Inspirational Headteacher

Baskerville School

Job overview

We are excited to welcome you as a prospective candidate for the Headteacher position at Baskerville School. As a specialist school providing education for students with autism and learning difficulties, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for both staff and students. Your expertise will be vital in shaping our vision of fostering a caring, supportive environment that empowers our students to reach their full potential.

About Us

Baskerville School is a day school for 190 secondary-age students between 11 and 19 with autism and additional disability. We presently meet the challenge of working across 3 sites because of RAAC which was discovered in the main Baskerville Site in 2024.

We offer a specialist service for children on the autistic spectrum with additional learning and communication difficulties, who require an individualised, highly structured and integrated educational and therapeutic provision delivered within a Total Communication approach. Our pupils require a bespoke package, typically in a small class group with at least 1:3 support.

Teachers, therapists and support staff work fully integrated, ensuring that a child-centred holistic approach is core to practice. We recognise that pupils with autism have mixtures of need relating to, for example, communication and relationships, sensory sensitivity, and a need for regularity.   Our curriculum, and our delivery of it, is designed with an understanding of these needs, and how each pupil individually presents.  

The Baskerville site currently houses our Key Stage 3 students and our complex cohort. The facilities include substantial outdoor spaces such as playing fields, dedicated playgrounds, a horticultural area and a forest school area, while indoor spaces include specialist and sensory rooms. Access to some of these areas is currently limited due to the new build programme. Our Key Stage 4 and 5 students will be based at Windsor Olympus Academy for the next two years. We have access to a dance studio and specialised labs, as well as a sports hall and outdoor all-weather pitch. We also have a resource base at South & City College Birmingham (Longbridge Campus), where students aged 16-19 are taught by Baskerville School staff.

When rebuilding is complete, Key Stages 3-5 will be housed on the Baskerville site, which will have expanded, secure play spaces. The school building will feature new sensory and therapy rooms, a library/ICT suite, spacious classrooms with breakout spaces, specialist rooms including Art/DT, Food tech, meeting rooms and other facilities in line with DfE new school build specifications. It is expected that the new building will be opened in 2026.

Our students follow the Equals curriculum. Key Stage 4 students study English, Maths and Science at GCSE and/or Entry Level, as well as BTEC vocational qualifications in Art and Design Technology (DT), and Humanities at Entry Level. Key Stage 5 students undertake employability (work skills) course alongside functional skills in English and maths.  At South & City College, students typically follow Level 1 – 2 courses. All students take part in Independence lessons, which include food technology, travel training, SRE, PSHE, PE, sport and leisure activities.

In principle, our curriculum remains as broad as possible for as long as possible, enabling students to reach identified endpoints, such as the transition to supported college placements, and reaching the waypoints on the journey to these endpoints. Our aim is that our students are supported in living as independent, fulfilling and healthy a life as possible, and in contributing to the life of their community. ​​

Our aim is to ensure that each student has the entitlement to access a variety of opportunities to promote academic, social, emotional, and physical development. We use autistic-specific, empathetic approaches and an autistic-sympathetic learning environment to promote student learning and personal development. We provide choices and challenges to maximise potential and build upon strengths and interests. We work within a supportive school framework to promote and celebrate individual success, integrate students into the wider community, and prepare students for life after school.

We provide a low arousal, flexible teaching environment, with pupils following individual programmes, which are based on our detailed knowledge of each child and thoroughly embedded with the principles of Positive Behaviour Support. Pupils may also have access to social communication groups, rebound therapy, sensory circuits, yoga, outdoor and adventurous activities in the local community, work placements, theatre trips and many more activities tailored to support individual learning needs. An emphasis on functional and independence skills, communication and our integrated approach to planning, delivery and assessment is at the heart of our curriculum.

About the role

We are looking to recruit an exceptional dynamic leader who will share our vision and continue to move our school forward

We really try to transform lives; we need a senior leader with vision, courage, drive, intelligence and organisational brilliance, who puts young people at the heart of everything they do, takes enormous joy in their unique qualities, and also knows how to inspire and get the best out of staff. We require applicants who can demonstrate experience of working as a headteacher or similar senior role in a special school.

If successful you will have an opportunity to lead a team committed to supporting the well-being of all children and young people, achieving high standards and providing the best opportunities for all in their care. 

