Director of SEND & Alternative Provision
| Posting date: | 13 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | Leadership Scale L31 - £113,974 |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 15 March 2026 |
| Location: | Sidcup, DA14 5AA |
| Company: | TKAT (The Kemnal Academies Trust) |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 3280 |
Summary
Job Advert
About Us
We are a group of schools with ambition for every child and pride in the communities we serve. We prepare young people for lives
of opportunity and contribution by offering a broad and rich education. And we know that it is the talented people who work here
who make this possible.
We are one of largest Multi Academy Trusts in the UK with over 3500 colleagues working together to serve over 22,000 children and
young people across our 45 school communities.
The Role
Provide transformational, professional leadership to ensure high-quality, inclusive education for pupils with Special Educational
Needs and Disabilities across Kemnal.
The is a newly created role, that is accountable for the design, delivery and impact of trust-wide SEND, safeguarding and
alternative provision frameworks, ensuring pupils with the greatest needs are safe, supported and able to achieve ambitious
outcomes across mainstream, specialist, alternative and digital settings.
This is a new role, created as part of Kemnal’s seven-year strategy. The post holder will play a pivotal role in shaping the
trust’s future SEND and alternative provision offer, including special schools, Specialist Resource Provision, Alternative
Provision and the Digital School, while strengthening inclusive practice across all mainstream schools.
For full details about this job, including the person specification please download the attached candidate pack (available via the
link on the right hand side of the page).
What You Will Lead
SEND, Safeguarding and Alternative Provision Frameworks: Lead the design, continuous improvement and assurance of Trust-wide SEND,
safeguarding and alternative provision frameworks that are legally compliant, evidence-informed, practical to use and responsive
to evaluation, inspection and system change.
Pupil Outcomes and Quality of Provision: Lead improved outcomes for SEND pupils across all settings by strengthening universal and
adaptive practice, using data and professional insight to identify risk early and ensure provision is ambitious, equitable and
aligned to Trust expectations.
Safeguarding Assurance and Professional Practice: Lead the Trust-wide safeguarding function to ensure clear accountability,
consistent practice and a strong safeguarding culture, providing assurance through learning from incidents and continuous
improvement rather than compliance alone.
Alternative Provision and Digital School Delivery: Lead the quality, safety and impact of Alternative Provision and the Digital
School, ensuring innovative but evidence-led models that support strong pupil outcomes, wellbeing and positive destinations.
System Working, Partnership and Assurance: Provide system leadership by aligning SEND delivery with school improvement, building
effective partnerships with external agencies and offering clear, coherent assurance and expert input to governance without
fragmenting Trust-wide direction.
The Leadership Profile We Are Looking For
Essential
* Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
* SENCO qualification or equivalent advanced SEND expertise.
* Proven track record of improving outcomes for SEND pupils.
* Experience of leading SEND provision across more than one school or setting.
* Designated Safeguarding Lead experience.
* Comprehensive knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice.
* Comprehensive knowledge of statutory safeguarding and alternative provision requirements.
* Experience of working with local authorities and partner agencies, including health service.
Desirable
* Relevant Level 7 qualification or equivalent.
* Experience of sharing and scaling effective practice across multiple schools.
* Established professional networks across the national SEND landscape.
What Kemnal Offers You
* Generous Pension Scheme: Secure your future with substantial employer contributions toward your long-term financial wellbeing.
* A well being app that supports exercise, mindfulness, and everyday healthy practices.
* Retail and Lifestyle Discount Scheme offering savings both online and in store, supporting everyday living costs, and beyond.
* Cycle To Work Scheme, supporting affordable access to bikes and promoting active, sustainable travel.
* Family Friendly Leave Policies, helping colleagues balance professional commitments with caring responsibilities at different
life stages.
* Eight-Week Mindfulness Programme, expert-led mindfulness course to support and develop mental resilience.
* Counselling Support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for colleagues and their eligible immediate family members.
* Tailored continued professional development, to support your in role and /or career progression ambitions.
How to apply
This is a role for a leader who believes that inclusion is not a specialist add-on, but a measure of the quality and integrity of
the whole system.
If you are a senior SEND leader who combines deep professional expertise with moral clarity and who wants the authority and
mandate to influence practice at scale, this role offers the opportunity to make a lasting difference across a large and diverse
trust.
If this speaks to your professional purpose and you want to help shape a coherent, ambitious SEND and alternative provision system
at scale, we encourage you to apply.
Next Steps
1. Download the candidate pack and review the full job profile.
2. Complete our online application including a personal statement explaining how you meet the Leadership Profile.
3. Save the interview dates (in the candidate pack).
Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this
commitment. Offers of employment will be subject to the full safer recruitment process, including an enhanced disclosure and
barring service check.
Flexible working
We recognise the value of enabling our employees to develop their career and balance this with their commitments and interests
outside of work. We promote flexible working practices and opportunities to promote a positive work life balance.
Our Commitment - Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging
At Kemnal, we are committed to Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging. We embrace and celebrate differences, value individual
experiences, aspirations, and achievements, and continuously learn how to grow better together. We actively encourage applications
from candidates of all backgrounds, as we believe diversity strengthens our community and drives us forward.
