Progression Lead: Higher Education

Thank you for your interest in the role of Progression Lead: Higher Education at Durham Sixth Form Centre. This is a pivotal position within our award-winning Progression Team, where we ensure that every student is empowered to navigate their journey toward an ambitious and fulfilling future.

At Durham Sixth Form Centre, our students are motivated, curious, and highly ambitious. As the largest post-16 school in the North East, we support approximately 1,800 students in transitioning to some of the most competitive destinations in the UK and beyond. We are looking for an exceptional professional to lead on these critical pathways, ensuring our students are equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and edge required to succeed in a global landscape.

What Makes This Role Exciting?

• Champion Elite Progression: Lead on high-level progression strategies, including applications to our most ambitious pathways.
• Innovative Engagement: Coordinate and facilitate high-level enrichment, masterclasses, and external partnerships that bring the worlds of higher education and professional industries directly to our students.
• Dedicated Student Advocacy: Act as a specialist advocate for students, providing expert 1:1 guidance and tailored interventions that bridge the gap between academic potential and successful transition.
• Outstanding National Reputation: Join an ‘Outstanding’ school with a national reputation for excellence, holding the Quality in Careers Standard for over a decade and the Investors in People: Platinum award.

We are looking for someone who:

• Inspires High Aspirations: Has the vision to inspire both students and colleagues, fostering a culture where ‘reaching high’ is the standard.
• Navigates Complex Pathways: Possesses a deep understanding of the UCAS process, competitive admissions tests and the evolving landscape of higher-level apprenticeships.
• Delivers with Precision: Displays exceptional organisational skills in managing complex application cycles, large-scale events and detailed student data.
• Builds Strategic Partnerships: Develops professional relationships with elite universities, corporate partners, families and staff to create a seamless network of support.
• Communicates with Impact: Can present with clarity and confidence to large groups while maintaining the empathy and listening skills required for sensitive 1:1 guidance.
• Promotes Inclusive Success: Shares our unwavering belief that every young person, regardless of their background, deserves the opportunity to access the very best progression routes.

Why choose us?

• Be a part of an Investors in People: Platinum [Employer of the Year 2025] organisation. 
• We are a flourishing high-performing sixth form where students achieve and exceed their potential.
• Be part of a team that’s ambitious, supportive, and driven by purpose.
• Benefit from personalised CPD, leadership coaching, and genuine career progression.

Join Durham Sixth Form Centre as a Progression Lead. Support and inspire the next generation of post-16 students in a nationally recognised, high-performing sixth form. We are located in the heart of Durham, just 20 minutes from Sunderland and 30 minutes from Newcastle city centre.