Assistant Headteacher (SENCo)

Gosford Hill School, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 2NT

14 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  April 2027

• Closing date

  23 November 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  9 November 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Assistant headteacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £63,070.00 - £69,596.00 Annually (Actual) Leadership Scale 9-13

Assistant Headteacher (SENCo) job summary

We are looking for a knowledgeable and compassionate leader with high expectations of themselves and others, who will champion our most vulnerable learners, grow the expertise of every teacher, and work closely with families and specialists so that every student achieves well, whatever their starting point.

The successful candidate will play a central role in setting the vision, culture, and strategy for whole school inclusion and SEND provision. You will lead our SEN team including an Assistant SENCO, SEND Administrator, HLTA’s and Teaching Assistants and champion high expectations and adaptive teaching across every classroom.

This appointment coincides with an exciting transformative period: Gosford Hill is undergoing a multi-million-pound rebuild under the DfE School Rebuilding Programme, offering the successful candidate the unique opportunity to help shape new SEND spaces.

If you are interested in the post, please complete an application form outlining your reasons for applying and your suitability for the post. The closing date for receipt of applications is 9 am on Monday 23rd November 2026; however, we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date if we receive applications that meet the criteria. Once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Interview date: Thursday 26th November 2026.

If you would like a confidential conversation about the role, please email jobapplications@gosfordhillschool.org or telephone Nicola Cooke on 01865 374971.

Education has the power to change lives, communities and society for the better. At RLT we believe that we can achieve more for our pupils, trainees, staff and communities by working together rather than alone. Schools in RLT are united by a common belief in the benefits of working together, and by our commitment to shared principles.

OUR VISION is for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously and sustainably: to be better faster together.

OUR ‘WHY?’ is that children and young people ‘only get one go’ in school and therefore as part of RLT we aim to ensure the best possible ‘go’ for our pupils.

OUR ‘HOW?’ is through the highest support and challenge for our schools and each other, underpinned by our principles.

Our employees benefit from a wide variety of support including extensive continuing professional learning and development opportunities, wellbeing and staff networks and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS) for all staff. For more information on what it is like to work for the Trust, and the benefits you could access, please see our “Working in RLT” guide.

This role includes regulated activity relevant to children.

The River Learning Trust and Gosford Hill School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. The Trust is required to conduct a variety of checks and online searches about you as part of their recruitment process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. The River Learning Trust is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment for all staff, free from discrimination and harassment.

For all RLT Safer Recruitment Documentation candidates should click on the following link RLT Safer Recruitment Documents for Candidates. Please see our website for up to date policies including our Child Protection and Behaviour Policies.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. For further guidance for applicants click on this link List of offences that are not filtered

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Gosford Hill School

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary school
• Size: 825 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Gosford Hill School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/gosford-hill-school

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