Lead Teacher (Inclusion)
The Swan School, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 7WP14 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 January 2026
Closing date
17 October 2025 at 10am
Date listed
3 October 2025
Job details
Job role
- Teacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £51,773.00 - £57,137.00 Annually (FTE) Leadership Pay Scale L1 - L5, Permanent, full-time (flexible working will be considered)
Lead Teacher (Inclusion) job summary
About this role
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to be part of shaping an exceptional inclusive offer within our superb, high-performing comprehensive school. As Lead Teacher (Inclusion), you will work closely with the Assistant Headteacher (Inclusion) and the rest of the senior leadership team to establish an outstanding enhanced pathway for those students who need it. Building on the strong foundations that have already been laid across the school, you will develop this new provision to the same extremely high standards so that all students receive an excellent education. In addition, you will also have the opportunity to learn about other aspects of leadership as a key part of the inclusion team.
Our enhanced pathway is a new provision and the Lead Teacher (Inclusion) will play a critical part in the design and development of it. The provision will support students who need enhancements to both our Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 curricula. Our school is not afraid to innovate and we are looking for someone who is open to bringing fresh ideas and trying new approaches.
Although this is ideally a full time role, we are open to conversations around flexible working for the right candidate.
What skills/experience are required?
The successful candidate will share our ambitions for our students. You will relish the challenge of creating something new and doing things differently. You will be a highly motivated team player with a proven track record of impactful teaching in a primary or secondary school setting. While we are looking for candidates with Key Stage 2 experience, the right candidate from a secondary background will be considered. You will be a creative thinker who is unafraid to try new approaches, and a reflective practitioner, keen to continue learning in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for our students.
Experience of and a keen interest in working with students with SEND is essential for this role. A willingness to complete the NASENCO or NPQ SENCO in the future is desirable and we would expect to see evidence of engagement with other professional development opportunities around inclusion.
About our School
The Swan School, part of the River Learning Trust, is Oxford’s first new secondary school for over 50 years, and opened in September 2019. We have grown to have over 1,000 students on roll and our Sixth Form is now fully established. Our students are drawn from a local catchment area and the school is at the heart of the community. Learning from the most successful approaches at the best schools, The Swan School provides a uniquely challenging and structured experience in a caring and disciplined environment. The ethos is academic; we regard an excellent academic education as the entitlement of all young people, no matter what their background or previous experiences of learning. Students are inspired and nurtured, acquiring the knowledge and skills to think critically and creatively. They will learn to be confident, resilient and ambitious, and will have high expectations of their own achievements and their contribution to wider society.
Staff at The Swan benefit from being part of a close-knit team where wellbeing is prioritised. We strive to be exceptional and are proud to be different. We are unafraid to work hard in the best interests of the students but we ensure that staff time is not wasted on time-consuming jobs that have little impact on student outcomes (for example, there are no written reports or school expectations for written marking). Swan staff benefit from excellent professional development opportunities within the school, wider trust, and beyond. Our unique 'cycles' model means that our school terms are predictable and colleagues have a high degree of agency and autonomy over their time.
How to apply
Candidates are invited to visit the school before making an application and/or have a phone call regarding the role. Please email headteacher@theswanschool.org.uk to arrange a visit or a phone call with one of the Acting Co-Headteachers (the Headteacher is currently on maternity leave).
Applications for this post should be made through the My New Term recruitment portal. Please contact us if you have any queries regarding the application process.
The deadline for applications is 9:00 am on Friday 17 October, with interviews held on Tuesday 21st October. The school reserves the right to consider and interview candidates ahead of the closing date if appropriate.
About the River Learning Trust
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.
Safeguarding
The River Learning Trust and The Swan 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.
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
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.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About The Swan School
- School type
- Free School, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 952 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- The Swan School website
School location
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