Welcome to Ada

At Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, our mission is to educate and  empower the next generation of diverse digital talent. Through the quality of education we deliver, the depth of our industry partnerships and focus on diversity, we are changing the face of the tech sector, expanding the talent pipeline and transforming lives. 

We are a specialist Further Education college, where every 16-19 student studies Computing  and all of our diverse Higher Level and Degree Apprentices work in skills shortage disciplines in innovative, blue-chip companies.  

The digital skills gap is costing the UK economy an estimated £63 billion a year in lost GDP. Ada seeks to fill this skills gap by equipping young with the skills industry actually needs.

Ada was announced by the Prime Minister in December 2014; England’s first new FE College since 1993 and since then we’ve gone from strength  to strength including a Good with Outstanding features in our first two Ofsted Inspections.  

16-19 Provision:  

As of 2024, we have 187 16-19 students enrolled in our London Sixth form. Our most recent results are outstanding; 39% of A level results at A*- B and 74% achieving at least one Distinction or better in their externally assessed Computing BTEC. This makes us the best education institution in the country for this BTEC.   

Degree Apprenticeships:

Across our London Victoria and Manchester Ancoats campus, we have 363 apprentices currently enrolled on our Higher and Degree Level Apprenticeships. We specialise in five disciplines at present: software development, data analytics, tech consultancy, cyber security and business analysis, working with a wide range of SMEs and corporate organisations such as PwC, Bank of America, Deloitte, Clearscore, Just Eat, Capita, MHRA, Booking,com and Salesforce.

At  present 38% of our learners are female, 51% are from ethnic minority backgrounds and 50% come from low income households compared to national averages of c. 20%. 

This is an exciting time to join Ada with our new state-of-the-art campuses in Victoria, London and Ancoats, Manchester.  We’re passionate about building a supportive, values driven environment for both our students and staff.

Message from the Hiring Manager

Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, is excited to announce the launch of its new sixth form provision in Manchester in September 2025!  This expansion marks a significant step in Ada’s mission to make the tech sector more representative and address the growing need for skilled digital professionals in Greater Manchester. This role will play a crucial part in attracting diverse young people from across the region to consider Ada as a pathway into a successful career in tech.

KEY ASPECTS OF THE ROLE & MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• To lead the teaching of Level 3 (KS5) Computing qualifications (currently the T level in Digital Production Design and Development) to Ada students, maintaining outstanding standards of teaching, learning and assessment.
• To support the college in continuing to develop innovative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in computer science so that all students are challenged effectively and enabled not simply to get high grades but also to gain an excellent understanding of the subject which propels them into successful futures.
• To prepare appropriate resources for lessons.
• To provide academic support for students in their lessons, as well as outside lessons to ensure that every student makes continuous and effective progress.
• To provide feedback on students’ progress to the college, to parents/carers and to students themselves where appropriate and as directed by Senior Leaders.
• To provide or contribute to written assessments, reports and references relating to individual students and groups of students.
• To participate in arrangements for preparing students for public examinations and in assessing students for the purposes of such examinations.
• To incorporate relevant industry support into classroom teaching, e.g., through guest speakers, industry visits, subject competition
• To participate fully in the learning community of Ada teachers, for example by regularly observing colleagues and welcoming observations in return, by contributing enthusiastically to discussions around teaching and learning, and by attending professional development activities either at Ada or elsewhere to improve and enhance your own practice, including attending meetings which take place outside of normal working hours.
• To support in developing the department’s curriculum as we integrate Digital T-Levels, and look to add new qualifications into our future curriculum offer.
• To lead and develop Ada’s programme of project based learning via our  Industry Projects working with the External relations team and the entire teaching team to plan and deliver these real world learning experiences at Ada for our students. 
• To provide pastoral support for students including PSHE, Careers, Personal Development and Ada Skills

ALONGSIDE THE PRINCIPAL, YOU WILL:

• Embody Ada’s values of Curiosity, Rigour, Creativity, Collaboration and Resilience with staff and students on a daily basis and work to instil a culture and ethos that evidences these.
• Work to ensure the quality of student experience is rated highly through student and parent surveys.
• Support the Senior Leadership team in developing the delivery plans and timetables and calendars for the Manchester Sixth form provision. 
• Contribute to key college events, including open events, consultation evenings, student recruitment at assessment days and welcome events.
• Assist in planning and managing the student recruitment process, alongside the Outreach Manager,  including carrying out interviews.
• Help foster effective links with industry partners, the FE and HE sectors and the local community.

