Assistant Head Teacher - Inclusion (SENDCo)

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council; Coventry; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Priory Primary School invites applications for an experienced Assistant Headteacher – Inclusion to lead SEND from EYFS to Year 6. You will shape the next stage of inclusive practice, working with a large support team and a robust inclusion infrastructure to drive school improvement.

You will be responsible for strategic SEND strategy, EHCP governance, and coordinating specialist services while developing staff credibility and impact across the campus.

Qualifications

• Experience leading SEND provision and whole-school inclusion.
• Understanding EHCPs, annual reviews, and statutory processes.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with attention to individual pupil provision.
• Strong collaboration with external professionals and multi-agency teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for SEND and inclusion across EYFS to Year 6.
• Oversee EHCP requests, annual reviews and statutory processes.
• Lead, coach and develop a large support staff and specialist teams.
• Coordinate external professionals including Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy and Local Authority services.
• Influence governors, senior leaders and staffing deployment to improve provision.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Team development

Staff coaching

Educational leadership

Education

Qualified Teacher Status

SENCO/NPQ qualification

Job description

This is a full-time, non-class-based Assistant Headteacher position, deliberately structured to give an experienced SEND leader the time, authority, team and capacity to lead strategically and make a genuine difference. For the right person, this represents an excellent opportunity to move from SEND coordination into whole-school senior leadership. A significant role - with significant support SEND is a major part of life at The Priory. We are a large, inclusive two-form-entry primary school serving a community where levels of disadvantage and additional need are high and where the complexity of SEND continues to increase. We therefore recognise that effective SEND leadership cannot be delivered by one person working in isolation. The successful candidate will join a school with an unusually strong inclusion infrastructure.

You will work alongside:

• a full-time Inclusion Manager;
• a dedicated Safeguarding, Attendance and Wellbeing Manager;
• a Family Support Worker;
• approximately 45 members of support staff, giving us one of the largest support teams within a Sandwell primary school;
• specialist staff within our Resource Hub for pupils with complex communication and developmental needs;
• a Speech and Language Therapist working in school one day each week;
• established relationships with Educational Psychology, advisory services, health professionals and the Local Authority.
• This means that the Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion has something increasingly rare in SEND leadership: the capacity to lead, think strategically, develop people, improve provision and lead change.

You will certainly need to understand EHCPs, annual reviews, statutory processes and the detail of individual cases. But this role is about far more than administration and compliance. We want someone who can help shape the next stage of inclusive practice across the whole school, is committed and prepared to work hard. You will inherit strong systems, experienced staff and a school with inclusion firmly embedded within its culture. The Priory holds Inclusion Quality Mark Centre of Excellence status, reflecting sustained external recognition of our inclusive practice. In January 2026, Ofsted judged the school Strong across five areas, including Inclusion. Achieving a strong judgement for inclusion in a school with the complexity of need found at The Priory is significant. The successful candidate will therefore inherit a strong platform from which to develop provision further. We are not looking for somebody to rescue SEND. We are looking for somebody with the experience, ambition and leadership capacity to take something strong and make it even stronger.

The opportunity As Assistant Headteacher - Inclusion, you will sit within the school's senior leadership structure and provide strategic leadership for SEND from EYFS to Year 6.

You will have the opportunity to:

• shape the school's long-term strategy for SEND and inclusion;
• influence whole-school teaching and learning;
• develop adaptive teaching and ordinarily available provision;
• lead and develop a substantial team of adults supporting pupils with additional needs;
• strengthen specialist and targeted provision;
• coach teachers and leaders rather than simply provide advice;
• influence staffing, resources and deployment;
• work directly with governors and senior leaders;
• contribute to wider school improvement;
• shape our response to an increasingly complex SEND landscape; and
• develop further as a senior leader.

You will have significant professional autonomy, while also having a strong team around you.

