Curriculum and Inclusion Specialist

JOB DESCRIPTION

The National Society for Education (NSE) was founded in 1811 to provide free education at the point of access through churches around the country. Since then, the Church of England has established almost 5,000 schools educating around a million pupils each day. In 2016, the NSE produced a Vision for Education (as the Church of England Education Office) setting out its hope for education which is ‘deeply Christian, serving the common good’.

From 2020, the NSE work has sharply focused on the need for racial justice within our education system. With the publication of From Lament to Action, the NSE now has specific, tangible actions to fulfil. This is complex, brave work requiring innovation, wisdom, contrition, passion, integrity and highly developed interpersonal skills. We cannot tolerate the current structural inequalities in February 2026 the system and recognise our part in reinforcing institutional racism for generations. The Curriculum and Inclusion team take a national lead on changing this picture, creating a different story and working with our whole team, and every diocese, to make a lasting change to an education system focused on the flourishing of all.

As the NSE’s racial justice work has evolved and grown, the Curriculum and Inclusion team has engaged with wider inclusion topics mindful of the cumulative effect of multiple characteristics when combined with racial injustice. This includes work in the field of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), violence against women and girls (VAWG) and working with inter-faith groups on faith-based discrimination and bullying.

From its origins, the NSE has seen religious education (RE) and collective worship (CW) as core to Church school education, along with the formation of character and the need to develop curriculum materials and train teachers. Today, the NSE has a crucial role in developing policy and guidance for Church schools with regards to RE, CW and spirituality and RSHE. The Curriculum and Inclusion team lead on this subject-specific work, liaising with dioceses nationally and providing resources and advice as needed. The team is in a unique position to bring expertise in the racial justice space to this work, so that diverse representation is at the forefront of its RE and CW engagement. The Curriculum and Inclusion Specialist role is central to this highly influential aspect of the NSE’s ongoing work.

As Curriculum and Inclusion Specialist, you will work closely with our Head of Curriculum & Inclusion to implement our strategic plan in these vital areas. We are seeking an experienced educational leader with a passion and expertise for racial justice, belonging and inclusion work and the role curriculum (including RE), collective worship (CW) and theology can play in shaping practice in schools. This role will suit an individual who would like to extend their local or regional impact onto the national stage, having had experience within the education sector.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Curriculum and Inclusion Specialist will:

• Develop resources and training which enable dioceses and school leaders to engage more deeply with racial justice and the theological rationale underpinning this work
• upskill leaders across to the sector to be able to deliver racial justice work locally
• Partner with dioceses and other teams across the NSE to increase the impact of racial justice work in schools nationally
• represent the NSE at diocesan and education sector groups, including those pertaining to racial justice, RE and CW
• Implement and create as needed resources for schools in partnership with dioceses to explore the diversity within Christianity and build partnerships with interfaith groups to support the teaching of a range of religious and non-religious worldviews
• Support the development of guidance for CW, liaising with dioceses and stakeholders nationally A key goal of From Lament to Action is to resource schools nationally with Collective Worship resources which enable the exploration of different celebrations, commemorations and days relating to particular heritage. For example, Windrush, GRT Heritage Month and Black History February 2026 Month.
  
  

This role would take a lead in ensuring these resources are suitable for all phases and stages, writing additional resources as needed and gathering evaluation evidence of the effectiveness and impact of these resources. Additionally, the role involves liaising with diocesan education leaders and advisers (e.g. the DAWN network) to support with inclusion in CW and contributing to guidance to this effect. Additionally, this role entails gathering and evaluating information to share with the NSE’s Racial Justice Challenge Partners on the NSE’s racial justice work streams, and supporting the Head of Curriculum and Inclusion to ensure the aims of From Lament to Action continue to be delivered.

Inclusion Focus

• Sharing and implementing the NSE’s theological framework for racial justice across a variety of
  
  

work streams, reviewing as necessary as the work develops.

