At the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, we aim to serve the education and skills needs of the Yorkshire region from our Colleges in Castleford, Selby and Wakefield. We recognise the crucial role that our employees play in delivering our mission, both in and out of the classroom, and that is why we strive to attract and retain the very best people and provide a working environment where our colleagues are able to succeed.
Staff Wellbeing Day
Water sports on staff development day.
Annual Staff Conference
The staff conference takes place every August and makes an motivating and exciting start to the academic year ahead.
Staff BBQ
Acting as a close to the academic year the staff BBQ is a celebratory event for all staff.
Staff Recognition Awards
Staff members and college teams are awarded for outstanding work in the previous academic year.
Staff Wellbeing Day
There are numerous events, workshops and activities to choose from.
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Salary
We pay the Living Wage Foundation ‘Real Living Wage’ as a minimum and our salaries are competitive.
- Pension
The option to enrol in two excellent defined benefits pension schemes. Teachers can join the Teachers’ Pension scheme and others can join the West Yorkshire Pension Fund. College makes a significant contribution to both schemes.
- Annual Leave
We receive a generous annual leave entitlement; 30 days per year (pro-rata) for support staff, and 37 days per year (pro rata) for teaching staff and managers. In addition, we also receive time off on all public holidays and up to five efficiency closure days which we usually take at Christmas.
- Health & Wellbeing
Our health and wellbeing are an essential part of our working life and we have several initiatives which are here to help support us during our employment. We demonstrate our commitment to this through our pledges to the Mindful Employer Charter, the Association of Colleges Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter and the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group Workplace Health & Wellbeing Charter.
When we need that little bit of extra support, we can access an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which includes a 24/7 free, confidential helpline for in the moment support, and access to counselling where appropriate. The EAP also gives us access to a wide range of wellbeing resources.
To support our physical health, we can access local gyms at discounted rates, including all Aspire Health and Fitness studios operated by Wakefield Council.
Our financial health is important too. We recognise how money worries can affect overall wellbeing, so we have the option of accessing 2 health cash plans.
To help us with our purchases, we can access many discounts from leading supermarkets, retailers, restaurants, theme parks and cinemas through our benefits platform.
Across the Group, we recognise and promote various awareness days, including Brew Monday, Time to Talk, Mental Health Awareness, Suicide Awareness. Information, signposting, webinars, activities and events such as the Brew and Bun help to reduce the stigma and spread awareness of these days.
- Professional Development
We are committed to continuous learning and are supported to undertake a minimum of 30 hours CPD per year, which includes 4 dedicated professional development and updating days being built into our annual calendar.
To ensure we understand our College and our working environment, we are invited to attend several corporate induction events at the start of our employment and if you join us in a teaching role, you will receive specific training and a learning mentor to support you in your new role at College.
We are given access to a suite of core training which we complete to ensure we understand our responsibilities. At the start of a new academic year we attend an annual staff conference, which is a great way to meet and catch-up with our colleagues.
- Recognition & Celebrations
Recognition and expressing gratitude are important to us, so each year we can nominate our colleagues to win an award at our annual staff recognition event. We value opportunities for us to get to know colleagues as individuals and always look for ways to get together, either virtually or in person. We strive to mark the end of the academic period in a style aligned to our values.
We all know a little recognition goes a long way, so in addition to our annual staff recognition awards, we use a platform all year round to send thanks and words of appreciation.
- Sustainability
We are committed to our environment and sustainability. During our employment, we can access several green travel options including cycle to work schemes and discounted travel cards for use on public transport.
We are encouraged to lift share where possible. If this is not possible, we are able to access limited onsite parking on a first come, first served basis. We can also purchase a specific annual car parking space or use the free park and ride scheme which operates at Wakefield College.
We hope you’ll agree that The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group sounds like a great place to work, and we hope to meet you soon.
Our Values
Here at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, our Values are at the heart of everything we do. Watch our Principal and CEO, Sam Wright, and Group Chair of Governors, Andrew McConnell, explain how we carry out our values every day.
Get into Teaching
Do you have broad knowledge of your specialist subject area and would like to pass this on to our students? Or are you a recent graduate looking to start a career in teaching? Do you have the drive and enthusiasm to ensure our students receive a great learning experience?
If so, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group is keen to hear from you!
- What we are looking for
At the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, we look to recruit the highest quality candidates to teach our students. You don’t need to hold a recognised teaching qualification to start a teaching career at The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group. As a minimum, you will need to have the following:
- A broad range of experience and knowledge gained within your specialist subject area.
- Level 2 qualification or above in both English and Maths.
- Level 3 qualification in a vocational subject area, or a higher level specialist qualification depending on your chosen field of teaching.
- How we will support you in your teaching career
At the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group we support all our new teaching employees, with or without prior teaching experience, through our internal teacher development programme.
Our internal teacher development programme starts during your first week of employment with us and involves 5 days of intensive induction and familiarisation with our processes, systems and strategies.
The programme is designed and delivered in a way that will ensure you obtain all the skills that you need to become an effective teacher. In addition to providing you with theoretical and best practice knowledge, you have support from our high performance team who will guide you through the start of your time with us. You will also receive support from your curriculum team.
The programme will take into account your existing knowledge, experience and skills. The training which you will receive will include measuring your student’s starting points, how your teaching can meet students’ needs, setting SMART targets and behaviour management.
Throughout the programme you will receive guidance on your performance, through supportive teaching observations, regular meetings with your line manager and the opportunity to shadow your teaching colleagues to see what works well.
- How to start your teaching career with us
If you would like to become a teacher at The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, you can express your interest in many ways:
- If you have seen a specific vacancy advertised on our website that you are interested in applying for, you can apply online by following the links on the advert.
- Or, you can register your interest for any future vacancies in your chosen area by uploading your CV to our Talent Pool.