School Adviser| Permanent| Full-Time

Lancashire County Council; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 71,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking an experienced educational leader to join the Secondary and Special School Improvement Team as a School Adviser. The post focuses on strengthening school improvement, SEND and inclusion across Lancashire, working with school leaders, governors and partners to improve outcomes.

The role requires delivering high-quality support, challenge and monitoring to schools, along with professional development for leaders and staff.

Qualifications

• Strong background in school improvement, SEND and inclusion.
• Experience delivering professional development to school leaders, staff and governors.
• Ability to evaluate effectiveness, identify priorities and secure sustainable improvement.

Responsibilities

• Delivering school improvement support, challenge and monitoring across secondary and special schools.
• Leading SEND audits, inclusion reviews and school evaluation activities.
• Supporting schools through performance analysis, attendance, inclusion and SEND information.
• Delivering professional development, consultancy and training for school leaders, staff and governors.
• Collaborating with colleagues across School Improvement, SEND and Inclusion and other Local Authority services.
• Representing Lancashire County Council locally, regionally and nationally where required.

Skills

School improvement

SEND leadership

Inclusion

Education

Experience in education leadership

Job description

Job Description

Salary £71,013 - £78,704 Per annum | Permanent | Full Time - 37 hours per week

International Sponsorship - this role is not open to international sponsorship

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Lancashire County Council's Secondary and Special School Improvement Team as we continue to expand our capacity to support schools across the county. This additional permanent post reflects our commitment to strengthening school improvement, SEND and inclusion support for Lancashire schools.

We are seeking an experienced and highly credible educational leader with a strong background in school improvement, SEND and inclusion. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant difference to the lives of children and young people by working alongside school leaders, governors and partners to improve educational outcomes and strengthen provision across Lancashire.

As a School Adviser, you will provide high-quality support, challenge and monitoring to schools, helping leaders evaluate effectiveness, identify priorities and secure sustainable improvement. You will contribute to the Local Authority's statutory responsibilities for school improvement and play a key role in supporting Lancashire's ambitions for inclusion and SEND.

County Hall, Preston / Hybrid Working | Full Time | Permanent

The role includes:

• Delivering school improvement support, challenge and monitoring across secondary and special schools.
• Leading and undertaking SEND audits, inclusion reviews and school evaluation activities.
• Supporting schools through analysis of performance, attendance, inclusion and SEND information.
• Delivering high-quality professional development, consultancy and training for school leaders, staff and governors.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues across School Improvement, SEND and Inclusion, Governor Services, Strategic Support Partnership, Virtual School, Pupil Access, Education Partnership Officers and wider Local Authority services.
• Supporting schools in difficulty through coordinated improvement activity and brokerage of support.
• Representing Lancashire County Council locally, regionally and nationally where required.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have successful leadership experience within education and a strong understanding of SEND and inclusion, whether gained in special schools, specialist provisions, resource bases or mainstream settings. Experience of supporting improvement beyond your own school, delivering professional learning to others and working strategically with school leaders will be highly valued.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a highly respected and expanding team at a time of significant development in school improvement, SEND and inclusion.

Closing date: 20 September 2026 | Interview dates: 24 and 25 September 2026

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Job Description/Person Specification

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.