Learning and Development Officer (Apprentice)

Job summary

IMPORTANT DATES

Online Judgement Test - The deadline to complete the online assessment is 11:55pm on 25 September 2026. You must complete and pass the online verbal assessment before submitting your application. Applications cannot be considered unless the assessment has been successfully completed by this deadline.

Closing date for applications - 28 September 2026 at 5:00pm

We’re looking for a Learning & Development Officer to join our team.

In the Ofsted Academy, we believe that learning should be engaging, interactive, and inspiring. We design digital training experiences that help people grow, learn new skills, and thrive in their careers.

You don't need previous experience in a learning delivery environment. We're looking for people with enthusiasm, curiosity, strong communication skills, and a genuine desire to help others succeed. We'll provide the training, support and development needed to help you build your skills and confidence.

This role reports to the Learning and Development Manager.

About the apprenticeship

This role is open to graduates who do not hold, and are not working towards, an equivalent or higher qualification in Learning and Development. As this is an apprenticeship, applicants must not already have the skills, knowledge, and behaviours the programme is designed to develop and should be at an early stage in their career.

You will work towards a fully funded Level 3 Learning and Development Practitioner qualification, developing valuable skills and knowledge over the 18-month apprenticeship that will prepare you for a variety of responsibilities within the role.

When you start the apprenticeship, you will have a tutor to help you make the most of the training programme.

Every 6 to 8 weeks, you will have one-to-one sessions with a tutor. You will think about how to apply your learning to workplace scenarios. This will help you to build up a useful portfolio of tools and techniques.

Over the course of your apprenticeship, you will spend at least of 20% of your working time (one day a week) completing off-the-job learning.

If you're aged 16–18:

• You must work towards a Level 2 qualification in English and Maths (equivalent to GCSE grade 4/C) if you haven’t already achieved it.
• This is done through Functional Skills training as part of your apprenticeship.

If you're aged 19 or older:

• You are not required to complete English and Maths qualifications to finish your apprenticeship.
• However, if you choose, this can be done through Functional Skills training as part of your apprenticeship.

Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the point of application and for the duration of employment.

Job description

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Person specification

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Developing Self and Others
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Experience organising and prioritising workloads to meet deadlines and deliver outcomes within agreed timescales (Essential).
• Experience communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders, both verbally and in writing (Essential).
• Experience responding to enquiries and providing helpful, professional customer or colleague support (Essential).
• Demonstrable enthusiasm for learning, personal development and supporting the development of others (Essential).
• Experience supporting onboarding, induction, mentoring, coaching or shadowing activities (Desirable).
• Experience gathering, analysing and reporting feedback to support service improvements (Desirable).
• Understanding of learning and development, talent, leadership or organisational development principles (Understanding of learning and development, talent, leadership or organisational development principles (Desirable).

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Experience organising and prioritising workloads to meet deadlines and deliver outcomes within agreed timescales (Essential).
• Experience communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders, both verbally and in writing (Essential).
• Experience responding to enquiries and providing helpful, professional customer or colleague support (Essential).
• Demonstrable enthusiasm for learning, personal development and supporting the development of others (Essential).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,598, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills contributes £9,443 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Full details of the benefits available can be found in our Ofsted Offer brochure.

Ofsted is devoted to equality, diversity and inclusion. Within our Ofsted Strategy 2023-2027 we have stated that we will improve the representation of under-represented groups across the organisation and publish our progress on this annually. We are always looking to expand on our diverse workforce by recruiting candidates from varied backgrounds and differing experiences. We are proud to be a Disability Confident – Leader, we continually engage with our 5 staff networks for protected characteristics, and highlight the work of our Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group. We ensure all candidates are treated with fair and open competition, with all appointments being made on merit and we use our Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) to provide assurance to all candidates of this.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window),