Assistant Headteacher Inclusion & SEND
Berwick Academy, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2JF17 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 January 2027
Closing date
12 October 2026 at 9am
Date listed
25 September 2026
Job details
Job role
- Assistant headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time: Monday - Friday
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- L11-L15
What skills and experience we're looking for
Are you an ambitious, visionary leader with an unyielding commitment to educational equity? Berwick Academy is seeking to appoint an outstanding Assistant Headteacher: Inclusion & SEND to join our senior leadership team at a pivotal moment in our school’s journey.
Following our successful transition to a full 11–18 secondary school and as we look ahead to our state-of-the-art new campus, we are continuing to shape an inclusive, high-aspiring culture where every student thrives.
As AHT Inclusion & SEND, you will play a central strategic role in two high-impact priorities:
- Adaptive Teaching: Driving high-quality, adaptive instructional practice across all classrooms so that students with SEND access a rich, ambitious mainstream curriculum.
- Specialist SEND Base Development: Serving as the key driver in establishing, operationalising, and leading our brand-new specialist SEND support base, creating a flagship provision for students with complex needs.
What We Are Looking For
This post is ideally suited to an experienced SENCO or middle leader ready to make the step up into senior leadership and drive whole-school strategy. You might be an existing Assistant Headteacher with a behaviour, teaching and learning or SEND remit seeking a high-impact, fresh challenge. Ultimately, we are looking for an exceptional practitioner and experienced leader who:
- Holds / is working towards (or is willing to work towards) the NASENCO qualification (or NPQ SENCO).
- Possesses deep expertise in the SEND code of practice, EHCP processes, and evidence-based adaptive teaching strategies.
- Has a proven track record of improving outcomes for vulnerable learners and removing barriers to achievement.
- Brings the strategic vision, operational rigour, and empathy required to establish a high-performing specialist base from the ground up.
- Communicates with clarity and warmth, building trust with families, staff, and external agencies.
What the school offers its staff
What We Offer
A Once-in-a-Generation legacy project: The rare opportunity to help engineer a total educational reboot, overcome decades of historical challenges, and shape a brand-new specialist SEND provision moving into a £multi-million campus in 2028.
Fresh, forward-thinking leadership: Join a welcoming, highly supportive team of staff and Trustees, working alongside a fresh leadership team led by a new Headteacher and Deputy Headteachers.
Modern leadership flexibility: We trust our team. Enjoy dedicated strategic working time, including time per fortnight working flexibly from home for deep planning, casework, and policy development.
Exceptional location: Based on the stunning Northumberland coast in historic Berwick-upon-Tweed, with direct rail connections to Newcastle and Edinburgh.
Further information about the job
How to Apply
For an informal discussion about the post or to arrange a visit to the school, please contact the Headteacher’s PA, Josie Ruddick: ruddickj@berwickacademy.co.uk
To apply, please submit: a completed Application Form along with a Supporting Statement (no more than 2 sides of A4, font size 11) outlining your vision for high-quality inclusive practice and adaptive teaching, and detailing how your experience prepares you to establish our new specialist SEND base.
Completed applications should be emailed to headteacher@berwickacademy.co.uk by the deadline below.
Closing Date: Monday, 12th October 2026 at 9:00 AM
Shortlisting: Tuesday, 13th October 2026
Interviews: Week commencing Monday 19th October 2026
Berwick Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. An enhanced DBS check and pre-employment safeguards will be required for the successful candidate.
Commitment to safeguarding
Berwick Academy are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and expects all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment. You will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Berwick Academy has a policy commitment to equal opportunities and diversity in employment and seeks to ensure no employee or applicant receives less favourable treatment than another. All posts are filled on merit.
Applying for the job
This job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Berwick Academy
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 13 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 601 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 13 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Website
- Berwick Academy website
- Email address
- headteacher@berwickacademy.co.uk
- Phone number
- 01289 305083
The future of Northumberland Education starts here.
We aren't just a school; we are a community on the move. Perfectly positioned on the stunning East Coast Main Line, we serve the vibrant, coastal town of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the surrounding areas of North Northumberland.
Berwick Academy is in the midst of a reboot. We are moving beyond ‘business as usual’ to build a school that matches the scale of our £50m+ investment. This is a rare opportunity to join a school at the point of its most significant transformation in decades. The road to our new 2028 campus starts here: we are reimagining every aspect of our school—from our structure to our systems to our curriculum and our culture—to ensure we are delivering a first-class education for our young people before the first brick is even laid.
Why Berwick Academy? Why now?
We are currently undergoing a radical, multi-million-pound transformation that will redefine the educational landscape of North Northumberland:
The £50m+ campus: By 2028, we will move into a brand-new, state-of-the-art campus designed for 21st-century learning.
The two-tier transition: In September 2026, we evolve into a 11–18 secondary school, creating a seamless, ambitious journey for our 900+ students.
A leadership reboot: Under new leadership, we are building a culture of radical progress, professional autonomy, and uncompromising standards.
We believe that our staff should thrive both inside and outside the classroom. Our unique location means a commute through breathtaking landscapes, with easy access via the A1 and the rail network.
Join a team of pioneers. Help us build the legacy.
Arranging a visit to Berwick Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email headteacher@berwickacademy.co.uk.
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