To ensure the success of this new venture, Ada is seeking a passionate and driven Lead Computing Teacher to join the team and lead the planning and teaching of the  T level in Digital Production Design and Development, which prepares students for roles such as web developers, software developers, and UX designers.

Based in Ada’s campus in Ancoats, this role will be instrumental in planning and delivering  Ada’s Sixth Form offering to young people in the Greater Manchester Area from September 2025.  This role will additionally require supporting the Programme team in a range of activities while we recruit our first cohort including: outreach, recruitment, application and admissions, marketing and hosting events at Ada and at schools across Greater Manchester. 

The ideal candidate will be an outstanding teacher of Computing/Computer Science inspired by Ada’s mission to empower the next generation of diverse digital talent

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Degree level qualification in a relevant subject
• Qualified teacher status (QTS) / PGCE / Lecturer qualification (QTLS) 
• Delivery of Computer Science/ Computing  at Level 3 with an excellent track record of results
• Pastoral experience with KS4 or post 16 students..

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of industry, ideally the tech sector, and ideas of how to invigorate the curriculum by harnessing industry’s challenges and ways of working
• Experience in leading aspects of BTEC provision
• Experience of leading teams within an educational context and evidence of a positive and sustained impact
• Leadership and implementation of effective intervention programmes at a department/year/school or college wide level that had a proven impact on results
• Leadership of a range of school/college wide initiatives with evidence of impact
• Experience of coaching and developing teachers and/or support staff to help them improve their practise. 

ESSENTIAL QUALITIES:

• Genuine passion and belief in the potential of every student
• An educational vision aligned with the college’s high aspirations.
• Clear strategies for establishing consistently high standards of results and behaviour and a commitment to relentlessly instilling these.
• A desire to innovate and try new approaches, being reflective and learning from mistakes.
• An ability  to give feedback in a constructive and challenging way.
• An ambassadorial approach in all dealings with the community and subsequently to be positive in successfully marketing the college in the community.
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills which includes the ability to delegate, prioritise and use effective time management.
• Resilience and motivation to stay positive and focus on key priorities during times of challenge.
• Confidence and effective presentation skills during assemblies, parents and carers events and other public speaking opportunities.
• A willingness to work flexibly and where necessary outside of normal working hours.

Safeguarding

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check when appointed to the post. References for shortlisted candidates will be requested prior to the interview day.

Equal Opportunities

Ada, the National College for Digital Skills recognises that equality of opportunity and the recognition and promotion of diversity are integral to its strengths. The following principles apply in respect of the College’s commitment to equality and diversity:

• To provide and promote equality of opportunity in all areas of its work and activity;

• To recognise and develop the diversity of skills and talent within its current and potential community;

• To ensure that all employees and prospective employees of the College are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential without receiving any unjustified discrimination or unfavourable treatment on grounds such as age, disability, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender reassignment, trans status, socio-economic status or any other irrelevant distinction;

• To provide and promote a positive working, learning, and social environment which is free from prejudice, discrimination and any forms of harassment, bullying or victimisation;

• To promote good relations between individuals from different groups.

Applicants with Disabilities

Ada, the National College for Digital Skills is keen to increase the number of disabled people it employs. We therefore encourage applications from individuals with a disability who are able to carry out the duties of the post. If there is anything in this regard that you would like to discuss in relation to your application please contact HR@ada.ac.uk.

Sponsorship

Sadly, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role, so can only accept applications from candidates who have the legal right to work and remain in the United Kingdom.

Thank you for your interest in Ada, the National College for Digital Skills.

How to apply for this role:

Interested candidates are asked to submit their up to date CV and a cover letter outlining their interest in the role and what they envisage being the key priorities for the role if appointed.  The letter and CV should be sent to jobs@ada.ac.uk .  The closing date for application is Sunday 3 March 2025.