SENCO /Inclusion Coordinator

Job description

Job Description

PLEASE NOTE THIS POST IS ONLY OPEN TO INTERNAL APPLICANTS

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: Oakfield South, currently based at Newlands Primary School, Earl Shilton, LE9 7PA and due to move to a permanent base in Blaby.

Salary: Leadership 5 - 8(pro rata for part-time)

Working Hours: 32.5 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 16th September 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

Are you an experienced, inclusive and reflective leader who wants to make a real difference for pupils with SEMH and SEND? This could be the leadership opportunity for you.

About the Role

Oakfield Short Stay School Primary is a specialist, nurturing and ambitious provision for pupils who require short stay support following permanent exclusion, dual registration or complex placement needs. We work closely with families, mainstream schools, the Local Authority and a wide range of external professionals to help pupils make progress, rebuild confidence and successfully move on to their next stage of education.

At Oakfield Short Stay School, relationships are at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for a resilient, respectful, reflective and remarkable leader who is passionate about inclusion, committed to improving outcomes, and able to make a positive difference for pupils, families and schools.

As SENCO / Inclusion Coordinator, you will lead Oakfield's Primary outreach offer across the Local Authority, playing a key role in supporting Leicestershire primary schools to meet the needs of pupils with SEMH and SEND. You will manage the school-to-school provision for the south of the county, providing advice, guidance and practical support to schools so that pupils can remain successfully in mainstream education wherever possible.

The successful candidate will take line management responsibility for SEMH Inclusion Practitioners, ensuring that outreach support is well coordinated, responsive and focused on improving outcomes for pupils. Working closely with the Deputy Headteachers, senior leaders, mainstream schools and wider partners, you will help strengthen inclusive practice, reduce barriers to learning and support successful reintegration across Leicestershire.

An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

About You

To apply for this post, you must be able to evidence in your application how you meet the following criteria:

• A qualified teacher with strong experience of supporting pupils with SEND, SEMH and complex needs within a primary, specialist or short stay setting.
• A confident and knowledgeable SEND / Inclusion leader who can ensure pupils' needs are assessed, provision is well planned, and individual plans are reviewed regularly.
• Someone who can work effectively with parents, carers, educational psychologists, SENA, mainstream schools and other external agencies to secure the best possible outcomes for pupils.
• A leader who can support, coach and line manage staff, including SEMH Inclusion Practitioners, to deliver high-quality support and inclusive practice.
• A reflective practitioner with the ability to use assessment information, progress data and professional judgement to identify barriers, plan next steps and evaluate impact.
• Someone who understands safeguarding responsibilities and is ready to act as a Designated Safeguarding Lead, keeping children safe through confident practice, accurate recording and strong professional communication.
• A collaborative colleague who can build confidence and capacity within mainstream schools, offering practical advice and strategies that support pupils to remain in, or successfully return to, inclusive education.

Interested? Visits are strongly encouraged. Please contact the school office on 0116 275 9150 or email [email protected] to arrange a visit.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Victoria Edwards, Executive Head of County Primary and Secondary Short-Stay Provision

Telephone: 0116 275 9150

Email: [email protected]

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we're looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what's on your CV. That's why we've designed a recruitment process that's fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we'd love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the 'About You' section above. Without this information, we won't be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

About Us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it's like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process
Our Organisational Values
Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us