Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion, Safeguarding & Culture (DSL)


Company:	Teaching Vacancies
Salary:	Not specified
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	London, NW9 0JY
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	8 Sept 2026
Closing date:	25 Sept 2026

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Summary

What skills and experience we're looking for

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion, Safeguarding & Culture will provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure that every learner at The Village School is safe, included, valued, and able to achieve positive personal, social, educational and lifelong outcomes. The Village School is a Group 8 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities School.

The postholder will serve as the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and will hold strategic responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, attendance, behaviour and school culture, inclusion, medical needs, therapeutic provision, family engagement and learner wellbeing.

The Deputy Headteacher - Inclusion, Safeguarding & Culture will provide strategic leadership across inclusion, safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, medical needs, therapeutic provision, and learner wellbeing, ensuring every aspect of school life reflects the school's values and commitment to the highest standards of care and education.

The Deputy Headteacher will directly line manage:

Assistant Headteachers

Safeguarding Officer

Behaviour Team Lead

Attendance Lead

Key areas of responsibility include:

Strategic Leadership

Safeguarding and Child Protection (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

Attendance Strategy and Inclusion

Behaviour, Regulation and School Culture

Medical Needs and Health Provision

Therapeutic and Specialist Provision

EHCP Compliance and Annual Review Quality Assurance

Inclusion, Family Engagement and Early Help

Personal Development and Learner Wellbeing

Inspection Readiness and Accountability

We are looking for a candidate with:

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Significant, sustained senior leadership experience in a SEND school or complex educational setting

Experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy DSL

Experience leading safeguarding across a complex, multi-site or large organisation

Experience leading and improving whole-school attendance, including EBSA and persistent absence

Experience leading behaviour strategy and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) implementation

Experience of direct line management and leadership development of senior staff

Experience of multi-agency working across health, social care and education

You will be:

Deeply values-driven and child-centred in all decisions and actions

A strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into impactful action

Able to inspire, influence and develop others at all levels of the organisation

Committed to safeguarding, inclusion and the belief that every learner can achieve positive outcomes

The Village School reserves the right to interview and appoint before the closing date.

Early applications are therefore strongly encouraged.

What the school offers its staff

• A school previously judged Outstanding by Ofsted (June 2023) and celebrated by Challenge Partners

• A rich, integrated curriculum spanning EYFS through to Year 14

• On-site therapeutic provision delivered through a multidisciplinary team, with services continuing to develop in line with pupil needs

• A stable, experienced and skilled Senior Leadership Team

• ParCompass Learning Partnership, a two-school specialist SEND MAT with a track record of outstanding practice

• The opportunity to make a profound and lasting difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

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