Director of SEND

Required to start: September 2026 or sooner

Director of SEND

Salary: MPR/UPR + TLR 1B

John Smeaton Academy is seeking to recruit an inspirational colleague for the role of Director of SEND. This role is of great importance to our work as an Academy, the successful candidate will be expected to lead on key areas of responsibility, particularly SEND, to ensure the delivery of exceptional educational provision for all pupils at the Academy, as well as the management of SEND specialist teachers, teaching assistants, and external agencies. John Smeaton offers a unique opportunity to work as Director of SEND, coordinating mainstream SEND and an onsite Resource Provision. Our Resource Provision is called Horizons and offers specialist support for 40 young people who have an EHCP with a primary need of communication and interaction. Students have the opportunity to work from a base within school as well as accessing mainstream lessons where appropriate.

Potential applicants should have:

· Experience of engaging effectively with parents and carers in learning.

· Experience of supporting a wide range of SEND and vulnerable learners’ needs.

· Evidence of their impact in supporting children with behaviour and inclusion needs.

It would be desirable if potential applicants also have experience of working within a Resource Provision/Specialist Provision.

What we offer you:

As a trust, we want to ensure that professionals at every stage in their career have the opportunity to enjoy expert support and training. We are pleased to offer a generous benefits package to our team – as we work together to create a rewarding future for all including:

· Membership of a teacher or local government pension scheme, depending on the role.

· A commitment to continued investment in our professionals, supporting every member of staff throughout their career in the trust.

· Access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential professional advice and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

· £2k Cycle to work scheme.

About us:

On 1 September 2021 John Smeaton Academy joined The GORSE Academies Trust, an organisation renowned for excellence in education. The trust has a nationally recognised track record of transforming inadequate schools and making them great again, or for the first time in their history. Consequently, this role represents an incredibly exciting opportunity for any candidate who is eager to be a part of an organisation that seeks to secure the very highest educational standard for every student. We are determined to ensure students at John Smeaton Academy are inspired to ‘Secure the Gift of Choice’ and we expect any successful candidate to be passionate and tenacious in their quest for all round academic and pastoral excellence. As part of our exceptional work to date, Ofsted recognised that our academy is ‘Good’ in all areas in April/May 2024.

A unique opportunity to be part of an academy that is a Beacon for its community!

If you would like to know more about our academy, please visit our website.

How to Apply:

If you are as excited about this role as we are, you can download the , Person Specification, and Application Form from The GORSE Academies Trust website, request them by email at   [email protected] or call us on 0113 8313900.

Please note if you submit an electronic application, we will not require a hard copy. CVs are not accepted.

Closing date for applications: 27 April 2026, 9am

Interviews will take place: To be confirmed

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will be shortlisted and invited to interview while this advert remains live, if a successful candidate is found the advert will be withdrawn.

We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to full employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure and barring service check. We promote diversity and aim to establish a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds.

Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK – either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

Please note that, as a sponsor licence holder, we only provide sponsorship for teacher vacancies.