Director of Inclusion

Salary: L11 £66,368 - L15 £73,105

Hours: Full-time

Permanent

Start date: September 2026 or earlier if possible

Thrive Co-operative Learning Trust is a vibrant family of ten schools across Hull, three secondary and seven primary – united by a shared purpose: to inspire pupils to thrive in life. Each Thrive school is a dynamic community of staff, pupils, and families working together to unlock every child’s potential.

The Opportunity

As a senior member of the Executive Team, the Director of Inclusion will help shape how education is designed and delivered across our seven primary and three secondary schools. This is a strategic, trust-wide leadership role designed to ensure that inclusion is a defining strength of our culture, curriculum, and practice. Working alongside the Executive Education Team, you will influence how learning, support, and culture come together so that every pupil is able to succeed. You will provide trust-wide leadership for SEND, EAL, and groups facing disadvantage, ensuring that our provision is coherent, ambitious, and consistently strong across all phases.

What We Offer

• A Strategic Executive Role: Become a core member of the Trust Executive Team, collaborating directly with the CEO and Directors of Primary, Secondary, and Safeguarding to embed inclusion in every aspect of Trust life.
• System-Wide Influence: The opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate a Trust-wide Inclusion Strategy that impacts thousands of pupils.
• Professional Growth: Access to leadership development programmes and the chance to build leadership capacity for inclusion across multiple settings.
• A Collaborative Environment: Join an inclusive and forward-thinking Trust that treats inclusion as an integral part of everyday practice rather than a compliance-led function.
• Staff Benefits: Access to our staff benefits platform, including retail discounts, gym membership offers, and salary sacrifice schemes such as cycle-to-work.
• Pension: Membership of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

What You Will Bring

• Expertise and Qualifications: You must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a recognised SENCO qualification.
• Proven Leadership: Significant senior leadership experience within schools or multi-academy trusts, with a track record of improving outcomes for vulnerable pupils.
• Strategic Vision: The ability to develop and lead trust-wide strategies for SEND, EAL, and Mental Health/SEMH.
• Deep Knowledge: A strong understanding of statutory frameworks (SEND, safeguarding, equality) and evidence-informed inclusive pedagogy.
• Values-Led Approach: A commitment to equity, dignity, and high expectations for all pupils, including those with additional or complex needs.

Next Steps

To arrange a visit or an informal conversation, please contact Helen Harrison, Senior Executive Assistant and Governance Professional, at Kelvin Hall School.

Closing date: Monday 2nd February 2026, 9 am

Shortlisting: Monday 2nd February 2026

Interviews: Monday 9th February 2026

Safer Recruitment Statement

As part of Thrive Co-operative Learning Trust’s commitment to safer recruitment processes and in accordance with statutory guidance: Keeping Children Safe in Education an online search will be carried out on all shortlisted candidates to help identify any issues that may need to be explored at interview and which could indicate a risk to children or the Trust’s reputation. Please note, that we do not accept CVs, applications must be submitted using our recruitment platform application form.

Our commitment to Safeguarding

Thrive Co-operative Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Each school has a robust Safeguarding Policy and all staff receive training relevant to their role at induction and throughout their employment. A candidate’s suitability to work with children will be explored at all stages of the recruitment process. The successful applicant will, in accordance with statutory guidance, be subject to a comprehensive pre-employment checking process including receipt of a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), a Children's Barred List check, a Section 128 Management Check if relevant, Prohibition check and overseas checks as applicable, identity check, medical clearance, proof of qualifications, satisfactory references and a check regarding their eligibility to work in the UK. This role involves contact with children and provides regular access to children, therefore it is a ‘regulated activity’. As such, this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act - 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

Our commitment to equality and diversity

Thrive Co-operative Learning Trust recognises and celebrates the diversity of its schools and their communities. There is a shared commitment across the Trust to develop further a culture of respect, where discrimination is not tolerated, and individuals are treated equitably and fairly and feel a sense of belonging.

Please visit the Thrive Trust website to view our Job Applicants Privacy Notice, which explains how we collect, store, and use personal data about individuals applying for jobs at our Trust.

Safeguarding Statement

Thrive Co-Operative Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We particularly welcome applications from under represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.