Deputy Head / SENDCo

Lighthouse Education Trust is a completely unique Multi Academy Trust focussing on providing high quality, destination led learning for students with a diagnosis of autism. We are excited to be able to commence the search for the team for our new school, Lighthouse Harrogate, due to open in the academic year 2026/27. Lighthouse School Harrogate is a completely unique secondary school focussing on providing high quality, destination-led learning for students with a diagnosis of autism. We already operate a very successful school in Cookridge, Leeds since 2012. We are a happy and vibrant community, where young autistic people learn, flourish and thrive. We are planning for an overall cohort of 80 students with an initial intake of 24. Students study KS3, and a range of Level 1/2 and Level 3 qualifications, including BTECs and GCSEs. We are initially looking for expressions of interest in the roles that we have available. We plan to make these appointments in the summer term and will be happy to have informal conversations with potential candidates. We welcome visits to our Leeds school where we can show you how we have established a successful model and give you the chance to meet staff who demonstrate the passion that ensures that we can make a difference to our students.

• Salary paid across 12 equal monthly instalments, and an increase each September (subject to Trustee approval and the finances of the school).
• Mental health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do - our staff say they feel supported by the Senior Leadership Team and our Mental Health First Aider Team.
• Access to a range of free health care services including, Employee Assistance Programme offering free counselling (general/menopause), physiotherapy, 24/7 GP service, stress coaching, nurse support services, financial wellbeing coaching, surgical assistance programme, free flu vaccinations, and eye tests for VDU users. See here for more information.
• Up to date autism specific training, including person centred approaches, positive behaviour support strategies and understanding communication from our Speech and Language Therapists and our training and Wellbeing Teams.
• Continuous Professional Development including access to coaching, mentoring and supervision, as well as e-learning and online training courses.
Many of our staff have grown into roles both within school and externally, including Administrators, Teaching Assistants, Teachers, Wellbeing Tutors, Intervention Support, Behaviour Specialists and Educational Psychologists. Please refer to our staff testimonials on the recruitment section of our website.