SEND and Inclusion Trustee - Devon, Medway or Portsmouth Trust Office
| Posting date: | 05 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | This is a volunteer role |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 22 March 2026 |
| Location: | Brixham, Devon |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | The Thinking Schools Academy Trust |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Join Us as an SEND and Inclusion Trustee:
Support Inclusion, Shape Culture, Transform Life Chances!
Are you passionate about creating safe, supportive environments where young people can learn and thrive? Do you have the expertise to guide a Trust in maintaining high standards of inclusion? As a SEND and Inclusion Trustee, you’ll play a crucial strategic role in ensuring that every school within our Trust is a secure place for pupils and staff to flourish.
This role is your opportunity to make a Trust-wide impact, shaping the systems, cultures, and decisions that help our young people to thrive every single day.
As a Trustee, you will:
Champion a Culture of Inclusion: Use your insight, expertise, or lived experience to shape the Trust’s policies, practices, and strategic priorities, ensuring SEND and inclusion are central to every decision we make.
Strengthen Provision & Assurance: Provide oversight of statutory SEND responsibilities, inclusive practice, safeguarding links, and the effectiveness of support for pupils with additional needs ensuring the Trust meets its duties confidently and compassionately.
Support and Constructively Challenge: Offer informed, evidence‑based challenge to senior leaders, ensuring SEND provision is high‑quality, well‑resourced, and continuously improving. Help the Board ask the right questions to drive equitable outcomes.
Promote Wellbeing & Belonging: Contribute to strategic discussions about mental health, behaviour, attendance, and pastoral support, ensuring our schools create environments where every learner feels safe, included, and able to succeed.
Collaborate at Board Level: Work with fellow Trustees to embed inclusion throughout Trust strategy, resource allocation, curriculum design, professional development, and community engagement.
What We’re Looking For:
You might bring experience from:
SEND leadership (school or Trust)
Inclusion, safeguarding, or pastoral care
Educational psychology or specialist provision
Social care, health, or community services
Lived experience as a parent/carer of a child with SEND
Advocacy, charity sector, or disability support roles
Experience in education is welcome but not essential.
What matters most is your:
Commitment to ensuring every child receives equitable, high‑quality education
Understanding of inclusion, additional needs, or barriers to learning
Ability to analyse information and communicate clearly with non‑specialists
Willingness to invest time in meetings, preparation, and occasional school visits
Openness to learning, collaboration, and working as part of a diverse governance team
We value diverse voices and lived experiences.
Why Become a SEND & Inclusion Trustee?
Meaningful, Purpose‑Driven Impact: Help shape inclusive practice across multiple schools, improving life chances for children with SEND and strengthening support for families and staff.
Opportunities for Growth: Develop your leadership, governance, and strategic skills while contributing to the Trust’s long‑term improvement.
Make a Difference Beyond Compliance: Drive a culture where inclusion is embedded in everything we do - not just meeting statutory expectations, but exceeding them.
Real Community Contribution: Give back in a role that champions equity, dignity, and opportunity for all children.
If you’re ready to help shape an inclusive, supportive, and aspirational educational environment across our Trust, we’d love to hear from you.
Step into a role where your insight doesn’t just support children—it transforms futures.
About Us
The Thinking Schools Academy Trust
The Thinking Schools Academy Trust is a family of schools consisting of both primary and secondary schools across the South East, South and South West.
We believe that every young person in our community deserves to have the best opportunities at life regardless of their individual circumstances.
Education is the key to transforming life chances and we support and develop every member of our community to:
Think about their Thinking
Be their Best self
Shape their Success
In this way we transform life chances
To learn more about our Trust click here
Next Steps
If you are interested in working in our school, benefitting from a supportive network of governors across our Trust we would encourage you to apply.
Early applications are encouraged, and we reserve the right to close the vacancy if a suitable candidate is found.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. As per KCSIE we will also undertake online searches for all shortlisted candidates, if you have any questions regarding this process, please emailrecruitment@tsatrust.org.uk
Support Inclusion, Shape Culture, Transform Life Chances!
Are you passionate about creating safe, supportive environments where young people can learn and thrive? Do you have the expertise to guide a Trust in maintaining high standards of inclusion? As a SEND and Inclusion Trustee, you’ll play a crucial strategic role in ensuring that every school within our Trust is a secure place for pupils and staff to flourish.
This role is your opportunity to make a Trust-wide impact, shaping the systems, cultures, and decisions that help our young people to thrive every single day.
As a Trustee, you will:
Champion a Culture of Inclusion: Use your insight, expertise, or lived experience to shape the Trust’s policies, practices, and strategic priorities, ensuring SEND and inclusion are central to every decision we make.
Strengthen Provision & Assurance: Provide oversight of statutory SEND responsibilities, inclusive practice, safeguarding links, and the effectiveness of support for pupils with additional needs ensuring the Trust meets its duties confidently and compassionately.
Support and Constructively Challenge: Offer informed, evidence‑based challenge to senior leaders, ensuring SEND provision is high‑quality, well‑resourced, and continuously improving. Help the Board ask the right questions to drive equitable outcomes.
Promote Wellbeing & Belonging: Contribute to strategic discussions about mental health, behaviour, attendance, and pastoral support, ensuring our schools create environments where every learner feels safe, included, and able to succeed.
Collaborate at Board Level: Work with fellow Trustees to embed inclusion throughout Trust strategy, resource allocation, curriculum design, professional development, and community engagement.
What We’re Looking For:
You might bring experience from:
SEND leadership (school or Trust)
Inclusion, safeguarding, or pastoral care
Educational psychology or specialist provision
Social care, health, or community services
Lived experience as a parent/carer of a child with SEND
Advocacy, charity sector, or disability support roles
Experience in education is welcome but not essential.
What matters most is your:
Commitment to ensuring every child receives equitable, high‑quality education
Understanding of inclusion, additional needs, or barriers to learning
Ability to analyse information and communicate clearly with non‑specialists
Willingness to invest time in meetings, preparation, and occasional school visits
Openness to learning, collaboration, and working as part of a diverse governance team
We value diverse voices and lived experiences.
Why Become a SEND & Inclusion Trustee?
Meaningful, Purpose‑Driven Impact: Help shape inclusive practice across multiple schools, improving life chances for children with SEND and strengthening support for families and staff.
Opportunities for Growth: Develop your leadership, governance, and strategic skills while contributing to the Trust’s long‑term improvement.
Make a Difference Beyond Compliance: Drive a culture where inclusion is embedded in everything we do - not just meeting statutory expectations, but exceeding them.
Real Community Contribution: Give back in a role that champions equity, dignity, and opportunity for all children.
If you’re ready to help shape an inclusive, supportive, and aspirational educational environment across our Trust, we’d love to hear from you.
Step into a role where your insight doesn’t just support children—it transforms futures.
About Us
The Thinking Schools Academy Trust
The Thinking Schools Academy Trust is a family of schools consisting of both primary and secondary schools across the South East, South and South West.
We believe that every young person in our community deserves to have the best opportunities at life regardless of their individual circumstances.
Education is the key to transforming life chances and we support and develop every member of our community to:
Think about their Thinking
Be their Best self
Shape their Success
In this way we transform life chances
To learn more about our Trust click here
Next Steps
If you are interested in working in our school, benefitting from a supportive network of governors across our Trust we would encourage you to apply.
Early applications are encouraged, and we reserve the right to close the vacancy if a suitable candidate is found.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. As per KCSIE we will also undertake online searches for all shortlisted candidates, if you have any questions regarding this process, please emailrecruitment@tsatrust.org.uk