• Leading the design and delivery of training to support school leaders, MAT leaders and
  
  

diocesan education teams across the country to deepen understanding of racial justice,

including but not limited to rolling out the NSE’s Introduction to Racial Justice course nationally.

• Equipping and training leaders to facilitate racial justice programmes through a ‘Train the
  
  

Trainer’ capacity development model.

• Writing and developing curriculum resources for schools, dioceses and MATs which support
  
  

their strategies for improving racial justice.

Curriculum Focus

• Working with the Head of Policy and Head of Curriculum and Inclusion to represent the NSE
  
  

at the meetings of education sector bodies to represent the NSE’s approach to embedding

racial justice within the curriculum.

• Supporting networks and events for diocesan advisors, DDEs and the NSE’s partners which
  
  

focus on diversity within the curriculum.

• Evaluating the effectiveness of curriculum resources supplied or signposted by the NSE to
  
  

ensure they meaningfully represent diverse perspectives and voices.

• Providing evidence-based information about the curriculum to NSE senior leaders to facilitate
  
  

policy setting in this area.

• Developing and supporting RE work streams pertaining to the diversity within Christianity,
  
  

and exploring mechanisms for increasing representation amongst RE leaders nationally.

Inclusion Focus

• Providing support to the Head of Curriculum and Inclusion in working with government,
  
  

dioceses and racial justice organisations to research best practice in reducing inequality in school exclusions, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions seeking to address these

concerns.

• Supporting NSE engagement with work which overlaps with racial justice, for example in the
  
  

areas of trauma-informed practice, VAWG and SEND to ensure improved outcomes for pupils

with regards to exclusions, wellbeing and mental health and bullying prevention.

• Using knowledge and leadership credibility to advocate for racial justice in schools through e.g.
  
  

partnership working, attending racial justice working groups, sharing practical and researchbased expertise in written form or through speaking at events.

Collective Worship (CW) Focus

• Reviewing, amending and evaluating the NSE’s CW resources for racial justice, ensuring they
  
  

meet the diverse needs of pupils across a range of schools from EYFS to post-16.

• Working collaboratively with dioceses to identify areas of need in CW; working with the Head
  
  

of Curriculum and Inclusion to provide guidance and support ensuring that Christian worship

in CW is fully inclusive and representative of the diversity of modern Britain.

Evaluation and Quality Assurance

• Evaluating and demonstrating the effectiveness of the Curriculum and Inclusion team’s
  
  

activities in achieving the aims of From Lament to Action; reporting to the NSE’s Racial Justice

Challenge Partners And Other Accountability Bodies, As Required.

• Ensuring the implementation of robust quality assurance processes and evaluation at all
  
  

stages of implemented programmes, and acting swiftly on feedback to implement quality

improvement opportunities.

• Reviewing feedback on a regular basis and ensuring that areas for improvement are addressed
  
  

through design or facilitator knowledge and skills.

• Reporting to the NSE’s Racial Justice Challenge Partner board on progress made towards key
  
  

targets.

Partnership Working (Internal and External)

• Liaising with the Professional Learning team of the NSE, to ensure effective communication
  
  

and flow of information which best supports the Leaders Like Us programme, Flourishing

Leaders of EDIJ programme and other professional learning related to racial justice.

• Collaborating effectively with teams across the NSE, including Partnerships and Engagement,
  
  

SIAMS and Growing Faith so that racial justice work underpins all areas of the NSE’s work.

• Working closely with the NSE’s wide network of school leaders, MAT leaders and diocesan
  
  

education teams to ensure effective delivery of Curriculum and Inclusion work streams,

particularly pertaining to racial justice.

• Supporting the Head of Curriculum & Inclusion in developing long-term strategic partnerships
  
  

to delivery lasting system change

• Liaising with the Curriculum and Inclusion administrator to support delivery of Curriculum and
  
  

Inclusion outcomes, specifically relating to racial justice.

