Education Support Lead na London Borough of Lewisham

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

This role is only open to Lewisham employees including current DSLs, Deputy DSLs and Designated Teachers in Lewisham schools

Introduction

The Education Support Lead will lead the development and delivery of targeted education strategies to improve outcomes for vulnerable learners across Lewisham schools. Working in close partnership with schools and children’s social care, the post-holder will act as a key point of contact for schools, offering expert guidance and coordination for students with potential vulnerabilities.

What’s the role?

This role is temporary for a period of 12 months.

The role will support the implementation of early intervention approaches, promote inclusive and relational practices, and contribute to the operational rollout of borough-wide training initiatives.

A central aspect of the role includes shaping the Pathfinder education offer to all Lewisham schools and ensuring that current research, policy developments, and trauma-informed principles are embedded in local strategy and practice.

What’s in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

What we’re looking for

We are for someone who can establish and maintain robust partnerships with schools (DSLs), social care teams (social workers), and external agencies.

The aim is to ensure coordinated and holistic support for the children, which includes facilitating multi-agency meetings and joint planning sessions to align interventions and share best practices.

A crucial part of this role involves engaging strategically with schools to map existing support across various Lewisham services, identifying any gaps in provision, and contributing to the strategic planning to enhance service delivery and accessibility.

We need an expert who can provide specialist advice and consultancy to school leadership and staff to strengthen inclusive practices and support for vulnerable learners. This would also involve delivering training and resources to build staff capacity for supporting pupils with complex needs.

You will be involved in developing the Families First education offer across all Lewisham schools, ensuring that it is inclusive, evidence-informed, and responsive to local needs and priorities. Supporting schools in developing early intervention strategies for vulnerable students to improve educational outcomes is also a key component of this role.

The successful candidate will be required to champion inclusive education, fostering joined-up working across agencies, and promoting proactive approaches that reduce escalation and improve long-term outcomes are essential. Monitoring and evaluating the impact of inclusive strategies and recommending improvements will be part of your responsibilities.

You will be required to collaborate with a small team, including the Education Lead and Educational Psychologist, to share expertise and co-develop consistent support strategies is vital. Participating in reflective practice and joint problem-solving will enhance our service delivery.

This will be a fantastic opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of many young people. If you are passionate about inclusive education and collaborative working, we would love to hear from you.

Closing date:

Thursday 23rd October 2025, 23:59

Special conditions

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.

Applicant handbook- please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£52,269 to £54,360 per annum (PO4)

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email [email protected] and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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