Assistant Head Teacher - Inclusion; SENDCo

This is a full-time, non-class-based Assistant Headteacher position, deliberately structured to give an experienced SEND leader the time, authority, team and capacity to lead strategically and make a genuine difference. For the right person, this represents an excellent opportunity to move from SEND coordination into whole-school senior leadership. A significant role - with significant support SEND is a major part of life at The Priory.

We are a large, inclusive two-form-entry primary school serving a community where levels of disadvantage and additional need are high and where the complexity of SEND continues to increase. We therefore recognise that effective SEND leadership cannot be delivered by one person working in isolation. The successful candidate will join a school with an unusually strong inclusion infrastructure.

You will work alongside:

• a full-time Inclusion Manager;
• a dedicated Safeguarding, Attendance and Wellbeing Manager;
• a Family Support Worker;
• approximately 45 members of support staff, giving us one of the largest support teams within a Sandwell primary school;
• specialist staff within our Resource Hub for pupils with complex communication and developmental needs;
• a Speech and Language Therapist working in school one day each week;
• established relationships with Educational Psychology, advisory services, health professionals and the Local Authority.
• This means that the Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion has something increasingly rare in SEND leadership: the capacity to lead, think strategically, develop people, improve provision and lead change.

You will certainly need to understand EHCPs, annual reviews, statutory processes and the detail of individual cases. But this role is about far more than administration and compliance. We want someone who can help shape the next stage of inclusive practice across the whole school, is committed and prepared to work hard. You will inherit strong systems, experienced staff and a school with inclusion firmly embedded within its culture.

The Priory holds Inclusion Quality Mark Centre of Excellence status, reflecting sustained external recognition of our inclusive practice. In January 2026, Ofsted judged the school Strong across five areas, including Inclusion. Achieving a strong judgement for inclusion in a school with the complexity of need found at The Priory is significant. The successful candidate will therefore inherit a strong platform from which to develop provision further.

We are not looking for somebody to rescue SEND. We are looking for somebody with the experience, ambition and leadership capacity to take something strong and make it even stronger.

The opportunity As Assistant Headteacher - Inclusion, you will sit within the school's senior leadership structure and provide strategic leadership for SEND from EYFS to Year 6.

You will have the opportunity to:

• shape the school's long-term strategy for SEND and inclusion;
• influence whole-school teaching and learning;
• develop adaptive teaching and ordinarily available provision;
• lead and develop a substantial team of adults supporting pupils with additional needs;
• strengthen specialist and targeted provision;
• coach teachers and leaders rather than simply provide advice;
• influence staffing, resources and deployment;
• work directly with governors and senior leaders;
• contribute to wider school improvement;
• shape our response to an increasingly complex SEND landscape; and
• develop further as a senior leader.

You will have significant professional autonomy, while also having a strong team around you.

• provide strategic leadership for SEND and inclusion across EYFS to Year 6;
• maintain a clear and accurate overview of the school's SEND profile, emerging needs and priorities;
• ensure…