Director of SEND

Job Title:  Director of SEND

Start Date:  April 2022 (or sooner)

Deadline:  21 February 2022 - 10.00am

Interviews:  tbc

Location:  Welling School – City Region

Scale:  Leadership Scale 7-11 (Outer London)   £53,144 - £58,284

Appointment:  Full Time & Permanent

About Us:

Our vision is simple – to ensure that all of our students achieve beyond our expectations and flourish as confident learners with the highest aspirations, ready for a bright and successful future and ready for the world in which they will work and live. We are relentless in our pursuit of the very best for all our students. We understand challenges but do not accept them as limitations.

Welling School is an all ability, co-educational 11-18 school, located in the London borough of Bexley. As well as serving our local community we welcome students from a diverse range of backgrounds and areas. Each of them bringing their own part to make up the Welling School Community.   We are proud to be part of The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT) which is one of the largest Multi Academy Trusts in South East England with over 40 Primary and Secondary Academies in the TKAT family.  As well as ensuring our students are knowledgeable and confident at Welling our shared values are to be: 

• Ambitious  
• Kind 
• Active

 

See our website for further information about the school www.wellingschool-tkat.org

 

 The Role:

We are looking to appoint an inspirational and dynamic Director of SEND who will also be our SENCO -  someone passionately committed to inclusion and who has the desire to maintain the highest standards of provision for SEND pupils. The role is demanding and challenging but very rewarding. 

In this newly formed role you will not only take responsibility for ensuring we do the very best for our students by making sure we are compliant with the code of practice but you will also have the chance to work with professionals all around the school to ensure bespoke support, high expectations and ambition for students is alive in every classroom - real impact in real time - and you will work closely with parents to ensure they are kept involved and informed of their child’s progress.

As an inspirational leader and networker you will be supported by a large, enthusiastic and highly committed team of staff (including a deputy SENCO), all of whom go the extra mile everyday to ensure our students work towards a successful future. You will work closely with staff in our on-site, specialist ASD provision and also benefit from the leadership of our experienced Assistant Headteacher responsible for Inclusion. This role is a key part of that critical team.

The length of your previous experience as a leader is less important to us than your clear vision of what can be achieved for our students and your team of committed and dedicated staff as well as your ability to motivate and inspire. Our new colleague will have an unstinting belief that every young person, whatever their starting point or circumstances, can make and sustain exceptional progress and that our purpose is to change lives.

You will have access to on-going development opportunities and the support of a forward thinking, successful multi-academy trust. You will be joining a team of strong and experienced school leaders who will do whatever it takes to help you to succeed in your new and exciting role.

As well as having a passion for young people and their futures our colleague will: 

• hold or be willing to work to obtain the national award for SENCO  
• be a dynamic professional with a desire for rapidly improving standards 
• have relevant and successful experience in working with SEND students 
• understand the complex range of issues students need us to be familiar with in order to do a great job for them 
• have a creative approach to ensuring students can engage with their learning 
• be an outstanding classroom teacher with a specialism in one or more subjects  
• have a track record of delivering clear impact on standards, attainment and progress 
• bring an unwavering commitment to doing whatever it takes 
• have the ability to engage, inspire and build excellent relationships with both students and staff 
• know how to balance holding colleagues to account with supporting them and helping them to be brilliant.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly ambitious team of staff and make a real impact on our students’ lives. 

Application and Contact Information:

Informal discussions and/or visits are actively encouraged.  To arrange a visit or discuss the post, please contact Victoria Edwards, HR Adviser on 020 8304 8531 or email victoria.edwards@wellingschool-tkat.org.  The job description and person specification can be downloaded below.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a significant number of applications. If you have not had any communication within 10 days of the closing date please take this as confirmation that on this occasion your application has not been successful. 

Safeguarding: TKAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Offers of employment will be subject to the full Safer Recruitment process, including an enhanced disclosure and barring service check. 

Our Commitment - Equal, Inclusive, Diverse: TKAT is committed to inclusion, diversity and equality of opportunity by encouraging and welcoming differences, listening to individual experiences, aspirations and accomplishments and learning how to grow better together. We welcome applications from all suitable candidates, regardless of any protected characteristic; this includes applicants wishing to work flexibly.

Access to interview:- should you be selected and invited to interview please let us know if you require us to adapt the interview environment.  If we can accommodate practical workplace adjustments to assist we will.

Applications should be sent by email to victoria.edwards@wellingschool-tkat.org.