Programme Manager – Early Years Childcare

Role: Programme Manager – Early Years Childcare

Location: Tresham College – Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough Campuses

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £40,000 and £46,349 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 35 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, Teacher’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

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Programme Manager in Early Years Childcare to join our Care, Childcare and Counselling department at The Bedford College Group.

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

• Curriculum Leadership & Development – Lead the design and delivery of a dynamic, employer-responsive curriculum in Early Years, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and maximising student employability.
• Quality & Student Outcomes – Drive high standards in teaching, learning, and assessment, monitor student progress, and take proactive action to improve retention, achievement, and progression
• Team Management & Development – Manage staff performance, recruitment, and development, fostering a high-performing, inclusive team culture aligned with College values and policies.
• Teaching & Professional Practice – Deliver high-quality teaching within your specialism, maintain awarding body standards, and support continuous improvement in learning and assessment practices.
• College-Wide Engagement & Compliance – Represent the department across campuses, support key events and statutory duties, and ensure all activities reflect safeguarding, EDI, and health & safety requirements.

About you:

• Essential Qualifications & Experience – Degree in Health & Social Care or Science (or equivalent industry experience), GCSEs in English and Maths, and a recognised teaching qualification (PGCE, Cert Ed).
• Leadership & Sector Expertise – Proven success in team leadership within Further Education, with relevant industry experience and credibility in subject specialism.
• Teaching & Quality Assurance – Experience teaching across levels, using IT and data to monitor performance, and applying quality assurance systems to improve student outcomes.
• Skills & Professionalism – Strong communication, organisation, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead, influence, and maintain professional relationships and boundaries.
• Values & Flexibility – Committed to safeguarding, EDI, and health & safety, with the ability to travel across campuses, adapt working hours, and continuously develop professionally.

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: TBC

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 Tresham College

Tresham College has three main sites in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough, each with impressive modern buildings.  Across our sites we offer a range of subjects including art & design, construction, engineering, motor vehicle, hairdressing and beauty therapy and more in support of our local communities.

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.

Terms and Conditions – Bedford College

• 37 hours per week (1.0 FTE)
• 45 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Teachers Pension
• Retail and leisure discounts

Documents

TBCG Ex-Offenders Policy.pdf

JDPS – Programme Manager Early Years Childcare T4 230824.docx