Job Description

Assistant Principal (Inclusion & SENCO)

Additional Responsibility: Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Leadership Framework | EFE-JD-SENCO-2026

You bring a high-level mastery of the SEND Code of Practice and the Equality Act. Your strength lies in your ability to translate complex clinical data into actionable, asset-based strategies for the classroom. You possess the professional authority to challenge external agencies to secure the resources our pupils deserve, always acting as a tireless advocate for the neuro-diverse profile.

You are a systems thinker with an eye for detail. You take pride in the precision of the ‘Graduated Approach’ (Assess, Plan, Do, Review), ensuring that every child’s progress is tracked with clinical accuracy. Your strength in data analysis allows you to identify emerging needs before they become barriers, maintaining the integrity of our Dynamic Development Plan (DDP).

You possess the emotional regulation and professional vigilance required to lead on high-stakes safeguarding. You have a forensic knowledge of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and the ability to maintain a ‘culture of curiosity’ across the provision, ensuring that relational safety is the foundation of every pupil interaction.

Key Responsibilities

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEND policy. You will coordinate specific provision to support individual pupils with SEND, leading the writing and annual review of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). You will ensure all plans are asset-based documents that truly celebrate the child’s neuro-diverse superpower.

Maintain an up-to-date SEND Information Report and Provision Map. You will ensure that high-quality, adaptive teaching is the universal baseline, utilising data from the Dynamic Insight Screener to adjust interventions with clinical precision.

Line manage the inclusion team and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), ensuring their deployment is targeted, evidence-based, and restorative. You will lead whole-school CPD on neuro-affirming strategies, awakening the workforce to the potential of every learner and modelling the EFE Coaching Cycle.

Act as the primary point of contact for the Local Authority, educational psychologists, and health professionals. You will ensure EFE is a beacon of best practice, managing High Needs Block (HNB) funding applications to maximise the support available for our Elevation Arc.

Attitude	Aptitude	Functional Capability
Relentless belief in the potential of neurodivergent learners. A “no-excuses” approach to statutory compliance.	Advanced ability to translate the SEND Code of Practice into restorative classroom practice.	Lead the statutory EHCP cycle with 100% compliance. Deploy resources to maximise student independence.

Statutory Accountability

Deputy DSL & Relational Safety

In your role as Deputy DSL, you will support the DSL in ensuring that ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE) is embedded in every school system. You will take lead responsibility for safeguarding in the DSL’s absence, making critical, time-sensitive decisions regarding referrals to the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or the police.

Maintain a forensic and chronologically accurate record of safeguarding concerns on the SENTINEL portal. You will ensure that all staff are vigilant, “thinking the unthinkable,” and reporting concerns with the professional precision required to protect our most vulnerable learners.

Represent the school at multi-agency meetings, including Core Groups and Child Protection Conferences. You will provide high-quality written reports that combine clinical observation with a deep understanding of the child’s lived experience and the EFE relational model, ensuring families feel supported and respected.

Promote the school’s relational behaviour policy, ensuring that “behaviour” is always understood as a form of communication. You will support staff in navigating complex presentations with unconditional appreciation, avoiding exclusionary practices and focusing on restorative repair and co-regulation.

Attitude	Aptitude	Functional Capability
Maintain a culture of “relentless curiosity” regarding pupil welfare. Value transparency and restorative boundaries.	Forensic attention to detail in record-keeping. Ability to remain calm and decisive during safeguarding crises.	Ensure 100% of staff are trained to KCSIE standards. Manage the SENTINEL portal with zero investigation gaps.

Leadership Standards

Awakening the Workforce: Standards and Behaviours

Attitude	Aptitude	Functional Capability
Celebrate the “small wins” that represent breakthroughs. Create an abundancy culture where neuro-diversity is not viewed as a “deficit.”	Engage in national SEND networks to stay at the cutting edge of inclusive practice. Share the “Why” of restorative education with passion.	Communicate a clear vision for inclusion to parents, ensuring they feel like true partners in their child’s Elevation Arc.

Attitude	Aptitude	Functional Capability
Lead with transparency and integrity. Accept responsibility and be vulnerable, avoiding a blame culture in staff development.	Take time to know your team’s strengths. Ask thoughtful questions and seek the truth in every clinical or academic scenario.	Deploy resources effectively to support KPI delivery and student progress. Ensure absolute clarity in inclusion expectations.

As an Assistant Principal, you will represent the agreed values and vision of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to the school community. You will lead school assemblies, organise inclusion events, and contribute to the School Development Plan. You will participate in the staff appraisal process and the senior leadership on-call rota, ensuring the school remains a safe, restorative environment at all times.

Person Specification

The Qualities of the Architect of Inclusion

• Essential: Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and Degree educated.
• Essential: National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO).
• Essential: Level 3 Safeguarding Training (or achieved within 1 month).
• Desirable: NPQSL or evidence of higher-level leadership development.
• Desirable: Training in Polyvagal Theory, Sensory Integration, or restorative practice.

• Sustained and successful leadership experience in a secondary, AP, or specialist setting.
• Proven track record of raising standards for pupils with complex SEND using the Graduated Approach.
• Extensive experience of the EHCP process, including writing, reviewing, and funding applications.
• Prior experience in a safeguarding role (DSL/DDSL) with knowledge of MASH referrals and chronologies.
• Deep understanding of neuro-affirming practice and restorative approaches to behaviour management.
• Exceptional communication skills; the ability to hold the “clinical line” while maintaining restorative relationships.
• Highly organised with a forensic eye for detail in record-keeping and data analysis.
• A commitment to the EFE pillars of Unconditional Appreciation and Mutuality.

Candidates will be assessed on their ability to model the EFE values. The interview will include focus on safeguarding scenarios, your ability to advocate for pupils with complex needs, and your vision for a clinical sanctuary that celebrates neuro-diverse superpowers. We are looking for a leader who finds joy in the complexity of inclusion.