We are proud to be a school with a deep commitment to the future of the children in our care. Parents are positive about the impact of the school on their children. The core values of our school community are Aspiration, Kindness, Independence, Resilience and Respect. Our focus is on giving our pupils their best possible futures, enabling them to lead happy, safe and purposeful lives. Safeguarding is paramount.

If you want to lead a strong team and support a powerful ethos that is proven yet different and is backed by extensive research, then this is the perfect opportunity for you.

We are looking for a Head teacher who has:

·            A track record as a Headteacher in Special Education (preferred) or similar leadership role

·            The ability to develop the best possible environment for all our children to be successful in their learning

·            Excellent knowledge and proven experience of how to meet the educational, social and emotional needs of children with complex needs

·            The ability to embrace our child centred vision

·            A demonstrable commitment to nurture emotional as well as academic intelligence

·            Experience of working in partnership with outside agencies, the community and parents and carers

·            The ability to motivate and develop colleagues

·            The commitment and drive to be a strong visionary leader who constantly strives to develop our school.

What we offer

·         A school with an ethos of positivity and mutual support

·         An effective Governing body that is supportive and engaged and welcomes innovation

·         An exciting and innovative curriculum

·         Working as part of an experienced, supportive and motivated team

·         Purposeful, exciting CPD opportunities

·         Collaboration and opportunities with our 6 fellow Co-operative Trust Schools

·         Forest School provision

·         Aspirational Senior and Middle Leadership Teams

·         Specialist rooms

·         A culture of staff well-being

·         Supportive parents and carers.

·         A brand-new purpose-built school in 2026

·         Opportunity to further develop the school’s provision

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All staff are subject to an enhanced DBS check. A conviction may not exclude candidates from appointment but will be considered as part of the recruitment process.

 If you feel you have the skills to inspire both staff and students, we would like to hear from you. If you would like to make informal enquiries, please contact Alex Darkes (Strategic Business Manager) at the school on 0121 427 3191 or by email on hr@baskvill.bham.sch.uk. Visits to the school are welcomed and encouraged. You will have an opportunity to be shown around the school by the interim Headteacher, Mr Allan Lacey.

Baskerville School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. All short-listed applicants will be subject to on-line and social media searches.

Baskerville School’s Safer Recruitment and the Recruitment of Ex Offenders Policy can be found on the links contained herein or on the School’s website.

Please note that the closing date is 9am on 6th January 2025. Interviews will be held over a two day period on the 23rd and 24th January 2025

Thank you for considering this transformative opportunity. We look forward to receiving your application and the possibility of welcoming you to Baskerville School.

Job Description: Head Teacher – SEN School (Complex Needs)

Location: Birmingham
Reports to: Governing Body

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership to deliver high-quality education for students with autism and complex needs.
• Develop and implement policies aligned with school values and SEN requirements.
• Foster a safe, inclusive environment supporting student well-being and achievement.
• Lead, manage, and inspire a team of educators and support staff.
• Engage with parents, Local Authority, stakeholders, and external agencies to promote collaborative support.
• Monitor and evaluate school performance, ensuring continuous improvement.

Person Specification

Essential:

·         Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

·         Evidence of whole-school management and leadership at a senior level

·         Evidence of continued professional development relevant to SEN and school leadership

·         Proven track record in managing and developing staff teams in SEN settings, particularly in supporting students with autism

·         Strong understanding of autism, learning difficulties, and inclusive education strategies

·         Excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills

·         Proven aptitude for strategic thinking with the ability to set and achieve long-term goals for school improvement

·         Proven ability to build effective relationships with students, staff, and external partners

·         Knowledge and understanding of: statutory requirements related to SEN students in the UK; best practices in inclusive education and differentiated curriculum planning; safeguarding policies and procedures

·         Strong ethical values and integrity, ensuring the school’s vision and ethos are upheld consistently

Desirable

·         Experience of school leadership as a Headteacher, SEN preferred

·         Leadership qualification (e.g. NPQH)

·         Specialized training in autism and/or learning difficulties

·         Experience in implementing whole-school improvement strategies

·         Experience in budget management and resource allocation within an educational setting, including working within Local Authority structures

·         Experience of managing significant change

·         Experience as a DSL

 All short-listed applicants will be subject to on-line and social media searches.