Head of School – Nurture Pathway

Croydon Independent SEND School Full-Time Salary up to £85,000

A specialist education recruitment agency is proud to be partnering with a highly regarded independent SEND school in Croydon to appoint an exceptional Head of School – Nurture Pathway.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced specialist educator with expertise in early developmental learning, Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), Global Learning Delay (GLD), complex learning needs, Autism and complex communication needs.

The successful candidate will lead a large and established Nurture Pathway, supporting pupils working at the earliest stages of development and learning. This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on teaching quality, curriculum delivery, staff development and pupil outcomes within a specialist setting committed to excellence.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly skilled practitioner and leader who can drive outstanding specialist provision through strong educational leadership and a deep understanding of how children with complex needs learn and develop.

This is not solely a pastoral or wellbeing-focused role. Rather, it is a specialist leadership position centred on:

• Leading high-quality teaching and learning across the Nurture Pathway.
• Developing and embedding outstanding communication-focused practice.
• Coaching, mentoring and developing teaching and support staff.
• Driving curriculum implementation and quality assurance.
• Improving pupil outcomes through evidence-based specialist approaches.
• Ensuring pupils receive consistent, purposeful and ambitious provision tailored to their individual needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the school's Nurture Pathway.
• Lead and develop provision for pupils with SLD, GLD, Autism, complex communication needs and developmental learning profiles.
• Champion best practice in communication, engagement, regulation, independence and readiness for learning.
• Support and develop staff through coaching, training, modelling and performance leadership.
• Monitor teaching quality, curriculum delivery and pupil progress across the pathway.
• Work closely with the Headteacher and wider leadership team to ensure progression and consistency across specialist curriculum pathways.
• Drive a culture of high expectations, inclusion and continuous improvement.

About You

To be successful, you will bring:

• Proven experience in middle or senior leadership within a specialist SEND or developmental learning environment.
• Strong expertise in SLD, GLD, complex learning needs, Autism and/or early developmental learning.
• A track record of improving teaching practice, curriculum delivery and pupil outcomes.
• Experience supporting pupils with complex communication needs, including those who are pre-verbal, minimally verbal or non-verbal.
• Knowledge of communication approaches such as PECS, AAC, Total Communication, Objects of Reference and visual communication systems.
• Excellent leadership, coaching and staff development skills.
• The ability to inspire confidence and drive high standards across multidisciplinary teams.

Desirable Experience

Applications are welcomed from professionals with backgrounds including:

• Specialist SEND leadership.
• SLD/PMLD provision.
• Complex needs education.
• Developmental learning programmes.
• Autism specialist settings.
• EYFS leadership, where there is significant experience supporting children with developmental delay, communication needs and complex learning profiles.
• Pathway or curriculum leadership within specialist schools.

Experience of the EQUALS Curriculum would be advantageous but is not essential.

What Our Client Offers

This is a significant opportunity to join a large and growing independent specialist SEND school in a senior leadership capacity, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping the educational experiences and outcomes of pupils with complex learning needs.

As Head of School – Nurture Pathway, you will have the opportunity to strengthen and develop specialist provision, lead and inspire staff, and drive continuous improvement across a well-established pathway supporting pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), Global Learning Delay (GLD), complex learning needs and early developmental learning profiles.

Our client offers:

• A senior leadership role with genuine influence and strategic impact.
• A competitive salary of £65,000–£85,000 per annum, dependent on experience and demonstrated impact.
• The opportunity to lead and further develop an established Nurture Pathway within a specialist SEND setting.
• The chance to work within a school offering both Nurture and Semi-Formal curriculum pathways, supporting progression and continuity for learners.
• Responsibility for leading provision for a substantial cohort of pupils with SLD, GLD, complex learning needs and complex communication profiles.
• A highly visible leadership position with direct influence on pupils, staff development and the quality of provision.
• The opportunity to coach, mentor and develop teachers and support staff, embedding outstanding specialist practice across the pathway.
• A collaborative, ambitious and values-driven school culture.
• Access to high-quality professional development and leadership development opportunities.
• A relocation allowance for an exceptional candidate who may need to relocate to take up the position.
• The opportunity to be part of an organisation committed to promoting Inclusion, Independence and Self-Worth for every pupil.

For an ambitious SEND leader seeking a role where they can make a meaningful and lasting impact, this represents an outstanding career opportunity.

 

If you are an experienced SEND leader with the expertise, vision and drive to lead specialist provision for pupils with complex learning and communication needs, we would be delighted to hear from you.

 

We have a policy to respond to all applications within three working days. However, because of the volume of applications, we are sometimes unable to reply to individual enquiries. If we have not contacted you within this specified time your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Philosophy Education is a Recruitment Business and is advertising this vacancy on behalf of one of its clients.