Lead SENDCO

Outwood; Ripon; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Induction and training

Pension scheme

Family-friendly policies

Enhanced leave

Holidays 25+ days

Flexible working patterns

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Outwood is seeking an experienced Lead SENDCo to drive inclusive practice across Ripon, Easingwold, Bydales and Normanby. Based at Outwood Academy Ripon, you will split your time across academies to shape SEND provision at both academy and community level.

The role focuses on developing SSPs, leading strategic SEND practice and growing people through supportive leadership, including line management, coaching and CPD for Assistant SENDCos, SENDCos and Inclusion teams.

Qualifications

• Experience leading SENDCo provision across multiple schools.
• Ability to develop and implement SSPs across a cluster of academies.
• Proven track record in coaching and developing leadership teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development of SSP practice
• Ensure high quality, meaningful and impactful plans that support teachers to deliver Quality First Teaching
• Evaluate impact and refine provision to ensure students with SEND thrive academically, socially and emotionally
• Provide supportive line management, coaching and CPD for Assistant SENDCos
• Provide CPD for SENDCos within the school community
• Provide CPD for Inclusion and SEND teams

Skills

SENDCo leadership

CPD delivery

Staff coaching

Job description

Job Description

Role: Lead SENDCo

Salary: L8 - L12 (£63,687 - £70,275 per annum)

Job type: Full-time, Permanent

Start date: ASAP

A Community Role with Real Influence - This is not a traditional SENDCo post.

We are seeking an experienced and values driven Lead SENDCo to take on a community led role across three Outwood academies: Ripon, Easingwold , Bydales and Normanby (Middlesbrough). With Ripon as your base, your time will be strategically split across all three schools, enabling you to shape SEND provision at both academy and community level.

This role is for someone who wants to make a wider impact, developing people, practice and provision.

The Purpose of the Role

At its heart, this role is about strengthening inclusive practice across a community of schools while maintaining operational SEND leadership in Outwood Academy Ripon.

Your work will focus on three core priorities:

A Community Led SEND Role

You will operate as the community SEND leader across Ripon, Easingwold, Bydales and Normanby, ensuring strong collaboration, shared standards and a coherent SEND offer across very different contexts.

These schools are intentionally different - rural, market town, coastal village and neighbourhood - and this role exists to connect them, not standardise them. You will help each academy deliver inclusive excellence that meets its unique community needs while benefiting from shared expertise and support.

Developing SSPs and SEND practice across the schools

A central focus of the role is the development and consistent implementation of SSP's (Student Support Plans) across the three academies.

You will:

• Lead the strategic development of SSP practice


• Ensure high quality, meaningful and impactful plans that support teachers to deliver Quality First Teaching


• Evaluate impact and refine provision to ensure students with SEND thrive academically, socially and emotionally

Growing People Through Supportive Leadership

This role places people development at its core. You will provide supportive line management, coaching and CPD for:

• Assistant SENDCos


• SENDCos within the school community


• Inclusion and SEND teams

You will be a visible leader who builds confidence, capability and consistency, modelling best practice and creating space for others to grow into strong SEND leadership roles.

Your Base: Outwood Academy Ripon

Based at Outwood Academy Ripon, you will also fulfil the role of the designated SENDCo for the academy and be a member of the Senior Leadership Team. You will be timetabled for five teaching lessons, ensuring your leadership remains rooted in classroom practice.

At Ripon, you will join a driven and collaborative leadership team united by our vision of Students First. Inclusion is not an add on here - it is fundamental to how we raise standards and transform lives.

Our Community: North Yorkshire & Redcar and Cleveland

Outwood Academy Ripon, Outwood Academy Easingwold, Outwood Academy Bydales and Outwood Academy Normanby form a connected community of secondary schools across North Yorkshire and Redcar & Cleveland.

This role offers a breadth of experience rarely found in one post:

• Ripon - a historic market town, competing alongside a selective grammar school


• Easingwold - a rural academy serving a close‑knit community


• Bydales - friendly, coastal village school.


• Normanby - a neighbourhood school with deep local roots in Middlesbrough

Because these schools are at different points in their journey, the opportunity to make a meaningful impact is significant.

Why Join Outwood?

Outwood Grange Academies Trust is one of the largest and most established MATs in the country. Our scale allows us to invest heavily in:

• SEND leadership development


• Trust wide CPD and networking


• Specialist support for vulnerable learners

You will also work closely with:

• Community Executive leadership


• Trust Strategic Leads for Inclusion and SEND


• SEND School Improvement Partners

Above all, you will be part of a Trust that is unapologetically focused on Students First, Raising Standards and Transforming Lives.

Is This Role for You?

This role would suit an experienced SENDCo or Lead SENDCo who:

• Wants to work beyond a single school


• Is passionate about developing people as well as provisionValues collaboration, coaching and influence over compliance alone


• Believes inclusion leadership should be visible, practical and human

To organise a walk around or confidential conversation please get in touch with Laura Eddery, Executive Principal via email [e-mail]

This role is subject to being closed early subject to suitable applications being received.

About Us

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - WHAT DO WE OFFER AS AN EMPLOYER?

Outwood Grange Academies Trust supports colleagues by funding an extensive range of accredited training courses and apprenticeship opportunities up to Masters level. We also offer:

Your starting salary with annual increments plus inflation linked increases. The starting salary within the grade advertised will be dependent upon your experience. You will also receive:

• A comprehensive induction and training process


• Automatic enrolment into an increasingly rare and valuable defined Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution rates


• Flexible family friendly policies from day one


• Enhanced occupational benefits available (such as maternity, adoption and parental leave) with no qualifying period


• Holidays: A minimum of 25 days plus bank holidays (this increases with length of service)


• A range of working patterns are available dependant upon the role

Automatic enrolment into our Employee Assistance Programme which gives you and your family members free access to:

• Specialist information on a wide range of work-life issues


• Emotional support and counselling for a wide range of personal and work issues


• Legal guidance


• Financial guidance and debt counselling


• Child and dependent care support and advice


• Support for managers

We are also a wellbeing employer with a dedicated wellbeing strategy and menopause policy along with menopause champions based in our academies. Other benefits include:

• Free onsite parking


• Employee discounts such as competitively priced Synergy Car Leasing


• Access to various discount sites

Outwood Grange Academies Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are made in accordance with safer recruitment practices and the statutory guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education. Online checks will be carried out on all shortlisted candidates, and all appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and checks regarding suitability to work with children.

We reserve the right to close advertisements early. Advertisements will therefore close at 12 noon, either on the advertised closing date, or the day the decision has been taken to close the advertisement early.

Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) is an education charity and not-for-profit sponsor of primary, junior and secondary academies. We are a dynamic organisation, recognised nationally as one of the highest performing family of schools in the North of England, and we currently sponsor over 40 schools.

Our educational blueprint has been developed through leading and supporting schools over many years.

We have used this successful blueprint to sponsor academies and have a transformational effect on children's life chances within very quick timescales.

We feel strongly that academies should enhance the education provision of the community they serve, in addition to driving up standards and playing a central role in regeneration. This is because we believe that improving the life chances of young people is essential to developing a strong local and national economy.

We are now comprised of over 40 schools who work together to ensure that all children, irrespective of their starting point, receive an excellent education. We pride ourselves on meeting the needs of children in our care, including the most vulnerable or challenging.