Head of Inclusive Education

Children and Young Peoples Services

Contract Established

Location County Hall Northallerton

Would you like the challenge and opportunity to lead, shape and influence inclusive education in England's largest county? Do you share our high aspirations and expectations for all children and young people and especially those with special educational needs?

North Yorkshire is committed to inclusive education and high quality provision which will help every child to exceed expectations and in doing so close attainment gaps. Our Inclusive Education Service supports schools and settings to identify needs, to develop inclusive practice and to remove barriers to learning for children and young people with special educational needs. It also has responsibility for those for whom Alternative Provision is appropriate, where our expectations are no less ambitious.

The Inclusive Education Service is an integral part of North Yorkshire's integrated SEND service (0-25) which is responding with energy and enthusiasm to the SEND agenda in the Children and Families Act, 2014 and the SEN Code of Practice.

The service assists schools and settings to meet needs in the four broad areas of need: communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health difficulties, and sensory and/or physical difficulties. It includes the educational psychology service and Early Years SEN support.

The post holder will be responsible leading this newly combined and innovative service; for improving outcomes and closing the attainment gap, for maintaining and improving the commissioning arrangements of specialist provisions including North Yorkshire's network of Enhanced Mainstream Schools, Pupil Referral Services, and outreach services from special schools. Increasingly, this will be achieved in collaboration with Health. The post holder will also lead the further development of trading arrangements and specialist SEN support to school partnerships in a self-improving school system.

We require an inspiring and ambitious leader with the breadth and depth of relevant experience, an unrelenting focus on performance, and an ambition to inspire a team of dedicated staff who share a passion for improving outcomes for children and young people.

NYCC have appointed Martin Blair (Hays Leadership) as the agent supporting recruitment to this role. In the first instance please contact Martin who is available for a confidential discussion regarding this opportunity on 07736791138 or email martin.blair@hays.com, (please include a contact telephone number) after which please complete NYCC's online application form available at www.nyccjobs.co.uk. 

Please note internal applicants are not eligible for the recruitment payment.

Closing Date: 9th October 2014
Interview Date: Friday 24th October