Research and Development

• Collaborating with the NSE’s Racial Justice Challenge Partners to ensure that programme
  
  

content is fully underpinned by a robust research-base, and respond to emerging research

themes.

• Working closely with school leaders of high performing schools to ensure that evidence-led
  
  

leadership development thinking/practice is brought to life in the programmes

Essential

QUALIFICATIONS

Skills/Aptitudes:

• Outstanding track record of impact of professional development in Racial Justice, Equity,
  
  

Diversity and Inclusion with particular reference to the curriculum in educational contexts

• Creativity and innovation in resource creation and training within the associated fields

Ability to design effective research-led approaches to leadership development

Proven track record of acting on feedback, taking direction and working collaboratively as part

of a team to achieve high-quality work

• Engaging presentation and facilitation skills with large and small groups, both virtually and face
  
  

to face

• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders – including written
  
  

reports, high-profile events, and online presentations

Knowledge/Experience:

• Successful senior leadership experience within the education sector
• Track record in leading change in racial justice and diversity work in a local context
• Experience of designing and delivering effective professional development course content,
  
  

particularly in the fields of racial justice, EDIJ and curriculum for schools

• Leadership of a wider team of professional development facilitators/coaches
• Clear understanding of educational landscape, including the wide policy and educational
  
  

context of implementing racial justice across the sector

• Secure understanding of the Church of England Vision for Education and its outworking in
  
  

schools

• Awareness of and connections to racial justice/EDI networks and service providers
• Understanding of the requirements of RE, collective worship and Christian distinctiveness
  
  

in Church of England schools

• Understanding of strategic policy, diversity, and curriculum developments within Religious
  
  

Education, and experience of leading RE at a local and/or national level

Personal Attributes:

• Innovative, creative and responsive to feedback
• Commitment to excellence and a pride in assuring quality and consistency across a wide team
  
  

of facilitators

• Systematic and strong evidence of successful project implementation
• Attention to detail and high standards in both spoken and written English
  
  

Education:

• Degree level qualifications
• Qualified Teacher Status
  
  

Desirable

Education:

• Postgraduate qualifications in a related field (such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion,
  
  

Theology, Social Justice or Global Studies)

• Specialist educational leadership qualifications
  
  

Skills/Aptitudes:

• Effective use of a range of technology to enhance outcomes
  
  

Knowledge/Experience:

• Experience of embedding the Church of England Vision of Education within a school or systems
  
  

leadership context

• Experience managing regional/national level projects with significant numbers of stakeholders
• Recent and varied experience of leadership coaching within own school or systems leadership
  
  

context

Circumstances

Whilst this is a remote role, the post-holder will need to travel on occasion. This includes NSE

Team Days, NSE Residential (one overnight stay in the Autumn each year), training days and

other events such as the National Conference.

From time to time, the postholder may need to

attend diocesan conferences to speak about the work of the Curriculum and Inclusion team.

It is anticipated that there will be approximately 10-12 travel days per year, although this will

vary

ABOUT US

The National Church Institutions comprises a wide variety of teams, professions and functions that support the mission and ministries of the Church of England in its vision to be a church, centred on Jesus Christ, for the whole nation - a church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.

We Include. You Belong.

Our Belonging and Inclusion Strategy aims for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong, and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.

Living out our values in all that we do, we:

• Strive for Excellence

Show Compassion

Respect others

Collaborate

Act with Integrity

We believe our commitment to belonging and inclusion fuels our progress and drives us forward. The NCIs are a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We welcome applications from people of all faiths and of no faith. We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people who share our values. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you.

Use of AI in your application

We appreciate that you may want to use AI tools to help you with your application. We're happy for you to use AI to come up with ideas and help structure your thoughts, but you shouldn't use AI to fabricate information or write your whole application for you. One of our values is integrity, and although we want you to demonstrate your best self, we don't want an AI-generated persona. If you simply copy and paste AI-generated content into your application, this will reduce your chances of success.