Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion, Safeguarding & Culture (DSL)

Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion, Safeguarding & Culture (DSL)

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion, Safeguarding & Culture will provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure that every learner at The Village School is safe, included, valued, and able to achieve positive personal, social, educational and lifelong outcomes. The Village School is a Group 8 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities School.

The postholder will serve as the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and will hold strategic responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, attendance, behaviour and school culture, inclusion, medical needs, therapeutic provision, family engagement and learner wellbeing.

The Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion, Safeguarding & Culture will provide strategic leadership across inclusion, safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, medical needs, therapeutic provision, and learner wellbeing, ensuring every aspect of school life reflects the school's values and commitment to the highest standards of care and education.

The Deputy Headteacher will directly line manage:

Assistant Headteachers

Safeguarding Officer

Behaviour Team Lead

Attendance Lead

Key areas of responsibility include:

Strategic Leadership

Safeguarding and Child Protection (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Attendance Strategy and Inclusion

Behaviour, Regulation and School Culture

Medical Needs and Health Provision

Therapeutic and Specialist Provision

EHCP Compliance and Annual Review Quality Assurance

Inclusion, Family Engagement and Early Help

Personal Development and Learner Wellbeing

Inspection Readiness and Accountability

We are looking for a candidate with:

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Significant, sustained senior leadership experience in a SEND school or complex educational setting

Experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy DSL

Experience leading safeguarding across a complex, multi-site or large organisation

Experience leading and improving whole-school attendance, including EBSA and persistent absence

Experience leading behaviour strategy and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) implementation

Experience of direct line management and leadership development of senior staff

Experience of multi-agency working across health, social care and education

You will be:

Deeply values-driven and child-centred in all decisions and actions

A strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into impactful action

Able to inspire, influence and develop others at all levels of the organisation

Committed to safeguarding, inclusion and the belief that every learner can achieve positive outcomes

The Village School reserves the right to interview and appoint before the closing date.

Early applications are therefore strongly encouraged.