SEN School Principal

Frontier Consulting; Horsham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Frontier Consulting is seeking an experienced Principal to lead a national SEN School network in West Sussex. You will set strategic direction, oversee operations, and drive high-quality outcomes for students, staff, and stakeholders.

You will manage budgets, ensure regulatory compliance, and develop a culture of continuous improvement across multiple provisions on one campus. The role requires inspirational leadership, strategic vision, and strong relationship-building with families and

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience within education.
• Experience leading complex or multi-site educational provisions.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, compliance, education regulation, and risk management.
• Proven experience of strategic planning, budget management, and service development.
• Outstanding leadership and people management skills.
• Ability to build strong relationships with parents, governors, commissioners, Local Authorities, and partner agencies.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and achieving exceptional outcomes for young people.
• Commercial awareness and experience supporting organisational growth and sustainability.

Responsibilities

• Provide inspirational strategic leadership across all educational establishments.
• Lead development and future growth of the campus and associated provisions.
• Develop and deliver improvement plans aligned to organisational strategy.
• Drive innovation and diversification to strengthen services.
• Support marketing and promotion of the organisation and its educational offer.
• Take responsibility for planning, budgeting, and resource management.
• Ensure safeguarding and regulatory requirements are met.
• Maintain governance relationships with Local Governing Body and Governors.
• Lead, develop, and coach multidisciplinary teams across all establishments.
• Foster a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Recruit and develop staff in line with policies.
• Champion staff wellbeing and professional development.
• Invest in talent and succession planning to grow capability.

Job description

We are assisting a national SEN provider with significant growth plans to recruit an experienced SEN School principal for their SEN School in West Sussex. This role is ideal for passionate leaders committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of students with special educational needs. If you’re energized by inspiring teams and creating empowering learning environments, we invite you to bring your expertise to this rewarding position! We are seeking an exceptional and visionary Principal to lead our expanding educational provision and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our organisation. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced senior leader with a proven background in managing complex, multi-curriculum educational settings and driving outstanding outcomes for students, staff, and stakeholders. As Principal, you will provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and direct support across multiple educational provisions on one campus. With significant growth already achieved and ambitious plans for the future, we are looking for a leader who can maintain the unique identity of each provision while driving excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth across the wider organisation.

The Role

Reporting to senior leadership, you will be responsible for the overall performance, development, and strategic direction of the educational provision. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, ensure compliance with all statutory requirements, and create a culture where students and staff can thrive.

This is a highly visible leadership role requiring strong commercial awareness, exceptional people management skills, and a passion for delivering life-changing educational experiences for young people and their families.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Provide inspirational leadership across all educational establishments.
• Lead the strategic development and future growth of the campus and associated provisions.
• Develop and deliver school and college improvement plans aligned to organisational strategy.
• Drive innovation and diversification to strengthen and expand services.
• Support active marketing and promotion of the organisation and its educational offer.

Operational Management

• Take overall responsibility for planning, budgeting, resource management, occupancy levels, and operational performance.
• Ensure all statutory, regulatory, and safeguarding requirements are fully met.
• Maintain strong governance relationships with the Local Governing Body, Chair, and Governors.
• Foster productive partnerships with Local Authorities, commissioners, parents, and external stakeholders.

People Leadership

• Lead, motivate, and develop multidisciplinary teams across all establishments.
• Create a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Recruit, coach, and develop educational and support staff in line with organisational policies.
• Champion staff wellbeing, engagement, and professional development.
• Drive a "grow our own" culture by investing in talent and succession planning.

Student Outcomes

• Ensure students' educational, physical, emotional, and safeguarding needs are fully met.
• Deliver a high-quality, responsive, and outcomes-focused approach to education.
• Embed best practice to ensure the provision remains a first-choice provider for families and stakeholders.
• Strive for the highest standards of quality and inspection outcomes.

About You

• Significant senior leadership experience within education.
• Experience leading complex or multi-site educational provisions.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, compliance, education regulation, and risk management.
• Proven experience of strategic planning, budget management, and service development.
• Outstanding leadership and people management skills.
• Ability to build strong relationships with parents, governors, commissioners, Local Authorities, and partner agencies.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and achieving exceptional outcomes for young people.
• Commercial awareness and experience supporting organisational growth and sustainability.