Head of Provision

Head of Provision

Location:

Wellington

Salary:
Leadership Scale L15-L21 (dependent on experience)

Start Date:

1 September 2026

Contract:

Temporary to Permanent (end date TBC)

Working Pattern:
Monday to Friday (with the option for one day working from home)

Five Education are delighted to be recruiting a Head of Provision for an exciting new specialist SEMH Alternative Provision opening in Wellington this September.

This is a rare opportunity to become the Head of Provision for a pioneering new specialist school dedicated to transforming educational outcomes for children in care.

The provision has been designed for a cohort of just 15 learners, each receiving 100% one-to-one support through highly personalised teaching and therapeutic intervention. The children accessing the provision present with complex Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and are often at Tier 4 level, displaying significant risk, including suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviours.

Many of the pupils have experienced multiple care placements, disrupted education, developmental delay and trauma. The mission is to provide a safe, nurturing and aspirational environment where they can rebuild confidence, engage with learning and achieve outcomes that may once have seemed impossible.

This is more than a leadership role-it is an opportunity to establish a flagship provision that will help shape the future of education for children in care and young people with SEND.

About the Role

As Head of Provision, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for the school, overseeing a multidisciplinary team of up to six staff, including therapeutic professionals.

You will create a culture where high expectations, compassion and consistency underpin everything you do. Through exceptional teaching, therapeutic practice and relational leadership, you will ensure every young person has the opportunity to succeed academically, emotionally and socially.

This role is suited to someone who is confident in handling situations children with complex and acute mental health needs, as well as significant barriers to learning

By providing specialist education closer to home, this provision allows young people to remain connected to their families and local communities while receiving exceptional therapeutic and educational support.

Unlike a traditional school setting, pupils are taught on an individual basis rather than in classes, allowing for truly personalised education. The Wellington provision will initially support around five students, growing to a maximum of 15.

You will be responsible for:

Leading the day-to-day running of the provision.

Developing an outstanding culture of teaching, learning and personal development.

Managing and inspiring a multidisciplinary staff team.

Embedding trauma-informed and therapeutic approaches across the school.

Building strong relationships with carers, local authorities and external agencies.

Maintaining high standards of safeguarding, attendance and behaviour.

Driving continuous improvement while establishing the vision for a brand-new specialist provision.

Working collaboratively with therapeutic professionals, families and external agencies.

About You

You are an experienced, inspirational and ambitious leader who believes every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their starting point.

You will bring significant leadership experience, ideally with a background as a Deputy Headteacher, Assistant Headteacher or SENCO role.

You will be fanatical about achieving positive outcomes and striving for better in all aspects of teaching and learning.

You will also have:

A strong understanding of the educational barriers experienced by children in care and those from disadvantaged inner-city communities.

Extensive experience supporting young people with complex SEMH needs.

Confidence working with children who present with significant emotional distress, self-harm or suicidal risk.

The ability to remain calm, resilient and solution-focused in challenging situations.

Exceptional organisational and leadership skills.

The ability to inspire, coach and develop others.

An unwavering commitment to improving outcomes…