Location: Croydon
Salary: Indicative Salary: Equivalent to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8a (pro rata)
Working pattern: Term time only plus 2 weeks during school holidays. Preferably full time but part time considered with a minimum of 19 hours per week.
Contract: Permanent
An exciting opportunity to lead and shape the therapeutic offer at Priory School
Priory School is looking to appoint an experienced, passionate and ambitious therapist to become our Head of Therapies and lead the next stage of development of our whole-school therapeutic model.
Priory is a specialist secondary school for students aged 11–19 with severe learning difficulties, many of whom have Autism and complex communication, sensory and regulation needs. We have a strong commitment to understanding our students as individuals and creating the conditions in which they can thrive, communicate, learn and develop independence.
This is not simply a clinical role. As Head of Therapies, you will have genuine strategic responsibility for the school's therapeutic provision, leading the development of our universal, targeted and specialist offer.
You will determine and drive the Therapeutic Universal Offer across the school, working closely with our Pathway Leads to identify what this means in practice for different pathways, classes and individual students. You will lead our team of therapists and Therapy Assistants, oversee therapy delivered through our Local Authority Service Level Agreement, and ensure that students receive high-quality provision that meets their identified needs.
A key part of the role will be turning therapeutic expertise into everyday practice. You will identify training priorities, plan and deliver staff development, provide modelling and support, and work with Pathway Leads to follow up and quality assure that agreed approaches are being implemented effectively.
You will also have the opportunity to shape the future direction of therapy at Priory, identifying areas for development, strengthening our multidisciplinary approach and exploring opportunities to share our expertise through outreach, training and consultancy.
We are looking for someone who combines strong professional expertise with excellent leadership skills; someone who can develop a clear vision, influence practice, build positive relationships and bring people with them. You will need to be confident working across professional boundaries and able to translate complex therapeutic knowledge into practical approaches that make a difference to students and staff.
You could be an experienced Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist or other suitably qualified registered therapist with the leadership experience and ambition to take on a whole-school role.
If you are excited by the opportunity to lead, develop and embed an ambitious therapeutic model within a specialist school, we would love to hear from you.
Salary: Indicative Salary: Equivalent to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8a (pro rata)
Reporting to: Senior Leadership Team
Hours: Term time only plus 2 weeks during school holidays. Preferably full time but part time considered with a minimum of 19 hours per week.
Please read the Job Description for further information (attached to this advertisement, or available from www.priorycroydon.org.uk/Vacancies.
Please complete the application form provided, and include a personal statement which outlines how you meet the person specification.
Completed applications should be emailed to traceyjones@priorycroydon.org.uk
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Visits to the School are welcome and encouraged – please contact Tracey Jones to arrange a visit by emailing traceyjones@priorycroydon.org.uk.
Closing Date: Tuesday 20 October 2026. Please note that we may close the application early if there is a high level of response to this advertisement.
Interview Week commencing 2nd November 2026
To apply, please follow the application process detailed above.
This job does not have a Croydon Council online application form.
The ‘Apply Now’ button below only allows you to submit a job alert, not an online application
We provide a large number of services for local people, businesses and visitors to the borough, including services for children and adults, and environmental, cultural, sports, housing, planning and benefits services.
The borough is split into 24 electoral wards, and local elections are held every four years.
With a workforce of approximately 3,300 staff, including teachers in schools, Croydon Council is the largest employer in the borough. Spending over £900 million per year, the council makes a significant contribution to the local economy.
The council comprises three main political functions, the Executive (Leader and Cabinet), Committees, and Scrutiny.
The Leader and Cabinet are responsible and accountable for shaping policies and plans and recommending them to the council for approval. Cabinet also gives direction to departmental directors on the way services are managed and the budgets allocated to them.
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Scrutiny holds the council executive functions to account. Examining aspects of council performance, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee also increasingly involves other local agencies which contribute to the economic, social and environmental well-being of the local population.
