Head of School (Foundation School Director) - Thames Valley
NHS EnglandReading, RG1 7EB, South East
Overview
This is a NHS role (secondment) with NHS England based in Reading, RG1 7EB. The advertised salary is Negotiable. Applications close on 13 September 2026. GovJobs has indexed this vacancy from its official source — use the apply button to view the full advert and apply directly.
Job description
NHSE is looking to make an interim appointment a Foundation School Director overseeing the Thames Valley Foundation School. The post would be an ideal opportunity for a Foundation Training Programme Director aiming to further develop their educational portfolio.
Please note: The post is offered on a contract for services basis and all candidates are reminded that if they are successful, they are responsible for securing written agreement from their Trust for release from clinical work for the specified number of PAs.
The Foundation School Director is professionally and managerially accountable to the Postgraduate Dean. The Foundation School Director will focus upon improvement of learner supervision, assessment and experience, engagement of faculty and ensuring effective educational outcomes, both now and in the future. The role is evolving and will also focus on whole workforce transformation and developing multi-professional links mas well as innovative ways of curriculum delivery and workforce well-being strategies.
The Foundation School Director will be expected to meet the challenges of leading the School and Education Providers to deliver the changing curricular in an evolving service landscape.
To support the Postgraduate Dean, Foundation School Director work across the spectrum of health and where relevant, social care, within the context of a team, so that the provision of education reflects changing service models. This will deliver an integrated workforce comprising individuals from a spectrum of professional and other backgrounds.
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
You can find further details about the job, organisational structure, recruitment profile, expected outcomes and benefits information in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
You can find further details about the job, organisational structure, recruitment profile, expected outcomes and benefits information in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Behaviours and Values
- Ability to make decisions autonomously when required on difficult issues
- An academic interest in training and education across primary and secondary care
- A transformation leadership style
- Perform all duties in a manner that supports and promotes NHSE commitment to equal opportunities
- Conduct all duties in a manner that safeguards the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues, trainees and staff. Note the special responsibility as a manager for assessing and minimising risks to staff.
- A continuing quest for personal and professional development
- Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
- Politically astute with an ability to sensitively manage complexity and uncertainty
- Ability to problem solve and maintain objectivity
- Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress
Experience and Knowledge
- Current clinical commitment in the region
- Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
- Experience of clinical and educational leadership and innovation, including managing a multi-professional team
- Demonstrable track record of delivery in service and education
- Understanding of developments involving the relevant Colleges/Faculties, professional bodies, related NHS organisations and regulatory bodies
- Trained and experienced in recruitment, selection and Equality and Diversity in the last 3 years
- Active involvement in, and up to date with, appraisal processes
- Knowledge of the NHS, its structures and processes, including an understanding of healthcare/multi-professional workforce matters
Qualifications and Training
- Considerable and current experience at Consultant level in a relevant speciality
- Primary clinical healthcare qualification
- Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
- Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development (example: educator courses, Train the trainer, etc)
Behaviours and Values
- Ability to make decisions autonomously when required on difficult issues
- An academic interest in training and education across primary and secondary care
- A transformation leadership style
- Perform all duties in a manner that supports and promotes NHSE commitment to equal opportunities
- Conduct all duties in a manner that safeguards the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues, trainees and staff. Note the special responsibility as a manager for assessing and minimising risks to staff.
- A continuing quest for personal and professional development
- Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
- Politically astute with an ability to sensitively manage complexity and uncertainty
- Ability to problem solve and maintain objectivity
- Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress
Experience and Knowledge
- Current clinical commitment in the region
- Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
- Experience of clinical and educational leadership and innovation, including managing a multi-professional team
- Demonstrable track record of delivery in service and education
- Understanding of developments involving the relevant Colleges/Faculties, professional bodies, related NHS organisations and regulatory bodies
- Trained and experienced in recruitment, selection and Equality and Diversity in the last 3 years
- Active involvement in, and up to date with, appraisal processes
- Knowledge of the NHS, its structures and processes, including an understanding of healthcare/multi-professional workforce matters
Qualifications and Training
- Considerable and current experience at Consultant level in a relevant speciality
- Primary clinical healthcare qualification
- Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
- Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development (example: educator courses, Train the trainer, etc)
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer name
NHS England
Address
Premier House
Caversham Road
Reading
RG1 7EB
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer name
NHS England
Address
Premier House
Caversham Road
Reading
RG1 7EB
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)
How this role compares
There are 3,997 NHS roles open across the UK on GovJobs right now, 614 of them in South East.
You have 14 days left to apply. NHS adverts we hold typically run for around 13 days, so this is a longer window than usual.
NHS England has 19 other vacancies open on GovJobs, with a breakdown of what they pay and the kinds of roles they recruit for.
These figures are calculated from the vacancies GovJobs currently holds, not from official pay statistics. They are a guide to the market, not a valuation of this post.
How to apply
GovJobs does not take applications or send your details to the employer. Use the apply button to open the official Nhs Jobs advert, then check the employer's instructions, attachments, person specification and closing time before applying.
This listing was last checked on 28 Aug 2026, 11:00. If the official advert has changed or closed, report it and we will review the listing.
Why this listing is on GovJobs
GovJobs indexes public-sector vacancies from official sources, normalises the title, employer, location, salary and deadline, and links back to the source so you can verify the advert yourself.
The source for this role is Nhs Jobs. Applications stay on the official employer or source website, not on GovJobs.