Senior Leader - Whole School Curriculum Lead

Position: Whole School Curriculum Lead - Senior Leadership
Location: Frodsham, Cheshire
Salary: To be discussed at interview
Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Start Date: September 2026

Are you an experienced school leader with QTS and a strong background in curriculum development, SEND and teaching and learning? Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to take a leading role within a growing specialist SEN school?

Spencer Clarke Group is delighted to be working with a specialist SEN school in Frodsham, near Warrington, to recruit a Whole School Curriculum Lead on a permanent basis.

This is a key senior leadership position within a specialist setting supporting pupils with autism, complex learning needs, communication differences and behaviours that may communicate distress. The school is undergoing an exciting period of growth, with plans to expand from 16 pupils to 40, and is looking for an experienced leader who can help shape and develop its curriculum for the future.

Your Role

As Whole School Curriculum Lead, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for the development, implementation and quality assurance of the curriculum across the school.

You will work closely with the Principal and wider leadership team to ensure pupils have access to a broad, balanced, ambitious and highly personalised curriculum that reflects their age, aptitude, SEND profile, communication needs and EHCP outcomes.

The successful candidate will play a key role in developing scalable curriculum systems as the school grows, while supporting staff to deliver consistently high-quality, autism-informed teaching and learning.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and implementation of a coherent whole-school curriculum.
• Develop curriculum pathways including sensory/informal, semi-formal, formal academic, functional skills, therapeutic, vocational, life skills and preparation for adulthood.
• Ensure curriculum planning reflects pupils' individual needs, EHCP outcomes and communication profiles.
• Lead improvements in teaching, learning and curriculum delivery across the school.
• Coach, support and challenge teachers, HLTAs, teaching assistants and support staff.
• Promote differentiated, autism-informed and trauma-aware teaching approaches.
• Develop meaningful assessment systems that capture academic, communication, social, emotional, sensory, functional and independence progress.
• Analyse assessment information to identify gaps, barriers and priorities for improvement.
• Work alongside SENCO/SEND leads, therapists, educational psychologists, social care professionals, families and placing authorities.
• Lead curriculum-related professional development and support the induction of new staff.
• Contribute to performance management and staff accountability where delegated.
• Ensure curriculum activities, community access and vocational opportunities are appropriately risk assessed.
• Support school self-evaluation, improvement planning, inspection readiness and compliance.
• Maintain high-quality curriculum documentation and evidence to demonstrate compliance with Independent School Standards and inspection expectations.
• Deputise for the Principal on curriculum, teaching and learning and other delegated leadership matters when required.

Experience within an Independent SEN school, specialist school, alternative provision or SEND-focused curriculum environment would be highly desirable. Experience with functional skills, vocational learning, work-related learning, careers education or preparation for adulthood would also be advantageous.