Director of SEND and Inclusion | The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust

A leadership role for those who refuse to accept the status quo!

Location: Hybrid / Flexible – with travel to our schools in the West Midlands, East Anglia and London.

If the systemic failures of SEND provision inspire you to drive change and you still have the resilience, pragmatism and empathy to work within the system to impact its development, this role is for you. As our Director of SEND and Inclusion, you will lead the Trust’s strategy for SEND provision, working closely with school leaders, SENDCos and external partners to ensure every child receives the education they deserve.

We need a leader who understands that inclusion is a wicked problem made worse by well-intentioned individuals struggling within a broken system. If you can balance idealism with realism, advocacy with pragmatism and passion with patience, we would love to hear from you.

About the role:

• Developing and implementing a Trust-wide SEND and Inclusion strategy aligned with our mission and values.
• Partnering with school leaders to move from a provision-based model of SEND to a whole-school approach that assumes inclusion as the default.
• Ensuring all schools comply with SEND legislation and best practice while balancing the financial realities of multi-academy trust governance.
• Providing strategic support to school leaders on preventing exclusions, managing complex SEND cases and engaging with local authorities to secure the necessary resources and support.
• Supporting the professional development of SENDCos, TAs and teachers to build internal expertise across the Trust.
• Acting as a key escalation point for challenging SEND cases, ensuring fair and ethical decision-making.
• Building effective partnerships with external organisations, local authorities and policymakers to influence broader systemic change.
• Analysing Trust-wide SEND data to drive continuous improvement and accountability.

This role requires an exceptional individual, someone who can advocate fiercely for children’s rights while understanding the pressures faced by school leaders, local authorities and parents alike.

We are looking for a leader who burns with a passion for supporting disadvantaged children and sees inclusion not as a distant aspiration but as a fundamental principle that must shape every decision. This person rejects the oversimplification of SEND challenges and instead embraces the complexity of systemic change, understanding that real progress requires nuance, persistence and an unflinching commitment to equity.

Whilst we are open to the background of our new Director of SEND and Inclusion, you must have an appreciation of the complexities around SEND legislation and the realities of school leadership. You should recognise the immense pressures faced by headteachers, SENDCos and TAs, professionals who are often stretched beyond capacity.

The new Director will know that these individuals need both support and challenge, balancing empathy with the practical realities of running a school. You will come with the strategic acumen to lead meaningful change across multiple schools and local authorities, ensuring that inclusion is more than just a policy; it is a lived reality for every child.

We seek someone who is not afraid to call out hypocrisy and performative inclusivity at the highest levels of leadership. We hope to appoint someone who believes that any permanent exclusion is a failure of the system, whilst also appreciating the dilemmas faced by school leaders who are left with few options when dealing with high-needs cases.

This is someone who is comfortable navigating the legal and political complexities of SEND provision, engaging in difficult conversations with local authorities and advocating for systemic improvements with both conviction and diplomacy. Above all, you will bring resilience, optimism and a relentless problem-solving mindset to one of the most challenging roles in education today.

You must understand that the path to true inclusion is neither simple nor easy, but be willing to walk it again and again, until every child, no matter their needs, has the education and support they deserve.

Peridot Partners and The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.