implementing action plans to improve consistency, impact and best practice.
• Collaboration & Learner‑Centred Support– Work closely with curriculum managers, pastoral teams, EHCP coordinators and specialist practitioners to ensure support strategies are clear, coordinated and aligned to learner needs.
• Compliance, Safeguarding & College Contribution – Uphold safeguarding, EDI and health & safety requirements, maintain accurate records and data, support college events and act as a key link between ALS, curriculum and support services.

About you:

• Qualifications & Leadership Capability – Level 2 English and maths, professionally qualified to Level 3, with a Level 5 Leadership and Management qualification (or willingness to work towards) and a strong commitment to development.
• Team Management & Operational Delivery – Proven experience leading large teams across multiple locations, managing administration, budgets, records and deployment effectively to meet service needs.
• SEND & Learner Support Experience – Extensive experience supporting learners with a wide range of learning difficulties and abilities across diverse vocational and educational contexts.
• Communication, Collaboration & Equality – Strong communication and interpersonal skills, able to build positive working relationships, recognise discrimination, promote equality and work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Professional Practice, Flexibility & Safeguarding – Highly organised, adaptable and performance‑driven, committed to safeguarding, professional conduct, flexible working patterns and travelling across college sites.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Interviews to be held: 09 June 2026

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisationalVISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.