Assistant Principal / SENCO

Assistant Principal/SENCO

Job overview

About Arco Academy

Arco Academy is a registered independent alternative school with sports as a specialism. In the heart of Camberwell, London, Arco Academy educates students referred by mainstream schools and the Local Authority. We emphasise pastoral care and take a holistic approach towards education. We are committed to high-quality education and promoting our vision to unleash the potential in all our students by providing a creative and tailor-made curriculum.

Every student is given the opportunity to learn, achieve, and succeed to their highest potential. Consequently, we work diligently towards meeting the learning needs of our students. This includes encouraging sports participation, developing essential life skills, and nurturing positive relationships within the school and the wider community.   We believe all staff members play a vital role in the lives of our students. Therefore, we take a proactive approach to the development and well-being of all Arco staff. We are committed to investing in all staff through CPD, internal support, and well-being initiatives.   We pride ourselves on appreciating, promoting, and celebrating the diversity and individuality of all students, staff, and partners.

Arco Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions are subject to an enhanced DBS and other necessary checks.   For further information regarding Arco Academy policies, visit https://www.arco.academy/Policies/.

Please ensure you have read the Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy and Safer Recruitment Policy.

Role Overview

The Assistant Principal, who also serves as the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), is a member of the senior leadership team and plays a pivotal role in driving a provision that has a significant positive impact on students outcomes and wellbeing.

The postholder provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of SEND provision, ensuring high-quality, inclusive support and effective interventions for students with special educational needs and disabilities.

This includes line management of the Lead Therapist to ensure joined-up and effective support for students. Working closely with the Principal, staff, parents and carers, external agencies and other stakeholders, the role champions inclusive practice and ensures equitable access to education for all students.

As Assistant Principal, you will contribute to whole-school leadership, school improvement, staff development and safeguarding, supporting both the strategic direction and day-to-day leadership of the academy. You will also be an experienced teacher with a deep understanding of curriculum design, teaching and learning.

Main Purpose

The SENCO, under the direction of the headteacher, will:

• Determine the strategic development of special educational needs (SEN) policy and provision in the school
• Be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the SEN policy and co-ordination of specific provisions to support individual pupils with SEN or a disability
• Provide professional guidance to colleagues, working closely with staff, parents and other agencies

Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategic development of SEN policy and provision
• Have a strategic overview of provision for students with SEN or a disability across the school, monitoring and reviewing the quality of provision
• Contribute to school self-evaluation, particularly concerning provision for pupils with SEN or a disability
• Make sure the SEN policy is put into practice and its objectives are reflected in the school improvement plan (SIP)
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of national and local initiatives that may affect the school’s policy and practice
• Evaluate whether funding is being used effectively and suggest changes to make use of funding more effective

Teaching, Curriculum, Learning and Assessment

• Sustain high-quality teaching
• Ensure teaching is supported by subject expertise and practical formative assessment
• Implement valid and reliable approaches to assessing students’ knowledge and understanding
• Demonstrate strong expertise in curriculum design, sequencing, and implementation, ensuring learning is coherent, progressive, and ambitious for all learners, including those with SEND
• Lead and support high-quality curriculum planning that is inclusive, differentiated, and responsive to the diverse needs of students within an alternative provision setting
• Ensure teaching approaches are grounded in evidence-informed practice, with a clear understanding of how pupils learn and how to adapt teaching for pupils with SEND
• Model and promote high-impact teaching strategies that support engagement, retention, and progress, including scaffolding, adaptive teaching, and explicit instruction
• Oversee the effective implementation of personalised and bespoke curricula, ensuring alignment with EHCP outcomes and individual learning plans
• Use assessment (formative and summative) to inform curriculum adjustments, intervention planning, and next steps in learning
• Support staff in developing subject and curriculum knowledge, particularly in adapting schemes of work and lesson planning to meet SEND needs
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of curriculum and teaching strategies on pupil progress, engagement, and outcomes, using data and qualitative evidence to drive improvement

Operation of the SEN policy and co-ordination of provision

• Maintain an accurate SEND register and provision map
• Guide colleagues on teaching pupils with SEN or a disability and advise on the graduated approach to SEN support
• Advise on the use of the school’s budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively, including staff deployment
• Be aware of the provision in the local offer
• Work with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals and other external agencies
• Be a key point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority (LA)
• Analyse assessment data for pupils with SEN or a disability
• Implement and lead intervention groups for pupils with SEN and evaluate their effectiveness

 Support for pupils with SEN or a disability

• Identify a student’s SEN
• Co-ordinate and monitor provision that meets the pupil’s needs
• Secure relevant services for the student
• Ensure records are maintained and kept up to date
• Review the education, health and care plan (EHCP) with parents or carers and the pupil
• Communicate regularly with parents/carers
• Ensure if the pupil transfers to another school, all relevant information is conveyed to that school and supports a smooth transition for the pupil
• Promote the pupil’s inclusion in the school community and access to the curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities
• Work with the designated teacher for looked-after children (LAC) where a looked-after pupil has SEN or a disability

Leadership and management

• Work with the principal and governors to ensure the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 in terms of reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
• Prepare and review information the governing board is required to publish
• Contribute to the SIP and whole-school policy
• Identify training needs for staff and how to meet these needs
• Lead INSET for staff
• Share procedural information, such as the school’s SEN policy
• Promote an ethos and culture that supports the school’s SEN policy and promotes good outcomes for pupils with SEN or a disability

Safeguarding

• Liaise and collaborate with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) on matters of safeguarding and welfare for pupils with SEN
• Remain alert to the fact that pupils with SEN may be more vulnerable to safeguarding challenges

Assistant Principal Duties

• Support the Principal in the strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the academy.
• Contribute to school self-evaluation and the delivery of the School Improvement Plan, supporting the academy’s journey towards an Outstanding Ofsted judgement. ·       Lead on designated whole-school priorities (e.g. behaviour, attendance, pastoral care, curriculum quality or safeguarding).
• Monitor and support the quality of teaching, learning, and assessment to ensure high standards and positive student outcomes.
• Promote high expectations, inclusion, and positive behaviour across the academy.
• Support effective pastoral systems that promote student well-being, engagement, and attendance.
• Line manage designated staff and contribute to performance management, coaching, and professional development.
• Support the planning and delivery of CPD and INSET.
• Act as a senior leader in safeguarding, supporting the Designated Safeguarding Lead and maintaining a strong safeguarding culture.
• Work effectively with parents/carers, local authorities, and external agencies.
• Model professional standards, uphold academy policies, and promote equality, inclusion, and safeguarding in all aspects of the role.

Candidate Requirements

Qualifications and Relevant Experience

• Qualified Teacher Status and Degree qualification.
• National Award for SEN Co-ordination, or a willingness to complete it within three years of appointment
• Experience in leading SEND provision in a school setting
• Experience in teaching at the secondary and GCSE level.
• Experience in conducting training/leading INSET
• Knowledge of the national curriculum and assessment requirements.

Skills and Knowledge

• Sound knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice
• Understanding of what makes ‘quality first’ teaching and effective intervention strategies
• Ability to plan and evaluate interventions
• Data analysis skills and the ability to use data to inform provision planning
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Good record-keeping skills

Personal Profile

• Commitment to getting the best outcomes for pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the school
• Commitment to equal opportunities and securing good outcomes for pupils with SEN or a disability
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality at all times
• Commitment to safeguarding and equality