Assistant Headteacher (Inclusion and SEND)

Coast and Vale Learning Trust; Basingstoke; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Blue Coat School in England seeks an Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Inclusion and SEND to join its Senior Leadership Team. You will lead SEND and inclusion strategically, shaping whole-school improvement and safeguarding across the trust context.

The role requires proven SENDCo leadership, strategic thinking and the ability to collaborate with families, external agencies and staff to raise outcomes for vulnerable learners.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated impact as SEND leader or SENCo
• Experience leading inclusion and SEND strategy
• Ability to develop whole-school improvement through SEND

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for SEND and inclusion across the school
• Monitor and evaluate outcomes for SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• Lead inclusion, intervention and targeted support programmes
• Oversee EHCP processes and statutory duties
• Drive staff development in inclusive practice
• Collaborate with families and external agencies
• Contribute to senior leadership and safeguarding arrangements

Skills

SEND Leadership

Strategic Planning

People Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Job description

Assistant Head Teacher (Inclusion and SEND)

Are you a passionate and inspirational leader with a commitment to ensuring every young person achieves their full potential?

Our Senior Leadership Team

The Blue Coat School is seeking an exceptional and ambitious leader to join our successful Senior Leadership Team as Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for SEND and Inclusion.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced and passionate leader to shape and drive our vision for inclusive education. This role represents a significant strategic investment in SEND and inclusion and reflects the school's commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of need or background, achieves their full potential.

At The Blue Coat School, we recognise the transformational impact that exceptional inclusive leadership has on the success of a school. We are seeking an experienced and passionate SEND leader who is ready to take the next step into senior leadership.

We believe the skills developed through successful SENDCo leadership, including strategic planning, leading teams, driving improvement, analysing outcomes and working collaboratively with families and external agencies, provide an outstanding foundation for whole-school leadership.

This is an exciting opportunity to move beyond leading SEND provision and play a key role in shaping whole-school strategy, culture and improvement. We believe that the skills developed through successful SEN leadership, including strategic thinking, leading teams, driving improvement, analysing outcomes, supporting vulnerable learners and working collaboratively with staff and families, provide an excellent foundation for senior leadership.

The successful candidate will join a committed, supportive and ambitious Senior Leadership Team with a clear focus on securing the best possible outcomes for every student. The team is leading an ambitious phase of school improvement, with a strong focus on high expectations, inclusion, curriculum excellence, attendance, personal development and raising standards across all aspects of school life.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced leader who is passionate about inclusion and wishes to make a significant difference within a school that is committed to continuous improvement and investing in the success of all learners.

Whether you are an established SENDCo looking to broaden your impact or an aspiring senior leader seeking the opportunity to contribute at a whole-school level, we offer the support, professional development and autonomy needed to flourish.

We are looking for a leader who is deeply committed to improving outcomes for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and who can inspire colleagues to deliver outstanding provision through a culture of high expectations, inclusion and excellence.

About the Role

As Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion and SEND, you will provide strategic leadership for the school's inclusion agenda, ensuring alignment with the emerging DfE Inclusion Framework and national developments in SEND and alternative provision.

Working closely with staff, students, families, governors, and external agencies, you will ensure that our SEND and inclusion provision is ambitious, effective, and responsive to the needs of our diverse school community.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Strategic leadership of SEND provision across the school.

• Monitoring and evaluation of outcomes for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.

• Leadership of inclusion, intervention and targeted support programmes.

• Oversight of EHCP processes and statutory responsibilities.

• Leading staff development in adaptive teaching and inclusive practice.

• Working closely with pastoral leaders to remove barriers to learning.

• Developing effective partnerships with families and external agencies.

• Contribute to the strategic leadership, operational effectiveness and continuous improvement of the school as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team.

  Lead our inclusive vision and play a pivotal role in safeguarding, ensuring every child feels safe, valued and able to succeed, undertake Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead duties. (DDSL

This role would particularly suit an experienced SEND leader, SENDCo or existing senior leader who is ready to influence whole-school improvement and further strengthen provision for some of our most vulnerable learners.

About You

You will be a highly effective leader who champions a culture of high expectations, belonging and achievement for every student, whilst driving a whole-school commitment to inclusive practice.

You will be:

• An outstanding classroom practitioner with a proven record of impact.

• An experienced middle or senior leader with the credibility to influence practice across the school.

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) holder, with a strong understanding of SEND legislation and the SEND Code of Practice.

• Committed to removing barriers to learning and promoting equity for all students.

• Resilient, approachable and able to build positive relationships with students, staff and families.

• Strategic in your thinking, whilst remaining highly visible and operational when required.

• An excellent communicator who can inspire confidence and create meaningful change.

A NASENCO/NPQSEND qualification would be advantageous; however, we welcome applications from candidates with substantial SEND leadership experience who can demonstrate a strong track record of impact.

Why Join The Blue Coat School?

At The Blue Coat School, we are proud of our culture of Respect, Kindness and Ambition, values that underpin everything we do and create a positive environment where both staff and students can thrive. These values are highlighted consistently across school recruitment materials and applications.

As part of the South Farnham Educational Trust (SFET), we offer a supportive and collaborative professional community, with excellent opportunities for career development, leadership progression and high-quality professional learning. Our staff are passionate about delivering exceptional education and are committed to helping every student achieve their full potential.

We believe our staff are our greatest asset. By joining The Blue Coat School, you will become part of a welcoming and ambitious team that values innovation, celebrates success and supports wellbeing. Whether you are at the start of your career or looking for your next leadership opportunity, you will find a school that invests in its people and encourages excellence.

This role offers the successful candidate the opportunity to make a lasting difference to the lives of young people whilst developing their own leadership journey within a supportive and ambitious school. We are committed to nurturing talent and providing opportunities for future career progression within the school and wider South Farnham Educational Trust.

If you are looking for a school where you can make a genuine difference, develop professionally and be part of a thriving educational community, The Blue Coat School is an excellent place to build your career.

As part of the South Farnham Educational Trust, we offer:

• A supportive and collaborative leadership team.

• Excellent professional development and leadership opportunities.

• A culture of ambition, integrity and continuous improvement.

• The opportunity to make a significant difference to the lives of young people.

If you are an inspirational leader who believes that every child can succeed, we look forward to hearing from you.