Champion inclusion and transform lives as Head of SEND at the City of Wolverhampton College, driving high quality support, strong outcomes and strategic innovation across the organisation.
Champion inclusion and transform lives as Head of SEND at the City of Wolverhampton College, driving high quality support, strong outcomes and strategic innovation across the organisation.
- Location: Wolverhampton, West Midlands
- Salary: c.£54,000
- Closing date: CLOSED FOR APPLICATIONS
With two campuses within the heart of the city, the City of Wolverhampton College provides high quality education and training to thousands of young people, adults and apprentices every year. From industry led vocational courses to professional qualifications and higher education pathways, the College plays a vital role in supporting the region’s economy, working hand in hand with employers to ensure students gain the skills needed for successful careers.
We are a large, vibrant and diverse further education provider, recognised for meeting local skills needs and transforming lives through learning. We have high aspirations for both our staff and our learners and this is especially true for those who may need additional support as defined by our organisational mission: to be consistently great, enabling students to progress into employment, apprenticeships, further training and higher education.
Our new Head of SEND will play a pivotal strategic and operational role in ensuring that learners with additional needs receive ambitious, inclusive and impactful education. As the strategic lead for Inclusion, SEND, Additional Learning Support (ALS) and High Needs, our Head of SEND will be accountable for setting direction, assuring quality and securing financial sustainability across these areas. Reporting to the Assistant Principal for Quality and Engagement, Rachael Aston, the Head of SEND will provide leadership, quality assurance and financial oversight to ensure learners achieve strong outcomes and meaningful progression.
Who we are
Led by our Principal and Chief Executive, Louise Fall, who was appointed just over a year ago, City of Wolverhampton College currently operates from two main campuses in Wolverhampton – Wellington Road in Bilston and our new state of the art City Learning Quarter, which opened earlier this year. Across our sites, we deliver over 300 different qualifications through a range of full time and part time courses, including apprenticeships and HE. We also have specialist provisions for polymer training, rail and electric vehicle maintenance delivered from satellite sites at Telford, Dudley and Bentley Bridge (Wolverhampton). Each year, we deliver education and training to around 8,000 students, with many of these being in receipt of additional learning support.
Our most recent Ofsted inspection took place in January 2023 and the College was rated ‘Good’ overall, demonstrating the high level of quality we deliver across the College. Our high needs provision was also found to be Good, with inspectors noting that our learners with high needs make positive progress. The quality of our provision is further demonstrated by our consistently high achievement rates, our growth in student recruitment and the high levels of satisfaction reported by both our students and the 500 staff we employ.
“Leaders ensure that those learners with high needs make at least the same or better progress than their peers. The majority move into further training or on to their desired destination, such as independent or assisted living.”
Ofsted, January 2023
Over recent times, we have been progressing with the launch of our new strategic plan, Defining Our Future 2025-2030 and completing an exciting estate transformation project, which has seen us extend our Wellington Road campus and open our new campus within the City Learner Quarter.
Our new strategy sets out our vision to empower learners of Wolverhampton and beyond with skills, knowledge and positivity needed to thrive and succeed in current and future opportunities whilst highlighting the values of collaboration, ownership, being welcoming and commitment which underpin everything we do.
Our estate development is just one example of how we continue to evolve and develop our provision, ensuring that the education and training we deliver are of the highest quality whilst led by the needs of our local community, employers and stakeholders such as the West Midlands Combined Authority.
About the role
Our new Head of SEND will take on what we believe to be a senior strategic role with far‑reaching influence on the quality, culture and effectiveness of inclusive practice across the City of Wolverhampton College.
As the strategic lead for SEND, ALS and High Needs, you will set the direction, drive our quality and ensure financial resilience across the area. Your leadership will shape the entire learner journey, from transition to College and the statutory consultation, through to progression. As such, our Head of SEND will be responsible for ensuring compliant, timely processes and clearly planned pathways that secure the best possible outcomes for our students with additional needs.
This role offers an exciting opportunity to assume broader operational responsibility, with a deep system‑wide impact. By ensuring rigorous quality processes, including self‑assessment, audit readiness and performance monitoring, our Head of SEND will help us raise standards and embed continuous improvement across our growing SEND and High Needs provision.
Through your leadership of a specialist workforce and through collaboration with colleagues, you will ensure that inclusive, adaptive practice becomes embedded across all curriculum areas, shaping teaching and learning in broader areas of provision, including vocational, English and maths programmes.
Our Head of SEND plays a crucial role in safeguarding and maximising ALS and High Needs funding through robust control, accurate forecasting and effective negotiation with Local Authorities. You will also influence the College’s overall strategy, contributing to inspection readiness, long‑term sustainability, and stronger destinations for learners with SEND.
Who we are looking for
The successful candidate appointed as our new Head of SEND will need to demonstrate a blend of deep, successful professional expertise, strategic capability and personal authenticity to lead inclusion across the College.
The role demands substantial experience within SEND and learning support, ideally across the College’s context, paired with a deep understanding of the SEND Code of Practice, statutory responsibilities and evolving national policy.
Equally critical will be your experience navigating the financial and structural complexities of High Needs and ALS funding previously in your career. To support this, we will need our new Head of SEND to demonstrate strong analytical skills, financial acumen and confidence in negotiation.
Our Head of SEND must be able to demonstrate the capability to lead and develop high‑performing teams, using strong communication, strategic vision and interpersonal sensitivity to build trust, motivate colleagues with inspiration and empathy, whilst embedding inclusive practice across all curriculum areas.
Your personal values and motivations will also play a defining role in your success as our Head of SEND. We will be seeking candidates who can demonstrate strong resilience, emotional intelligence, sound judgement and the ability to work autonomously.
Our Head of SEND must respond to learners’ educational, physical and emotional needs with compassion while upholding high expectations and modelling the professionalism and values expected of a senior leader within the College.
Learn more about City of Wolverhampton College
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the job pack. For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
Shaun Eden | shaun@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07951 509128
Dan Baxter | dan@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07939 994524
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact Peridot Partners.
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