Director of Education & Practice Standards

Location: London (Regional Travel South London Required)
Salary: Highly Competitive + Executive Benefits Package
Contract: Full Time, Permanent

Lead Educational Excellence Across a National SEND Portfolio

We are seeking an exceptional and visionary education leader to join our senior leadership team as Director of Education & Practice Standards.

This is a high-impact executive opportunity for an experienced SEND professional who can drive excellence in teaching, learning, quality assurance and educational outcomes across a large portfolio of specialist educational settings. You will play a pivotal role in shaping educational strategy, supporting senior leaders, and ensuring the highest standards of practice for children and young people with additional needs.

The Role

As Director of Education & Practice Standards, you will provide strategic leadership across a network of specialist provisions, ensuring outstanding educational practice, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.

Leading a team of educational specialists, you will work closely with senior leaders to develop and embed evidence-based approaches that improve outcomes for pupils with SEND while maintaining the highest standards of teaching, learning and safeguarding.-

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a forward-thinking education strategy.
• Drive consistency and excellence in teaching, learning and assessment.
• Lead educational improvement initiatives across multiple settings.
• Ensure the organisation remains at the forefront of SEND best practice.-

Quality & Standards

• Monitor and evaluate educational quality across provisions.
• Lead quality assurance frameworks and school improvement activity.
• Ensure compliance with statutory, safeguarding and regulatory requirements.
• Analyse performance data to identify trends and drive improvement plans.-

Curriculum & Innovation

Oversee the development of inclusive and personalised curriculum approaches.

Promote innovative educational practice and assistive technologies.

Embed evidence-based interventions that improve pupil outcomes.-

Leadership Development

Coach, mentor and support Headteachers and senior leaders.

Design and deliver professional development programmes.

Build a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.-

Stakeholder Engagement

Develop strong relationships with local authorities, families and external agencies.

Represent the organisation at sector events and policy forums

Act as an ambassador for excellence in SEND education.-

About You

We are interested in hearing from candidates who can demonstrate:

Essential Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within SEND education.
• Experience leading educational improvement across multiple sites or regions.
• Proven success in raising standards and improving outcomes.
• Strong experience in quality assurance, curriculum development and staff development.
• Excellent knowledge of SEND legislation, SEND Code of Practice and EHCP processes.
• A track record of leading and inspiring high-performing teams.

Desirable

• Experience within specialist or therapeutic educational environments.
• Knowledge of assistive technologies and innovative SEND approaches.
• Experience operating at executive or director level.

What''s On Offer?

• Executive-level leadership role with national influence.
• Opportunity to shape educational practice at scale.
• Collaborative and values-driven culture.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Genuine opportunity to improve the lives and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.

Apply Today

If you are a strategic SEND leader with the vision, expertise and passion to drive educational excellence across a large and diverse portfolio, we would love to hear from you.