Headteacher

Integrity Education Solutions are supporting an independent SEN provider to appoint an exceptional and experienced education leader to become Principal of a nationally recognised online specialist school supporting children and young people with SEND across the UK from January 2027. The role is based in SW London, with the school operating nationally through its online provision. Candidates will need to be comfortable leading a predominantly virtual educational environment while maintaining strong relationships with staff, pupils, families and external stakeholders.

This is a pivotal leadership opportunity for an ambitious Principal, Headteacher or Executive Headteacher who is passionate about inclusive education, therapeutic practice and innovation, and who wants to lead an educational model that is redefining what high-quality specialist education can look like in a digital environment.

The National Online School is the UK's first Department for Education-accredited online SEND school and is continuing to grow nationally. The school currently supports around 300 pupils and provides personalised education for young people aged 7–19, many of whom have experienced significant disruption to their education, including multiple placement breakdowns, emotionally based school avoidance and adverse childhood experiences.

The provision combines high-quality digital education with therapeutic and pastoral support, helping pupils to re-engage with learning, rebuild confidence and develop the skills needed to progress successfully into the next stage of their lives.

The Role

The Principal will provide clear, credible and values-driven leadership across the school, holding full accountability for educational standards, safeguarding, operational performance and strategic development.

This is much more than a traditional school leadership role. The successful candidate will lead an innovative, nationally operating SEND provision where technology is used to remove barriers to education and create meaningful opportunities for pupils who may be unable to access conventional school settings.

Working closely with a multidisciplinary Senior Leadership Team, the Principal will ensure that high expectations, consistency, accountability and excellent practice are embedded throughout the organisation. The role will require a leader who can combine strategic vision with strong operational delivery and who is comfortable leading through significant growth, change and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the National Online School, setting a clear vision for continued growth, improvement and educational excellence.
• Lead and develop the Senior Leadership Team, creating a culture of high expectations, professional accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Ensure consistently high standards of teaching, learning, assessment and pupil outcomes across the online provision.
• Provide strategic leadership for safeguarding, inclusion, attendance, engagement and pupil wellbeing within a complex SEND environment.
• Embed and further develop a therapeutic, trauma-informed and inclusive approach to education, ensuring provision responds effectively to pupils with complex needs.
• Drive the effective use of digital pedagogy, technology and online learning systems to enhance engagement, accessibility and educational outcomes.
• Build strong and credible relationships with families, Local Authorities, commissioners and external partners while contributing to the school's sustainable growth and development.

About the Candidate

The successful candidate will be an experienced and credible senior education leader with a proven track record of leading complex or specialist educational provision. They will bring the authority, emotional intelligence and strategic capability required to lead a growing national school and will be equally comfortable operating at executive level and engaging directly with staff, pupils, families and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Successful leadership experience at Principal, Headteacher or equivalent senior level.
• A strong track record of improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, particularly autism and/or SEMH.
• Proven experience leading safeguarding within complex or high-risk educational environments.
• Strong understanding of inclusive, therapeutic and trauma-informed approaches.
• Highly developed digital literacy and an understanding of how technology can enhance teaching, learning and inclusion.
• A clear record of delivering strategic improvement with measurable impact.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• High levels of emotional intelligence, professionalism, integrity and resilience.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to contribute to sustainable organisational growth.

Why Apply?

• This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a genuinely innovative specialist school at an exciting stage of its development.
• The successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence the education of hundreds of young people nationally, shape the future direction of online SEND education and lead a team committed to providing highly personalised, therapeutic and inclusive learning experiences.
• The school is looking for a leader who is motivated by moral purpose, innovation and growth, and who believes that every pupil deserves the highest expectations, regardless of the barriers they may have experienced.
• The role offers a comprehensive induction and professional development programme, alongside a range of employee wellbeing and support benefits.

Salary: £90,000 - £100,000 (Dependent on experience)

Integrity Education Solutions and the school are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to enhanced DBS and full pre-employment checks. Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community

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