Director of Inclusion in London

Join us as our Director of Inclusion and lead the Trust wide vision for safeguarding, SEND, behaviour, personal development and careers. This is a rare and influential opportunity to shape culture, strengthen inclusion and impact the lives of thousands of students across Creative Education Trust.

Location: Homebased with significant travel

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full‑Time

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Start Date: September 2026

Application Closing Date: 8th March 2026

1st Round Interview Date: Monday 16th March 2026 at CET Head office, Covent Garden London

2nd Round Interview Date: Tuesday 24th March 2026 at CET Head office, Covent Garden London

Overview: Creative Education Trust is seeking an experienced and transformative senior leader to serve as Director of Inclusion, leading trust‑wide strategies across behaviour and attitudes, safeguarding, SEND, personal development and careers education. As part of the Executive Team, you will play a key role in shaping, developing, and implementing Creative Education Trust’s strategic plans. This role will drive consistently high standards across all schools, fostering a culture where students are supported to aim high, access enriching experiences and receive fair, tailored support that removes barriers to success.

The successful applicant will bring a strong record of school improvement and will champion an inclusive environment that raises aspirations, broadens possibilities and ensures every student is treated with fairness and respect, resulting in a direct and meaningful impact on student outcomes.

The Role: The Director of Inclusion will lead Trust‑wide work on behaviour, safeguarding, SEND, personal development and careers education, ensuring every Creative Education Trust school lives our values of Empowering Ambition, Championing Equity and Unlocking Opportunity. The role drives a consistent culture of high expectations, strengthens safeguarding practice, secures ambitious outcomes for all students and enhances both personal development and careers pathways. Through clear strategy and strong collaboration, the postholder will help create inclusive, safe and aspirational environments where every young person can thrive.

About You: You are a confident, compassionate and strategic senior leader who brings deep expertise in inclusion, safeguarding and student experience. You hold high expectations for every child, and you lead with a commitment to fairness, belonging and the belief that all students deserve access to the highest‑quality care, support and education. Your leadership combines clarity, empathy and ambition, enabling you to shape practice across multiple schools and strengthen the culture of inclusion at scale.

• Strategic expertise: You excel in designing, implementing and evaluating Trust‑wide frameworks for behaviour, safeguarding, SEND, personal development and careers, using evidence and best practice to drive improvement across diverse school contexts.
• Leadership excellence: You inspire and influence colleagues at every level, modelling professionalism, emotional intelligence and high expectations while building collaborative relationships grounded in trust and respect.
• Deep professional knowledge: You bring authoritative understanding of statutory safeguarding guidance, the SEND Code of Practice, the Education Inspection Framework and careers education requirements, enabling you to provide expert direction and ensure compliance across all schools.
• Data‑driven improvement: You use data, insight and analysis to monitor impact, shape decision‑making and identify priorities, ensuring that strategies deliver measurable improvement for students and staff.
• Championing inclusion: You are unwavering in your commitment to ensuring that every student particularly the most vulnerable - feels safe, supported and able to thrive, consistently advocating for fairness, dignity and high‑quality provision across all areas of Trust life.

About Creative Education Trust: Creative Education Trust is a growing network of 17 schools, educating over 13,500 children and young people across England. Since 2010, we’ve worked in partnership with communities to deliver an education that inspires ambition, promotes equity, and unlocks opportunity for every learner. We believe every child has talent, every community has strength, and every school can be a place where excellence thrives. Our curriculum is rich, broad, and inclusive - designed to build knowledge, nurture creativity, and prepare students for the future. We are united by a shared purpose: to transform lives through education. Our schools are places where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to lead their own lives with confidence. Through collaboration, high expectations, and purposeful leadership, we ensure that success is both expected and achieved - together.

Ready to Join Us? Submit your application directly through our website. We warmly welcome visits to our school, and if you would like to arrange a visit or confidential conversation with Sian Gladman, Head of Recruitment - sian.gladman@creativeeducationtrust.org.uk or 07706 359649.

Want to stay connected? Join our Talent Pool here and be the first to hear about future opportunities. Creative Education Trust (CET) is committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people by keeping them safe, we expect all our colleagues to share in this responsibility. All shortlisted candidates are subject to online checks prior to interview. The CET Recruitment Policy follows the guidance set out by Keeping Children Safe in Education, where all offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS Check, separate Barred List Check, References and where appropriate a Prohibition from teaching search. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. CET is committed to developing, maintaining, and supporting an inclusive culture and environment for the benefit of its employees and the communities it serves.