Director of Inclusion

The Role The Director of Inclusion is a senior Leadership post, sitting on the Trust's Leadership Team and reporting directly to the CEO. The post holder will hold Trust-wide strategic and operational accountability for all inclusion-related functions, working across more than 40 schools once the merger is complete, and initially across BPS and BKCAT from the point of appointment. A defining feature of this role is network leadership. The post holder will establish, chair and continuously develop Trust-wide professional networks for SENDCos, Designated Safeguarding Leads, Attendance Leads, Behaviour Leads, and Designated Teachers for Looked After Children. These networks are the engine room of inclusion improvement: they build professional capacity, create consistency, enable early identification of concerns and ensure no school faces complex challenges alone. During the merger period, the post holder will play a critical role in aligning inclusion policy, practice and culture across BPS and BKCAT identifying shared strengths, harmonising approaches and preparing the ground for a unified Trust-wide inclusion framework. This is complex, important work, and it carries with it the privilege of helping to found a new organisation rooted in Catholic values and a genuine commitment to every child. The Chiara Badano Catholic Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share and embody this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check with barred list check, and employment is subject to satisfactory completion of all pre-employment checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), including identity verification, right to work in the UK, satisfactory references, and overseas checks where applicable. In line with KCSIE, the Trust will conduct online searches on all shortlisted candidates as part of due diligence. All applicants must disclose any unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings relevant to this post. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. As a Catholic Trust within the Diocese of Leeds, we are committed to recruiting staff who are supportive of our Catholic ethos, mission and values. We promote diversity and want a workforce which reflects the communities we serve across West and North Yorkshire. Closing date: Monday 6th July 2026, 12 noon Interviews: w/c 13th July 2026 We strongly encourage candidates to arrange an informal conversation with our Chair prior to applying. Please contact Antonia Dorsey a-dorsey@bpstrust.org to arrange this.