SENCO

Houstone School, Dunstable, LU5 5PX

44 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  asap

• Closing date

  30 September 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  17 August 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teacher or lecturer
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £52,257.00 - £59,118.00 Annually (Actual) AS Leadership 1-6 £52,257- £59,118 dependent on experience

SENCO job summary

SENCO

We are seeking an exceptional SENCO to join our leadership team and lead the next stage of development of SEND provision at Houstone School.

This is a rare opportunity for an ambitious and highly organised leader to shape and develop an outstanding SEND department within a school that has uncompromisingly high expectations for every child. We are looking for a SENCO who shares our belief that all pupils, regardless of need or starting point, deserve access to an exceptional education and who is excited by the opportunity to build systems, develop staff expertise and ensure that every pupil can thrive. This role combines strategic leadership with the opportunity to create lasting impact for pupils, families and staff.

At Houstone School, we are building a culture defined by excellence, warmth and consistency. We believe that great schools are built on clear routines, strong relationships and relentless attention to detail. Our SEND provision is central to this vision, and the successful candidate will play a vital role in ensuring that true inclusion is not an add-on, but a fundamental part of our school culture.

You will work closely with the Principal and Senior Leadership Team, receiving significant support whilst also having autonomy to lead, innovate and drive improvement. This is a role for someone who enjoys creating systems, improving practice and building capacity in others. Whether you are an experienced SENCO looking for a new challenge or an ambitious leader with a strong SEND background, you will find a team that is supportive, highly aspirational and committed to your success.

Key Duties

• Lead the strategic development of SEND provision across the school.
• Ensure that statutory requirements and the SEND Code of Practice are implemented effectively.
• Develop robust systems for identifying, assessing, tracking and supporting pupils with SEND.
• Maintain accurate and compliant SEND records and documentation.
• Work closely with teachers to secure high-quality adaptive teaching and Quality First Teaching.
• Lead, coach and develop support staff to maximise their impact on pupil outcomes.
• Build strong partnerships with parents, external agencies and local authority services.
• Monitor the progress and attainment of pupils with SEND and evaluate the impact of provision.
• Contribute to whole-school improvement as a key leader within the school.
• Deliver high-quality professional development to colleagues.
• Promote a culture where all staff take collective responsibility for the success of pupils with additional needs.

The successful candidate will

• Have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) & (NASENCO) or National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators.
• Be passionate about inclusion and ambitious for every pupil.
• Have exceptionally high expectations of pupil achievement and behaviour.
• Be highly organised, meticulous and able to establish effective systems and processes.
• Have the vision and drive to build an outstanding SEND department.
• Be a strong communicator who can work effectively with pupils, staff, parents and external agencies.
• Demonstrate resilience, professionalism and sound judgement.
• Be committed to continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Share the school's belief that excellent teaching is the most powerful tool for improving outcomes for young people.

Why Join Houstone School?

• The opportunity to build and shape an excellent SEND department.
• Direct support, coaching, and investment from the Principal and Senior Leadership Team as well as Trust Leaders.
• A culture of exceptionally high expectations for behaviour, attendance, achievement and inclusion.
• A highly organised school where strong systems and routines enable staff and pupils to flourish.
• A commitment to evidence-informed practice and high-quality professional development.
• The opportunity to make a transformational difference to the lives of children and families.
• The chance to contribute to a growing school with a clear vision and ambitious future.

JOB SPECIFICS

Start date: January 2027 or asap

Salary: AS Leadership 1-6

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

The Trust reserves the right to interview and appoint a suitable candidate before the deadline date.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding and welfare of children is paramount and all our staff share this view. Applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding and child protection checks including with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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

Safeguarding children enrolled at the School is of paramount importance, and we are fully committed to the protection and safe care of our pupils. The successful applicant will be required to undertake appropriate checks as well as providing proof of your right to work in the UK.

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 Houstone School

• Organisation type: Free School, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• Size: 765 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Houstone School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/houstone-school

Houstone School opened in September 2022 and we are determined to make a positive difference to the educational landscape in Houghton Regis and the surrounding areas.

There are some key differences that we believe make Houstone School so distinctive.

Houstone School will have very strong standards of behaviour, a different approach to pupils with additional needs that believes that they can meet the heights of their peers, and aspects like longer school days that fit in with modern family life, alongside a real commitment to getting the curriculum, teaching and learning right.

Houstone School, shaped by the families and the educational teams who design it, has freedom to direct resources where they are most needed, and to ensure that our curriculum is truly aspirational.

We believe that our combination of firm discipline, very high expectations, an academic knowledge-based curriculum, and a humble approach to feedback means that we can go on to be one of the highest-achieving schools in the country. We really do want to be a ‘grammar school for all’.

Our ambition is that every single pupil will be able to attend university, and most will attend the most selective universities. We are ambitious to be the best school in the country.

School location

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