Senior School Improvement & SEND Specialist

Jobtailor; Preston; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking an experienced educational leader to drive school improvement across secondary and special schools, with a focus on SEND and inclusion. The role involves audits, performance analysis, and professional development for school leaders and staff.

You will work across council teams, support schools in difficulty, and contribute to statutory responsibilities while preparing for a future integration into a unitary council from April 2028.

Qualifications

• Experienced and highly credible educational leader.
• Strong background in school improvement, SEND and inclusion.
• Successful leadership experience within education.
• Strong understanding of SEND and inclusion.
• Experience in special schools, specialist provisions, resource bases or mainstream settings valued.
• Experience supporting improvement beyond your own school valued.
• Experience delivering professional learning to others valued.
• Experience working strategically with school leaders valued.
• Required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a disclosure if successful.
• Not open to international sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Deliver school improvement support, challenge and monitoring across secondary and special schools.
• Lead and undertake SEND audits, inclusion reviews and school evaluation activities.
• Support schools through analysis of performance, attendance, inclusion and SEND information.
• Deliver professional development, consultancy and training for school leaders, staff and governors.
• Collaborate with School Improvement, SEND and Inclusion, Governor Services, Strategic Support Partnership, Virtual School, Pupil Access, Education Partnership Officers and wider Local Authority services.
• Support schools in difficulty through coordinated improvement activity and brokerage of support.
• Represent Lancashire County Council locally, regionally and nationally where required.
• Contribute to the Local Authority's statutory responsibilities for school improvement.
• Support Lancashire's ambitions for inclusion and SEND.
• Initially join Lancashire County Council, with planned employment transfer to a new unitary council from April 2028 subject to reorganisation and legislation.

Skills

SEND Audits

Inclusion Reviews

School Evaluation

Performance Analysis

Attendance Monitoring

Educational Leadership

Job description

Lancashire County Council is seeking an experienced educational leader to drive school improvement across secondary and special schools, with a focus on SEND and inclusion. The role involves audits, performance analysis, and professional development for school leaders and staff.

You will work across council teams, support schools in difficulty, and contribute to statutory responsibilities while preparing for a future integration into a unitary council from April 2028.