Assistant Principal, SENCO and Inclusion Lead With DDSL

The Role

Key Responsibilities:

As SENCO and Inclusion lead, you'll be a high-quality teacher with a passion for supporting pupils with special educational needs. The postholder is responsible for ensuring that inclusion drives whole-school standards so that pupils with SEND achieve highly within the same ambitious culture as their peers.

The Assistant Principal for Inclusion is a core member of the Senior Leadership Team and shares collective responsibility for the day-to-day leadership and strategic direction of the academy. The postholder is also a member of both the Teaching and Learning Team and the Safeguarding Team, ensuring inclusion is embedded across school standards, safeguarding practice and staff development.

The SENCO/Inclusion Lead should be prepared to lead on such areas as:

Inclusive Provision & Statutory Processes

• Identification, assessment and review of pupils with SEND in line with the Code of Practice
• Effective implementation and review of EHCPs and graduated response provision
• Completion of statutory documentation and coordination of external professional involvement

Teaching & Classroom Practice

• High-quality adaptive teaching across the academy so pupils with SEND access the full curriculum
• Training, coaching and support for teachers and co-teachers to meet pupil needs effectively
• Deployment and development of support staff to maximise impact on learning

Pupil Support & Wellbeing

• Provision for pupils with SEMH and additional needs, including the academy’s mental health support
• Early identification and intervention through multi-agency working
• Successful transition into, within and beyond the academy

Partnerships & Communication

• Productive relationships with families and external agencies
• Clear communication of pupil needs and strategies to staff teams
• Collaboration with Ark and Local Authority services to secure appropriate support

Whole-School Inclusion

• A culture where pupils with SEND are fully included in curriculum, routines and wider school life
• Strategic use of resources to ensure provision is effective and sustainable

As a member of the senior leadership team, the SENCO will also be centrally involved in the overall leadership and management of the academy and will help to establish a school culture that is both nurturing and rigorous.

Outcomes and activities:

Teaching & Subject Leadership

• To be an excellent classroom practitioner, undertaking a substantial teaching commitment as a core component of the Assistant Principal role, typically around 1–2 days per week, with the proportion reviewed in line with strategic priorities and school need
• To lead a designated curriculum subject area, ensuring ambitious curriculum intent, clear progression and successful access for pupils with SEND
• To operate as a member of the Teaching and Learning Team, contributing to coaching cycles and whole-school instructional improvement
• To work alongside teachers through co-planning, modelling and instructional coaching to embed inclusive classroom practice
• To develop staff expertise in meeting additional needs through professional development, rehearsal and feedback
• To quality assure teaching and provision through lesson visits, work scrutiny and pupil voice, ensuring consistency across classes
• To support subject leaders in adapting curriculum delivery so pupils with SEND achieve within the same ambitious framework as their peers

Leadership and Management

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, to contribute to the strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the academy
• To be accountable for the progress, attainment, attendance and inclusion of pupils with SEND across the academy
• To analyse assessment, behaviour and attendance data to identify trends and implement targeted strategic responses
• To evaluate the impact of provision and interventions, ensuring effective use of staff time and resources
• To line manage co-teachers and identified support staff, setting clear expectations and developing leadership capacity within the team
• To oversee transition processes and ensure pupils with SEND are prepared for the next stage of education and increasing independence
• To contribute to whole-school decision making including curriculum, behaviour, safeguarding and staffing priorities

School Ethos and Culture

• To provide a visible and proactive leadership presence across the academy, including the playground, dining hall and transition points, setting the standard for behaviour, expectations and relational practice
• To ensure behaviour systems and routines are inclusive, consistent and understood by all staff
• To support staff in managing complex pupil needs while maintaining high expectations for learning and conduct
• To undertake regular duties, including gate supervision and end-of-day collection, modelling high expectations and building positive relationships with pupils and families
• To lead complex conversations with families regarding provision, support and placement, maintaining trust and clarity
• To work with families and external agencies to secure appropriate support for pupils

Other

• Undertake any other professional duties as set down in the Ark schools pay and conditions of service document, and as directed by the principal
• Person Specification: Assistant Principal, SENCO and Inclusion Lead

Qualification criteria:

• Qualified to degree level and above
• Qualified to teach and work in the UK
• Hold or willing to train for the national SENCO qualification

Experience & Knowledge:

• Experience of prior successful leadership at a middle or senior level
• Experience of having worked successfully in at least one school in an urban, multi-cultural setting, teaching students from backgrounds of socio-economic disadvantage
• Experience of having led, or significantly contributed to, the success of a school through its leadership, ethos, teaching and learning and results
• Experience of having improved and sustained an effective behaviour management policy
• Knowledge of the SEN and Disability Code of Practice
• An understanding of the Annual Review and statutory assessment processes
• A good knowledge of how to set meaningful end of Key Stage SEN outcomes and plan effective provision to enable all students with SEN to make good progress
• A knowledge of a range of specialist SEN interventions and strategies that can be used to support students with SEN

Behaviours:

Leadership

• Effective management style that encourages participation, innovation and confidence
• Ability to lead, coach and motivate staff within a performance management framework, including professional development and effective management of underperformance
• Ability to develop the leadership skills of others
• Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills
• Takes personal responsibility for their own actions
• Resilience and motivation to lead the academy through day-to-day challenges while maintaining a clear strategic vision and direction
• Genuine passion and a belief in the potential of every student
• Commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils

Vision and strategy

• Vision aligned with Ark’s high aspirations and high expectations of self and others
• Understands how to set high aspirations and effective strategies for the school. Including; delivery and prioritisation of school leadership management that faces all aspects of curriculum, learning, administration, finance and communication
• Clear understanding of the strategies to establish consistently high standards of behaviour in an inner-city school and commitment to relentlessly instilling these strategies
• Strong organisational skills and ability to delegate
• Use of data to inform and diagnose weaknesses that need addressing

Leading the Learning

• Understands what outstanding teaching practice looks like, how to diagnose and implement effective strategies to raise learning standards
• Be able to offer teaching to demonstration level and through this and other coaching opportunities be able to improve the teaching of others
• Have experience of leading and evaluating INSET which impacts on standards

Leading External Relationships

• Can skilfully manage and maintain effective working relationships with parents and other stakeholders

Other

• Commitment to equality of opportunity and the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils
• This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check