Strategic Admissions & Partnerships Leader

Compass Associates; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Associates are proud to be working with a growing specialist education provider seeking an experienced Head of Admissions & Partnerships to support its ambitious expansion plans.

Having recently opened one new school and anticipating a further four over the next year, the organisation is looking for a strategic admissions professional to oversee referrals, strengthen local-authority partnerships and support sustainable growth across its school portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the admissions process, including referral triage, assessment days, placement decisions and stakeholder communication.
• Ensure timely, consistent admissions decisions, providing clear explanations when referrals cannot be accepted.
• Build and maintain relationships with local authorities, SEND teams, commissioners and referral partners.
• Support schools with placement challenges and develop strategies to improve placement stability and retention.
• Oversee admissions across multiple schools, balancing growth with capacity and quality of provision.
• Lead and support the admissions team, improving processes, reporting and referral management.
• Work collaboratively with school leaders to identify placement opportunities and support organisational expansion.
• Experience in admissions, referrals, placements or commissioning within specialist education.
• Knowledge of SEND, ideally gained within a specialist school, residential education setting or local-authority SEND team.
• Experience managing complex referrals, assessments and placement decisions.
• Proven ability to build relationships with commissioners, local authorities and school leadership teams.
• Strong strategic, organisational and communication skills, with a practical, solutions-focused approach.
• Ability to balance operational demands with longer-term planning. Willingness to travel regularly to school sites and local-authority meetings.

Job description

Compass Associates are proud to be working with a growing specialist education provider seeking an experienced Head of Admissions & Partnerships to support its ambitious expansion plans.

Having recently opened one new school and anticipating a further four over the next year, the organisation is looking for a strategic admissions professional to oversee referrals, strengthen local-authority partnerships and support sustainable growth across its school portfolio.