Head of Service Specialist Teaching and Learning Service

What will you be doing?

The Specialist Teaching and Learning Service is a critical provision within Kent County Council’s Children, Young People and Education Directorate which ensures that children and young people with special educational needs have access to high quality teaching and learning. The Specialist Teaching and Learning Service is a dedicated and experienced team who are committed to supporting Kent’s schools to deliver excellent outcomes for children with SEN in Kent’s schools.

We are looking for a qualified teacher with leadership experience in providing specialist teacher support and advice to lead the service through an exciting period in its development. The service recently transitioned from contracts with special schools across Kent into Kent County Council and will soon undergo a redesign of its structure and model to ensure it is ready to meet the needs of the SEND Reform White Paper and Local Government Reorganisation.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service, undertaking varied and challenging work to ensure the service is future-ready and that teachers are supported to make a difference to their local communities.

The successful candidate will lead the redesign of the service, including a review of the service’s core offer, considering wider SEN needs and ensuring the service is aligned with the Experts at Hand guidance. You will have demonstrable experience of leading and developing SEN provision in your setting and of delivering excellent leadership and management to achieve strategic goals, work effectively with partners and build high-achieving, resilient teams. The successful candidate will have excellent knowledge and understanding of the operating environment for SEND provision, an understanding of the SEN reform agenda and the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service and will drive the service to achieve sustainable improvements and outstanding results.

Benefits

• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working and agile hours
• School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions
• Teachers’ Pension Scheme
• Staff discounts for goods at major brands and retailers

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Key Dates

Closing date for applications is 8th July.

Shortlisting will take place on 9th and 10th July; shortlisted candidates will be contacted on 10th July to be invited for interview.

Interviews will take place on Friday 17th July at Sessions House in Maidstone.

The successful candidate will be required for September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About you

For a confidential discussion about the opportunities, please email Emily Lake – emily.lake@kent.gov.uk.

About us

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.