Key responsibilities

• provide strategic leadership for SEND and inclusion across EYFS to Year 6;
• maintain a clear and accurate overview of the school's SEND profile, emerging needs and priorities;
• ensure statutory responsibilities under the SEND Code of Practice and associated legislation are met;
• lead high-quality identification, assessment and review processes;
• ensure the graduated approach and assess-plan-do-review cycle are consistently effective;
• oversee EHCP requests, annual reviews and associated statutory processes;
• ensure provision specified within EHCPs is implemented effectively;
• lead the continued development of adaptive teaching and ordinarily available provision;
• evaluate the quality and impact of SEND provision through learning walks, work scrutiny, assessment information, pupil voice and professional dialogue;
• coach and develop teachers and support staff;
• ensure interventions are evidence-informed, appropriately targeted and evaluated for impact;
• oversee provision mapping and the strategic deployment of SEND resources;
• work closely and lead our specialist Resource Hub, supported by a teacher;
• help shape provision for pupils with increasingly complex communication, developmental and learning needs;
• contribute to decisions regarding admissions, transition and appropriate provision;
• develop strong relationships with pupils and families;
• coordinate external professionals including Educational Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, advisory teachers, health professionals and Local Authority services;
• ensure specialist recommendations translate into high-quality classroom practice;
• advise the Headteacher, governors and senior leaders on SEND strategy, pressures and statutory requirements.

This is an Assistant Headteacher position on Leadership Scale L5-L9, with the opportunity to contribute beyond SEND and develop your experience as a whole-school senior leader.

Because you will actually have time to do the job The role is completely non-class based. We believe that SEND leadership of this scale and complexity requires dedicated leadership time. Because you won't be expected to do everything yourself Our inclusion infrastructure is unusual for a mainstream primary school. With an Inclusion Manager, Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager, Family Support Worker, Speech and Language Therapist, specialist provision and approximately 45 support staff, you will have substantial capacity around you to turn strategy into practice. Because SEND already matters here You will not have to persuade the school that inclusion is important. It already sits at the heart of our work. Our Inclusion Quality Mark Centre of Excellence status and Strong Ofsted judgement for Inclusion demonstrate the quality of the foundations already in place.

We want to hear from experienced SEND practitioners who are ready to take greater strategic responsibility. You may already be a SENDCo looking for a school where you can devote your time properly to the role. You may currently be combining SEND leadership with a substantial teaching commitment and feel ready to lead SEND on a larger scale. You may be an experienced SENDCo who now wants a clear route into senior leadership. Whatever your current role, you will need to demonstrate credibility, knowledge and impact. You will:

• hold Qualified Teacher Status;
• hold the National Award for SEN Coordination / NPQ for SENCO, or meet the requirements to undertake the relevant qualification;
• have successful experience of leading SEND provision;
• understand the SEND Code of Practice, EHCP processes and the graduated approach;
• have a strong understanding of high-quality adaptive teaching;
• understand the realities of leading SEND within a busy mainstream school;
• be confident working with pupils with complex and overlapping needs;
• have the ability to move comfortably between strategic leadership and the detail of individual pupils' provision;
• be able to analyse information and identify what needs to improve;
• communicate confidently with staff, parents, governors and external professionals;
• be prepared to challenge practice constructively;
• develop the confidence and expertise of others rather than creating dependency on the SENDCo;
• be highly organised and able to manage statutory responsibilities effectively;
• demonstrate resilience, emotional intelligence and sound professional judgement;
• share our belief that additional need must never mean reduced ambition.

Closing date: Monday 12th October Shortlisting: Tuesday 13th October Interviews: Week beginning 19th October 2026.

The Priory Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, including a Children's Barred List check where appropriate, alongside satisfactory references and all other relevant pre-employment checks.

Online Search: An online search will be undertaken on all shortlisted candidates in accordance with current safeguarding guidance. This does not form part of the shortlisting process, and candidates will have the opportunity to discuss any issues arising from the search during the recruitment process.

The Priory Primary School is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

Hours: Full Time Grade: Leadership L5 - L9