Secondary Phase Lead - The Avenue School
The Avenue Special School, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 4BZ16 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 January 2027
Closing date
27 September 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
11 September 2026
Job details
Job role
- Head of year or phase
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2, Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- L5 to L9 - £57,137 to £63,070 Per year
What skills and experience we're looking for
Full time - Permanent - January 2027 start
The Avenue Special School is a vibrant and friendly school community which supports more than 250 pupils, aged between 3-19, with a range of severe or profound learning difficulties, some physical disabilities and autism. We have small well-resourced classes and a real passion for supporting young people to have active and healthy lives through an exciting education both in and out of the classroom.
Working at The Avenue provides you with the opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of young people with special educational needs. It also allows you to progress in your career, taking on responsibilities and developing your passions and interests.
We care deeply about CPD and balancing workloads to allow staff to flourish, so we offer a full programme of training and mentoring, staff wellbeing days, and the chance to work in a supportive and encouraging team environment where your voice really does matter. In order to strengthen our leadership capacity, improve consistency of practice and continue to raise professional standards across our school and support operational and strategic demands, we are excited to have created a new Secondary Phase Lead role.
The Secondary Phase Lead will provide strategic leadership and day to day operational management of the Secondary department, ensuring pupils make excellent progress academically, socially, emotionally, and in preparation for adulthood.
The successful candidate will ensure that the Secondary curriculum, assessment, and pastoral systems are ambitious, coherent, sequential and personalised, with clear pathways toward Post 16 provision and or other destinations, accreditation, independence, and active community participation. EHCP and PFA outcomes will be embedded within all aspects of planning and provision.
Alongside the curriculum there are expectations of a rigorous program of quality assurance. The Secondary Phase Lead will also regularly engage with the pupils’ Personalised Learning Plans to ensure these are embedded alongside the academic outcomes outlined in the curriculum frameworks.
What the school offers its staff
Candidates must be able to demonstrate experience of implementing initiatives at a strategic level, as well as being a good communicator and a proactive team member.
The successful candidate will be highly organised, a confident decision maker and compassionate with a passion for ensuring best outcomes for all young people in a dynamic environment.
To apply, please visit the vacancy page of our website www.avenue.reading.sch.uk and fill in the forms that you’ll find in the Leadership recruitment section, stating the role you are applying for.
All completed application forms must be returned to: recruitment@avenue.reading.sch.uk
For more information and to arrange a tour of the school, please call Vanessa Carrick on 0118 214 5257
Closing date for application: 9am, Monday 28 September 2026.
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
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About The Avenue Special School
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 2 to 19
- Size
- 253 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 2 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- jason.owen@reading.gov.uk
The Avenue School Special Needs Academy is a day special school for boys and girls from the age of 2 – 19 with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Arranging a visit to The Avenue Special School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email jason.owen@reading.gov.uk.
School location
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The Avenue Centre, Conwy Close, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 4BZ
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