Job Description

Principal Speech & Language Therapist

Dual Site — Acton and Southall, West London

Permanent

Full Time — 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

£54,320 – £64,500 per annum (Inner London)

The Opportunity

We are proud to be recruiting on behalf of a highly regarded specialist educational organisation dedicated to the support and development of autistic children and young people. This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Speech and Language Therapist to take on a senior clinical leadership position within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team in West London.

You will be joining a well-established specialist school operating across two sites in the Acton and Southall areas of West London, serving young people aged 4.5 to 22 years. With over 50 years of expertise in providing holistic, personalised education for autistic pupils, the school holds an outstanding reputation and operates a large, collaborative therapy team of 8–9 therapists across its two sites. For an SLT who is passionate about neuro-affirming practice, leadership, and making a meaningful difference, this is a genuinely exciting role.

About the Role

As Principal Speech and Language Therapist, you will hold senior accountability for therapy outcomes across the school, working closely with the Head of Therapy and the Senior Leadership Team to drive quality, innovation and continuous improvement. The role is at the heart of embedding therapy into everyday classroom life, ensuring every pupil receives the tailored, communication-accessible support they need.

You will lead and manage the school-based therapy team, provide clinical supervision, oversee EHCP-aligned intervention planning, and contribute to curriculum design and whole-school strategic development. The role also offers clear pathways for career progression into wider NAS network leadership, research and policy roles.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the school-based therapy team, providing clinical leadership, supervision and performance oversight
• Develop, implement and quality-assure evidence-based, neuro-affirming therapeutic practice across the school
• Embed outcome-focused interventions into everyday school practice, routines and curriculum delivery
• Work in close partnership with families to strengthen parental engagement and support positive change across the family system
• Collaborate with education staff, multidisciplinary colleagues and external professionals to deliver integrated, joined-up provision
• Contribute to the design, delivery and review of curriculum content to ensure it is communication-accessible and therapeutically informed
• Drive service development using data, outcomes and feedback to continuously improve practice
• Contribute to local and national projects, research activity and service innovation
• Act as a senior leader within the school, contributing to strategic planning, decision-making and whole-school improvement
• Maintain own HCPC and RCSLT registration and ensure colleagues maintain registration with relevant professional bodies

What We Are Looking For

Essential

• HCPC-registered and RCSLT-member Speech and Language Therapist with significant post-qualification experience (minimum 6 years)
• Senior leadership or management experience within a school-based or specialist therapy setting — autism-specific experience highly desirable
• Proven experience delivering clinical supervision
• Strong commitment to evidence-based, neuro-affirming and strengths-based practice
• Understanding of therapeutic curriculum development and quality assurance in independent special schools
• Excellent communication, project management and strategic planning skills
• Makaton trained

Desirable

• Experience working across paediatric xbpsjku and early adulthood settings
• AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) specific experience
• Track record of developing and managing partnerships with external stakeholders

Why This Role Stands Out

• Inner London salary band: £54,320 – £64,500 per annum
• Term-time contract with full pay during school holidays — approximately 12 weeks paid leave per year
• Join an established team of 8–9 therapists within a school with over 50 years of specialist autism expertise
• Clear career progression pathways into Head of Therapy, regional leadership, research and national policy roles
• Comprehensive benefits package including pension, Simply Health cash plan, Life Assurance (2x base salary), 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Headspace app and retail discounts
• Employer pension contribution of 6% of gross salary (employee minimum 4%)
• Funding and time off available towards further qualifications; specialist CPD and online learning academy
• Relocation support considered for the right candidate
• Dual-site role across two West London locations — candidates should be comfortable with travel between sites
• Meaningful, values-driven work within a nationally recognised, outstanding-rated specialist school