Head of Education & Inclusion

Grade 16

Lead, inspire and shape the future of education and inclusion.

Are you an ambitious, forward-thinking senior education leader with the vision, expertise and passion to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people?

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Education & Inclusion to provide strategic leadership, direction and innovation across education services. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to drive excellence, champion inclusion and ensure that every child and young person has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

The opportunity

As Head of Education & Inclusion, you will lead, manage and develop education services, driving high standards, continuous improvement and positive outcomes for children, young people and families.

Working collaboratively with schools, education providers and partners across health and social care, you will shape and deliver strategies that respond to the needs of children and communities, ensuring high-quality, accessible and inclusive education.

You will provide strategic leadership across a broad portfolio, including:

• Education strategy and standards: Lead the development and delivery of policies and strategies relating to school standards, admissions, alternative education and early years.

• School improvement: Drive school improvement through effective support, challenge, monitoring and intervention, promoting high standards of learning and achievement.

• SEND and inclusion: Lead the development and implementation of SEND and Inclusion strategies, strengthening integrated working across education, health and social care.

• Education provision and sufficiency: Ensure sufficient high-quality early years and school places, alongside effective admissions arrangements, capital provision and home-to-school transport.

• Vulnerable children: Provide strategic oversight of the Virtual School, ensuring vulnerable children receive the support they need to fulfil their potential.

• Partnership and collaboration: Build and sustain effective partnerships with schools, academies, education providers and external agencies to improve outcomes, particularly for children with complex needs.

• Leadership and workforce development: Inspire, motivate and develop high-performing teams, fostering a positive, inclusive culture and commitment to continuous improvement.

• Financial management: Lead effective budget management, ensuring resources are used responsibly, savings and income targets are achieved and services deliver value for money.

You will also contribute to wider strategic leadership, advise and support elected representatives, and represent the organisation in regional and national partnerships.

About you

You will be an accomplished senior leader with substantial experience in education services and a proven ability to deliver strategic priorities, lead complex services and achieve sustainable improvements.

You will bring:

• A strong track record of successful senior leadership within education.

• Experience of developing and delivering strategic policies and service objectives within a large, complex organisation.

• Substantial post-qualification experience managing education services.

• A demonstrable ability to lead, motivate and develop teams to achieve significant and sustainable service improvements.

• Experience of safeguarding within a broad multi-agency context.

• A strong understanding of SEND, inclusion, school improvement and the wider education landscape.

• A proven ability to build effective partnerships and influence a wide range of stakeholders.

• Experience of managing budgets, resources and competing priorities effectively.

• The ability to lead innovation, manage change and make confident, informed decisions in challenging environments.

You will be educated to graduate level, hold a relevant professional qualification and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development. A postgraduate certificate in Education or equivalent Level 7 qualification conveying Qualified Teacher Status is also required.

The qualities that will make you successful

You will be a confident and credible leader who can operate effectively in a complex and high-profile environment. You will demonstrate:

• Exceptional communication, influencing, negotiation and presentation skills.

• The ability to inspire confidence, empower others and create an inclusive organisational culture.

• Strategic vision combined with the ability to translate priorities into measurable outcomes.

• Resilience, sound judgement and the ability to manage ambiguity, pressure and public scrutiny.

• A commitment to honesty, openness, accountability and professional integrity.

• A passion for service excellence, equality, innovation and value for money.

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to take on a pivotal leadership position, shaping education and inclusion services and influencing the experiences and life chances of children and young people.

You will have the opportunity to work with a wide network of partners, lead meaningful change and create the conditions in which schools, services and communities can work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for every child.

If you have the vision, leadership capability and commitment to make a lasting difference, we would welcome your application.