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working at Priory School

Head of Therapies

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.

Reporting to
Senior Leadership Team

Indicative Salary
Equivalent to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8a (pro rata)

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.

Days
Term time & inset (5 days)

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.

Interviews
Week commencing 2 November 2026

Further information

Application forms to download and complete

Application forms can either be downloaded, printed, completed by hand, then returned via the postal service, or downloaded and completed digitally, then returned via email. Select the most appropriate form type below.

How to apply

Please email your completed application, including a personal statement, to Tracey Jones.

You can request by email any further information or arrange a visit to the school.

Please note that applications will be considered upon receipt.

Priory School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check and references.

Visit the school

We’re very proud of our school and welcome visitors. Job Applicants are encouraged to come and look around in person, and to ask any questions you may have about the school. Please contact Tracey Jones to arrange a visit.

We appreciate not everyone has had the chance to come and take a look around, and meet our wonderful staff and students. So we hope this video gives you a sense of life at Priory School.