Applicants MUST apply through our website: https://www.calderdale.ac.uk/careers/
In this role, you will be responsible for leading on the cross-college inclusion agenda and successful delivery of provision for all learners with a recognised special educational need or disability, including learners from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds and those facing barriers to participation, engagement or achievement. This includes both the Employability and Life Skills (ELS) discrete provision and the deployment of support staff to provide equality of access to education throughout the College as well as alternative and transitional pathways, including 14–16 Early College Transfer (ECT) provision and supported internship programmes.
You are responsible for providing high quality leadership to all members of the ELS and Inclusive Learning teams with direct Line Management of the ELS Curriculum Area Leader, Early College Transfer (14–16) Manager, the 2 SEND Support Team Leaders and the SEND Manager within Inclusive Learning.
You have a key role in maximising the funding for all learners who are entitled to additional support, in order to provide them as individuals with the resources they need to be successful. You will ensure inclusion is embedded as a core part of the College’s culture, educational delivery and learner experience, rather than operating as a discrete function.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide whole-college strategic leadership for inclusion, ensuring inclusive practice is embedded consistently across all curriculum areas, teaching, learning, assessment and support services.
- Provide strategic leadership and coordination for the Inclusive Learning Team (including Employability and Life Skills) to ensure consistency, high standards and an inclusive learner experience across all provision.
- Lead and model a culture of accountability, collaboration and enthusiasm throughout the Inclusion team, contributing to improved staff retention, reduced absence and high team morale.
- Define and manage robust service level agreements for the inclusion support service to deliver a high-quality, responsive service to learners, teaching staff and support teams.
- Ensure timely and effective planning and delivery of all EHCP reviews to support learners with additional needs to achieve their individual targets and make meaningful progress.
- Oversee an effective transition process for learners entering the college and for those moving between curriculum areas, ensuring seamless handover and continuity of support.
- Oversee and assure the quality of alternative and transitional pathways, including 14–16 Early College Transfer (ECT), ensuring provision is compliant, well-integrated and outcome-focused.
- Design, lead and deliver comprehensive staff training programmes across the college to enhance skills and awareness in supporting SEND and other learners with additional needs, to including inclusive and adaptive teaching strategies.
- Monitor, review and audit support provision for all learners throughout the academic year to ensure support is delivered consistently, effectively and adaptively.
- Work closely with data and management teams to ensure that support interventions are clearly evidenced in relevant learner records and reporting systems.
- Maximise available funding, including ALS and SEND-related funding, to deliver high-quality support for eligible learners while ensuring efficient and transparent use of resources.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners and stakeholders to secure meaningful work experience, internship and employment opportunities for SEND learners.
- Conduct observations of teaching and support activities and provide coaching and feedback to support continuous professional development of inclusion support and teaching staff.
- Monitor and track learner progress in Employability and Life Skills and other supported programmes and implement interventions to maximise learner outcomes and achievement.
- Lead and coordinate supported internships, such as Project Search, and identify and develop additional initiatives to support learners with EHCPs or significant additional needs or barriers to progression.
- Lead provision and support strategies for learners from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds, ensuring barriers to engagement, participation and achievement are identified and addressed.
- Promote a positive and inclusive image of the college through liaison with employers, community stakeholders, parents and carers and external agencies, and champion inclusive practice.
- Manage the Inclusion service budget, including forecasting, monitoring and responsibility for ALS funding claims, ensuring financial sustainability and high-quality provision.
- Ensure effective deployment and allocation of support staff resources to match learner needs and teaching requirements.
- Analyse, review and report on inclusion support data, learner progress and service effectiveness and use findings to inform planning, improvement and decision making.
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all college activity by ensuring policies, practice and provision reflect the commitment to inclusive education and to removing barriers for learners.
- Lead on the review and updating of college-wide inclusive education and support policies and procedures to ensure compliance, best practice and continuous improvement.
- Act as a senior champion for inclusion and learner voice by actively engaging with learners, gathering feedback and ensuring learner needs and aspirations inform policy and provision.
- Work closely with senior leadership, curriculum leaders and departments to embed inclusive practice in curriculum planning, teaching, learning and assessment across the college.
- Chair the college’s inclusion panels when they involve a learner with SEND, ensuring decisions are well-informed, consistent and supportive of learner needs and progression.
- Act as a senior role model for the College’s FREDIE values (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Equity), embedding these principles into policy, practice and everyday experience.
- Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post and required to support the strategic development and success of the college’s inclusive provision.
Holidays
The basic holiday entitlement is 318.2 hours inclusive of Bank and Public Holidays of which up to 37 hours can be directed by management. The holiday year is from September to August.
Salary
£55,973 - £57,655
Salary Range
HS049 to HS050
