Lead inclusion where it already thrives - and take it even further

Swingate Primary School is seeking to appoint an exceptional Assistant Headteacher: SENCo & Inclusion Lead to join our Senior Leadership Team.

This is a rare opportunity to take on a strategic, non-class-based leadership role in a school where inclusion is already a strength - and to shape its next phase of excellence.

Our Vision

At Swingate, we believe that:

"We all flourish from a wealth of learning experiences that positively impact on academic, physical and emotional success."

Our character values of Bravery, Responsibility, Empathy and Resilience are not just words - they are lived every day by our pupils and staff and underpin everything we do.

Why Swingate?

Swingate is a large, successful and inclusive primary school with a strong reputation both locally and beyond.

Our inclusive provision is a genuine strength. Ofsted recognised that:

“Pupils with SEND do well… their needs are identified accurately… and addressed through carefully matched support to help these pupils achieve highly.”

This is echoed by governors, who recently praised the team’s dedication and impact:

“Everything I saw was fantastic… it really shows your dedication… being inclusive really does make a difference to those children.”

Our staff are proud to work here. High levels of staff retention and positive wellbeing survey outcomes reflect a culture where colleagues feel supported, valued and genuinely enjoy being part of our community.

Our pupils are happy, motivated and eager to learn, thriving in an environment where they feel safe, known and encouraged to succeed.

 About the Role

This is a key strategic leadership role with responsibility for:

• SEND (as SENCo)
• Inclusion and vulnerable groups (including Pupil Premium and EAL)
• Safeguarding (Deputy DSL)

You will work closely with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team to:

• Drive standards and improve outcomes for all pupils
• Lead and develop a highly respected and established SEND team
• Ensure every child - especially the most vulnerable - flourishes academically, physically and emotionally

This is a non-class-based role, allowing you to focus fully on leading, developing and embedding exceptional inclusive practice across the school.

We Are Looking For Someone Who:

• Has experience in teaching and school leadership, with a track record of impact
• Has SEND experience, including securing strong outcomes
• Holds the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCo) or equivalent
• Has experience of leading and developing others to improve inclusive practice across a school
• Has a proven ability to improve outcomes for vulnerable pupils
• Builds strong, positive relationships with pupils, staff, families and external professionals
• Embodies our character values of bravery, responsibility, empathy and resilience

We Offer:

• A welcoming, inclusive, fun and ambitious school community
• A highly respected SEND provision with strong foundations already in place
• A supportive, forward-thinking and collaborative Senior Leadership Team
• Opportunities to shape whole-school strategy and grow as a senior leader
• A culture where staff wellbeing is prioritised and valued
• The chance to make a genuine, lasting difference to children’s lives

As part of The Bluebell Federation, you will benefit from a collaborative network of like-minded schools sharing best practice and resources to drive continuous improvement. Together, we aim to enhance the quality of education across the Federation, leveraging collective expertise to address challenges and celebrate successes.

Visits

Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and strongly encouraged.

Safer Recruitment

The Bluebell Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment. In line with Safer Recruitment guidelines, CVs will not be accepted, and you are required to complete the application in full giving details of all employment, training and gaps in employment. The Bluebell Federation reserves the right to reject incomplete application forms and any consistencies or anomalies will be explored at, or prior to, interview.  Any offer of employment is subject to pre-employment checks including a satisfactory ‘Enhanced with Barred List Check’ through the Disclosure and Barring Service.  We will require two satisfactory references; one of which must be your line manager in your present or most recent employment. References will be requested prior to interview so please ensure that your referees are available to provide a reference.

Equal Opportunities

The Bluebell Federation is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and inclusion who welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.  All people who work and study at our Federation have the right to be respected and valued within a safe and secure environment and not to be discriminated against on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Additional Information

• References will be requested for shortlisted applicants prior to interview. 
• Shortlisted applicants will be required to complete and return a Self-Disclosure form prior to interview. 
• Online Searches will be carried out on shortlisted applicants prior to interview. Any concerns will be discussed with candidates at interview.
• Further vetting checks including an enhanced DBS, incorporating a check of the Children’s Barred List, will be undertaken on provisional offer.
• The Child Protection Policy can be found on the school website.