SENDCO - Head of Faculty

SENCO – HEAD OF FACULTY

MEMBER OF THE EXTENDED SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Start date for permanent role 28th April 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter

We are looking to appoint a caring, motivated and inspirational SENCO to lead our well-resourced and expanding SEND faculty and associated hubs: supporting and challenging all students to achieve academic excellence and personal success.

This role has arisen due to the recent successful promotion of our SENCO. This role will ensure we continue to grow and develop the SEND faculty within the Academy to meet the ever changing needs of our students.  

The SENCO will manage the SEND Faculty and will play an important role in being part of our highly visible and forward thinking Extended Senior Leadership Team; the role will provide both a strategic and operational focus, supporting the successful candidate to further progress their career, whilst making important contributions and decisions in the forward-movement of the academy, particularly in relation to SEND and inclusion.

The successful candidate will line manage an Assistant SENCO, SEND administrator, and a comprehensive team of teaching assistants; working alongside the Senior Leadership Team, Heads of Faculty and Subject leads. In addition, the successful candidate will have oversight of the SEND Resource Base and SEMH provision, ensuring that students’ SEND/SEMH needs are fully met. The successful candidate will be supported by well-qualified colleagues, we are continually expanding our SEND provision; our aim is always to ensure the progress and welfare of all of our students.

Our last Ofsted inspection was in October 2021 and we were judged to be good in all categories and for overall effectiveness with some excellent feedback across all subjects and our Pastoral Care. Joseph Leckie Academy is a vibrant, exciting and innovative mixed 11-18 Academy. Our ongoing desire to continually look to move forwards means that this is an exciting time to join our successful and welcoming team. The Academy has remained as one of the top non-selective secondary schools for progress in Walsall based on validated results and is a great place to work.

We pride ourselves on our high expectations of all learners. This creates a calm learning environment where teachers can teach and students can learn, as was clearly supported by the feedback from Ofsted. We offer a highly supportive environment and are committed to ensuring outstanding teaching, behaviour, progress and achievement. Ofsted noted that staff are proud to work in the academy.

We are an expanding academy with numbers growing to well over 1500, and we continue to be over-subscribed at Key Stage 3 and in our large sixth form.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious candidate to join our dynamic extended senior leadership team at the forefront of change, to make a real difference as we continue to raise standards of education in the Academy. If you believe that you have the skills and abilities to take on this role, we would love to hear from you.

We can offer you: -

• Friendly, caring and supportive staff across the Academy – staff stay here for a number of years and say it is a great place to work and ex-students come back to work in the Academy so please come along and visit us find out what they say…
• A high focus on staff well-being with staff social events, a new gym, well-being counsellor, well-being co-ordinator for staff, monthly staff breakfasts, employee assistance programme and much more…
• Excellent support and professional development opportunities including opportunities to undertake our own in-house CPD programmes as well as external providers such as National Professional Qualifications at different levels as you progress towards leadership roles.
• We are a TEEP ambassador School with Level 4 trainers.
• A well established and supportive Induction programme for all staff at all levels.

·        A highly dedicated and committed Pastoral team at all levels.

• A well-established, experienced and dedicated SEND Faculty with several key posts and support from a range of staff to support staff at all levels.
• Excellent resources, programs and technology to support learning for our SEND students across the Academy and in our specific SEND/SEMH provision bases.
• A large and expanding Academy at the forefront of change and growth, with high standards and an ambitious desire to better the lives of our students and impact further on our wider community.

The role of this appointment will be as per the attached information on the outline Job Description, although the precise leadership responsibilities will be confirmed upon appointment based on experience.

You will have/show:

• knowledge and experience of successful SEND leadership and evidence of how you have led relevant areas and evidence of the impact you have made
• be an outstanding practitioner in own subject area with a proven record of raising progress and attainment in a significant area in own teaching
• National Professional Qualification for SEND (NASENCO) or working towards the new NPQ national SEND qualification
• be able to lead, inspire and further develop our teaching staff / teaching assistants to provide outstanding support for students
• understanding of the need to ensure timely and accurate completion of statutory documentation
• be a successful, highly organised leader with at least four years’ leadership experience, preferably as a Head of Subject/Year or other relevant TLR posts, particularly in SEND and/or pastoral areas
• have a clear understanding of transforming the curriculum and enrichment opportunities for SEND students and contributing to their personal and academic development
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant courses for SEND students, for example ASDAN/COPE or others
• For further details please see the job criteria and ensure that you meet the job specification

Application process:

Please see the attached job description and person specification and address this in your letter and include the questions below:

1.  Explain how your experience, skills and qualities to date have prepared you for this role. 
2. The future of Joseph Leckie Academy SEND Faculty and how you see your role within this?

Joseph Leckie Academy is an equal opportunities employer and fully committed to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of students and candidates will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.

We welcome visits to the Academy, please contact Mrs A Morgan to arrange for a visit.

Closing date for applications: Monday 20th January at 8.00am

Please send completed applications to Mrs A Morgan. recruitment@josephleckieacademy.co.uk