Access to interview
Be Who You Are at Kemnal - should you be selected and invited to interview please let us know if you require us to adapt the
recruitment process to enable you to participate as your authentic self. We want applicants to be able to engage with us in ways
that support who they are and we are committed to making adjustments within the recruitment process and within the workplace.
About Us
We are a group of schools with ambition for every child and pride in the communities we serve. We prepare young people for lives
of opportunity and contribution by offering a broad and rich education. And we know that it is the talented people who work here
who make this possible.
We are one of largest Multi Academy Trusts in the UK with over 3500 colleagues working together to serve over 22,000 children and
young people across our 45 school communities.
The Role
Provide transformational, professional leadership to ensure high-quality, inclusive education for pupils with Special Educational
Needs and Disabilities across Kemnal.
The is a newly created role, that is accountable for the design, delivery and impact of trust-wide SEND, safeguarding and
alternative provision frameworks, ensuring pupils with the greatest needs are safe, supported and able to achieve ambitious
outcomes across mainstream, specialist, alternative and digital settings.
This is a new role, created as part of Kemnal’s seven-year strategy. The post holder will play a pivotal role in shaping the
trust’s future SEND and alternative provision offer, including special schools, Specialist Resource Provision, Alternative
Provision and the Digital School, while strengthening inclusive practice across all mainstream schools.
For full details about this job, including the person specification please download the attached candidate pack (available via the
link on the right hand side of the page).
What You Will Lead
SEND, Safeguarding and Alternative Provision Frameworks: Lead the design, continuous improvement and assurance of Trust-wide SEND,
safeguarding and alternative provision frameworks that are legally compliant, evidence-informed, practical to use and responsive
to evaluation, inspection and system change.
Pupil Outcomes and Quality of Provision: Lead improved outcomes for SEND pupils across all settings by strengthening universal and
adaptive practice, using data and professional insight to identify risk early and ensure provision is ambitious, equitable and
aligned to Trust expectations.
Safeguarding Assurance and Professional Practice: Lead the Trust-wide safeguarding function to ensure clear accountability,
consistent practice and a strong safeguarding culture, providing assurance through learning from incidents and continuous
improvement rather than compliance alone.
Alternative Provision and Digital School Delivery: Lead the quality, safety and impact of Alternative Provision and the Digital
School, ensuring innovative but evidence-led models that support strong pupil outcomes, wellbeing and positive destinations.
System Working, Partnership and Assurance: Provide system leadership by aligning SEND delivery with school improvement, building
effective partnerships with external agencies and offering clear, coherent assurance and expert input to governance without
fragmenting Trust-wide direction.
The Leadership Profile We Are Looking For
Essential
* Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
* SENCO qualification or equivalent advanced SEND expertise.
* Proven track record of improving outcomes for SEND pupils.
* Experience of leading SEND provision across more than one school or setting.
* Designated Safeguarding Lead experience.
* Comprehensive knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice.
* Comprehensive knowledge of statutory safeguarding and alternative provision requirements.
* Experience of working with local authorities and partner agencies, including health service.
Desirable
* Relevant Level 7 qualification or equivalent.
* Experience of sharing and scaling effective practice across multiple schools.
* Established professional networks across the national SEND landscape.
What Kemnal Offers You
* Generous Pension Scheme: Secure your future with substantial employer contributions toward your long-term financial wellbeing.
* A well being app that supports exercise, mindfulness, and everyday healthy practices.
* Retail and Lifestyle Discount Scheme offering savings both online and in store, supporting everyday living costs, and beyond.
* Cycle To Work Scheme, supporting affordable access to bikes and promoting active, sustainable travel.
* Family Friendly Leave Policies, helping colleagues balance professional commitments with caring responsibilities at different
life stages.
* Eight-Week Mindfulness Programme, expert-led mindfulness course to support and develop mental resilience.
* Counselling Support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for colleagues and their eligible immediate family members.
* Tailored continued professional development, to support your in role and /or career progression ambitions.
How to apply
This is a role for a leader who believes that inclusion is not a specialist add-on, but a measure of the quality and integrity of
the whole system.
If you are a senior SEND leader who combines deep professional expertise with moral clarity and who wants the authority and
mandate to influence practice at scale, this role offers the opportunity to make a lasting difference across a large and diverse
trust.
If this speaks to your professional purpose and you want to help shape a coherent, ambitious SEND and alternative provision system
at scale, we encourage you to apply.
Next Steps
1. Download the candidate pack and review the full job profile.
2. Complete our online application including a personal statement explaining how you meet the Leadership Profile.
3. Save the interview dates (in the candidate pack).
Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this
commitment. Offers of employment will be subject to the full safer recruitment process, including an enhanced disclosure and
barring service check.
Flexible working
We recognise the value of enabling our employees to develop their career and balance this with their commitments and interests
outside of work. We promote flexible working practices and opportunities to promote a positive work life balance.
Our Commitment - Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging
At Kemnal, we are committed to Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Belonging. We embrace and celebrate differences, value individual
experiences, aspirations, and achievements, and continuously learn how to grow better together. We actively encourage applications
from candidates of all backgrounds, as we believe diversity strengthens our community and drives us forward.
Access to interview
Be Who You Are at Kemnal - should you be selected and invited to interview please let us know if you require us to adapt the
recruitment process to enable you to participate as your authentic self. We want applicants to be able to engage with us in ways
that support who they are and we are committed to making adjustments within the recruitment process and within the workplace.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.