Reporting to: Lead Executive Head teacher
Salary : £40,000 – £50,000 PA
Location: Across all school sites, primarily Harrow-based.
School Sites: Harrow, Neasden, Twickenham, Kings Cross, St Albans
Contract: Permanent (52weeks)

Role Purpose
The Local Authority Partnerships & School Placements Manager will oversee the referral, assessment, and placement coordination process across the group’s SEND schools. The role is designed to strengthen relationships with Local Authorities, improve referral conversion rates, support families through the admissions journey, and ensure a professional, responsive, and organised placements process from initial referral through to pupil transition. This is not a traditional sales role. The successful candidate will act as a trusted liaison between Local Authorities, families, and schools, ensuring that placements are handled efficiently, ethically, and in line with pupils’ needs and the schools’ specialist provision.

Key Responsibilities
Local Authority Relationship Management
Develop and maintain positive working relationships with SEND case officers, commissioning teams, SEN managers, and associated professionals across Local Authorities.
Act as a primary point of contact for placement discussions and referral coordination.
Attend Local Authority meetings, commissioning discussions, consultations, and networking events where appropriate.
Build long-term strategic relationships with boroughs to support sustainable referral pathways.

Referral & Placement Coordination
Oversee the end-to-end referral pipeline across the group’s schools.
Ensure referrals are responded to promptly and professionally.
Coordinate assessments, school visits, parent meetings, and transition planning.
Liaise with school leadership teams regarding suitability and placement decisions.
Track all referrals from enquiry through to placement outcome.
Ensure accurate records and reporting are maintained.

Family & Stakeholder Liaison
Support families throughout the consultation and admissions process.
Coordinate communication between parents, schools, and Local Authorities.
Ensure families feel informed, supported, and confident during transition planning.
Assist in resolving concerns or barriers affecting placements.

Data, Reporting & Analysis
Monitor referral trends, conversion rates, occupancy forecasting, and commissioning activity.
Produce regular management reports covering referral numbers, conversion rates, placement outcomes, reasons for lost placements, borough activity, fee sensitivity trends, and transport/distance challenges.
Identify operational or strategic improvements to enhance placement conversion and occupancy levels.

Commercial & Strategic Support
Work with leadership teams to identify opportunities for improved Local Authority engagement.
Support discussions around placement structures and fee positioning where appropriate.
Assist with market intelligence relating to SEND commissioning trends and local demand.
Contribute to strategic occupancy planning across the school group.

Transition & Placement Quality
Ensure placements are suitable, realistic, and aligned with the school’s specialist provision.
Coordinate smooth pupil transitions into school settings.
Support strong communication between education, therapy, pastoral, and family stakeholders.
Promote long-term placement stability and positive outcomes for pupils.

Person Specification – Essential Experience
Experience working within SEND education, Local Authority SEND services, commissioning, or school admissions.
Strong understanding of EHCP processes and SEND placement pathways.
Experience liaising with Local Authorities and multi-agency professionals.
Excellent organisational and communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple referrals and priorities simultaneously.
Strong relationship-building capability.
High levels of professionalism, discretion, and emotional intelligence.

Desirable Experience
Previous experience within Local Authority SEND teams, independent specialist schools, SEND commissioning, SEN case management, or school leadership/SENCO roles.
Knowledge of London borough commissioning processes.
Experience using CRM or referral tracking systems.
Understanding of occupancy management and school growth planning.

Personal Qualities
Relationship-driven rather than sales-driven.
Calm, credible, and solutions-focused.
Highly organised and detail-oriented.
Professional and collaborative approach.
Able to build trust with Local Authorities and families alike.
Ethical and child-centred in decision-making.
Commercially aware without compromising educational integrity.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Referral response times
Referral-to-assessment conversion rate
Assessment-to-Placement conversion rate
Occupancy levels across schools
Parent and Local Authority feedback
Placement stability and retention
Accuracy and quality of reporting data
Growth in repeat Local Authority referrals

Salary
Competitive salary dependent on experience, plus potential performance-related bonus structure linked to occupancy and placement outcomes.