Wider Leader

Sherwood Foundation School

Wider Leadership Position

Salary: Teachers Pay Spine M1–U3: £37,870–£56,154 (+ 1 or 2 SEN points + TLR2b)

Contract: Full time, Permanent

Start date: September 2026

Closing date: 12pm on 17th June 2026

Sherwood Foundation School is a Foundation Special School located in the London Borough of Sutton and made up of three campuses:

Sherwood Hill Campus

Sherwood Hill Campus is a specialist school for autistic learners aged 3–19 years who have multiple and complex barriers to learning, requiring high levels of support to access education and learning around their peers. Many of our learners may also have severe learning difficulties and/or struggle to maintain a regulated state for learning.

Sherwood Park Campus

Sherwood Park Campus is a specialist school for learners aged 3–19 years who have severe, multiple and complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This includes learners who have highly complex access needs resulting from their physical and/or health conditions. All learners require high levels of adult support to access learning.

Sherwood Manor Campus

Sherwood Manor Campus is a specialist school primarily for autistic learners aged 11–19 years who have moderate to severe barriers to learning. Most of our pupils can access a highly adapted formal learning environment with high levels of adult support. Some of our learners struggle to deal with the demands of an adult-led learning environment so may need a highly individualised learning offer to meet their academic potential.

We have high aspirations for all our pupils and we pride ourselves on putting the child at the centre of everything we do. Our curriculum ensures that our pupils, who come from a wide range of backgrounds, have exceptional opportunities to excel and access exciting opportunities in school, and beyond school, to develop their physical, social and emotional well-being.

All staff are expected to work across campuses when required. Candidates are welcome to indicate a site preference on their application form; this preference should be based on where you believe your skills and experience best align with the needs of the learners.

About the role: Join Sherwood Foundation School and play a key role in shaping and driving outstanding specialist practice for autistic learners. We are seeking an exceptional SEND practitioner and Wider Leader who is passionate about creating emotionally safe, neuroaffirming learning environments and who can lead others with clarity, compassion and purpose.

This is a significant leadership role within a highly specialist setting. This post will be based at the expanding Sherwood Manor Campus and will carry responsibility for a teaching department. There is some potential flexibility in the department of responsibility to be discussed at interview stage. 

Our Wider Leaders are not simply managers — they are visible, relational and proactive leaders who model exceptional practice, champion inclusive approaches and drive forward whole-school improvement. Successful candidates will be skilled in supporting and developing teams, leading difficult conversations professionally, maintaining high expectations and ensuring consistency across their department.

At Sherwood Manor Campus, classes are small with high staffing ratios and a strong transdisciplinary approach involving occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and wellbeing professionals. Wider Leaders play a central role in ensuring communication, regulation and learning approaches are embedded consistently across teams.

Main Purpose of the Role

• Take specific responsibility and accountability for the day-to-day management and organisation of the allocated department’s provision within the Sherwood Manor Campus

• Be an excellent classroom practitioner, modelling to other teachers and staff, with a teaching timetable of 70%

• Have an impact on educational progress beyond your assigned pupils

• Line manage, performance manage and appraise identified staff

• Assist in the smooth running of the school at all times, including being responsible with other TLR holders in the absence of the Head of School and Assistant Head

• Contribute to the development and successful implementation of the School Development Plan as part of the Wider Leadership Team

• Manage effectively the transition of pupils to and from your department, including home visits, nursery/pre-school visits, and review of admissions paperwork

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for leaders motivated by improving practice, developing people and building a school culture where both learners and staff can thrive. Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Outstanding classroom practice in a specialist SEND setting

• The ability to inspire, coach and challenge others to continually improve outcomes for learners

• Confidence in leading and supporting teams through a relational, regulation-informed and neuroaffirming approach

• Skills in leading difficult conversations professionally and maintaining high expectations

• Experience contributing to school self-evaluation and development priorities

• A reflective, collaborative approach to curriculum development and quality of education

• A recognised teaching qualification (QTS, QTLS, or equivalent)

• Experience of SEND specialist settings, ideally working with autistic learners

Staff Benefits

We know that to achieve our vision, it is our people who make the difference. We offer a competitive reward and benefits package:

• Enrolment in Local Government Pension Scheme

• Competitive Salary

• Access to Employee Assistance Programme via Vita Health Care Group

• Benenden Health - health care cash plan

• On-site staff parking (at two campuses)

• Comprehensive training and development opportunities

• Opportunities for career progression across three campuses

• Flexible working policies

• On site staff swimming sessions

• Access to school dinners

• Commitment to staff health & wellbeing

Safeguarding Recruitment Statement

Sherwood Foundation School is committed to equal opportunities, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are made subject to receipt of a completed application, satisfactory references and an Enhanced DBS check.

Please note applicants must demonstrate how they meet all sections and subsections of the person specification for this role.

Closing Date for Applications: 12pm on 17th June 2026

Interviews: TBC