Head of Education

We are seeking a part-time Head of Education for Energy Sparks, a charity working towards a sustainable future in which the school community is at the heart of measurable action to tackle climate change. Energy Sparks equips children and young people with the knowledge, skills, and tools to take practical action in their school and wider community to reduce carbon emissions. We enable school leaders, staff and communities to better understand and reduce their school’s energy consumption and introduce wider measures to reduce their carbon footprint. 

This is an exciting, new role in a growing team and provides a great opportunity to apply your expertise and creativity in education to help Energy Sparks grow its education programme and help more children and young people to reduce their school’s carbon footprint and develop energy and carbon literacy life skills.

We are seeking an innovative and highly motivated Head of Education to lead the development and delivery of Energy Sparks' educational offering. This role has an initial focus on developing our education offer for secondary schools, including learning resources and activity programmes that can be used within and outside the curriculum and setting up a new youth advisory committee to allow young people to contribute to the strategic development of Energy Sparks’ services. However, you also need to be comfortable updating our primary learning resources and providing training to primary and secondary teachers. 

• Salary: Up to £48,000 pro rata dependent on experience
• Role initially offered 0.5 FTE. This can be worked 18.75 hours per week across the year or 21.875 hours per week term time only, with the opportunity for future growth subject to income. Hours can be worked flexibly from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. 
• Fully remote working with occasional team meetings in Bath (1 to 2 per year) and conference attendance. There may be the optional opportunity to deliver in-school workshops at Energy Sparks schools close to your home location (up to 20 per year).
• Post holder must already have the legal right to work in the UK. 

Application deadline: 23:59 on 15th May 2025

To start 1st September 2025

About us

Energy Sparks is an online energy management tool and energy education programme specifically designed to help schools reduce their electricity and gas usage through the analysis of smart meter data. Energy Sparks helps pupils and the wider school community to reduce their school’s carbon emissions, and make a real contribution to addressing the 'climate emergency'. Energy Sparks started in 2017 in Bath, and is now working with over 1000 schools across the UK. All staff work remotely with the core staff team based in the Bath area.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact, Claudia Towner, Energy Sparks CEO on [email protected] or 01225 723924.

Head of Education Role

Job description

1. Lead the vision and development of Energy Sparks’ educational strategy, aligning with the charity’s mission and impact goals.
2. Oversee the design, improvement, and implementation of educational resources, lesson plans, and school activities that integrate sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate action into the curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities in both primary and secondary schools. Resources should be designed to be incorporated into the curriculum for England, Wales and Scotland.
3. Explore, develop and test possible activity programmes for secondary schools including:
   • tutor (or similar) non-curriculum time
   • PSHE lessons
   • off-curriculum sustainability or green skills focus days
   • possible HPQ, EPQ or similar extended projects
4. Develop a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award volunteering offer that supports students to use Energy Sparks to achieve the volunteering requirements for the Award scheme, as well as making a difference to their school’s carbon footprint.
5. Contribute to the delivery of training and support for teachers, school leaders, and pupils using the Energy Sparks platform.
6. Set up a new youth committee to allow young people to voice their opinions on how to make Energy Sparks' work more engaging and impactful to young people and engage them in activities such as marketing, fundraising, planning and evaluation on behalf of the charity.
7. Build relationships with schools, local authorities, academy trusts, and other sustainability education charities to support engagement, adoption, and impact.
8. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions, using data to drive improvements and demonstrate impact.
9. Work closely with the product and operations teams to ensure educational resources are effectively integrated into the Energy Sparks platform and aligned with user needs.
10. Work closely with the Communications and Marketing Manager to support effective communication with staff and pupils.
11. Optional: Deliver occasional in-school pupil workshops, assemblies and staff training at schools close to your home location.

This will be a varied role within a small staff team and an ability to embrace a diversity of tasks is essential. The role does not have line management responsibility at present.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Proven experience in educational leadership, curriculum development, or environmental education
• Strong understanding of UK primary and secondary education systems and sustainability education
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A passion for environmental sustainability and energy reduction
• Teaching qualification or experience as a senior educator, ideally at secondary schools
• Experience working in or with schools on sustainability or energy projects
• Knowledge of energy use, climate change education, and data literacy
• Highly organised with outstanding attention to detail
• Resilient, motivated and committed to the mission of Energy Sparks
• Ability to work independently but collaboratively with others in the Energy Sparks team
• Able to prioritise your own tasks and time.

Benefits

1. Up to £48,000 pro rata dependent on experience
2. 12% employer pension contribution
3. 38 days paid annual leave pro rata including bank holidays
4. 0.5 FTE. This can be worked 18.75 hours per week across the year or 21.875 hours per week term time only, with the opportunity for future growth subject to income. Hours can be worked flexibly from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. 
5. The opportunity to make a difference in reducing carbon emissions and helping young people to live sustainable lives.

Application deadline: 23:59 on 15 May 2025

Interviews to be held by video call in w/c 19 May 2025 with the successful candidate expected to be notified by 23 May 2025.

Applicants are encouraged to find out more about Energy Sparks at www.energysparks.uk

To be considered for this role, all applicants must currently have the right to work in the UK.

Energy Sparks is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications regardless of race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.