SEN Literacy Lead

Job Title: Literacy Subject Lead – SEN Special School

Location: Uxbridge, UB8 (free on-site parking)

Hours: Full time, term time

Contract: Permanent

Start: September 2026 / ASAP

Salary: £44,183 – £70,261 depending on experience and qualifications

The package is made up of three elements:

Main Pay Scale / Upper Pay Scale (Outer London) — £37,870 to £56,154
SEN Allowance — £2,786 to £5,496
TLR2 — £3,527 to £8,611

For an experienced subject leader with a strong background in complex needs, we would expect the total package to sit in the region of £55,000 to £68,000. Candidates at the top of the Upper Pay Scale can reach the full £70,261.

About the role

We are recruiting a Literacy Subject Lead for a well-established non-maintained special school in Uxbridge. The school supports around 98 day and residential students aged 7 to 19 with moderate to severe learning difficulties, autism and complex communication needs, and was rated Good by Ofsted.

Reporting to the Associate Principal, you will lead the whole-school literacy and communication strategy across all key stages. This is a genuine leadership post with a TLR2 attached, not an intervention role. You will work in close partnership with the in-house Speech and Language Therapy team to develop an approach that meets the needs of learners across the full ability range, from pre-verbal and symbol users through to those working towards accredited qualifications.

Your responsibilities will include setting the direction for literacy and communication across the school, monitoring standards and pupil progress, developing schemes of work and resources, leading staff training and CPD, and supporting colleagues to deliver high-quality literacy teaching in every classroom.

What we are looking for

QTS or QTLS is essential.

Direct hands-on teaching experience with pupils with SLD, PMLD or complex communication needs. We are looking for practitioners who can talk about specific pupils they have taught and the progress those pupils made, not theoretical knowledge of SEN.

Training in communication approaches used in specialist settings, for example Makaton, Signalong, PECS, Colourful Semantics, Blank's Levels, Intensive Interaction or InPrint.

Experience of behaviour support in a complex setting, with relevant training such as Team Teach, MAPA or PBS.

Evidence of leadership, whether a subject lead, curriculum lead, phase lead or equivalent. Candidates ready to step up into their first substantive leadership post will be considered.

A literacy or English specialism is highly desirable, whether through a degree, a specialist literacy qualification such as AMBDA or a Level 7 SpLD award, or NPQLL.

An enhanced DBS is required. The school has a strong Christian ethos and applicants of all faiths and none are welcome, but you should be comfortable working within it.