Paediatric Band 7 Occupational Therapist (School-Based)
Central London
Permanent Contract, £45,000 - £49,000 per annum, depending on experience
September 2026 Start, term time only
*** Interviews are arranged ASAP ***
You have done the clinical work. You are good at it. And lately, you have been thinking about what comes next.
Not because you want to leave the work behind. Because you want to multiply it. You have spent years developing your skills, your judgement, your instinct for what good OT practice looks like. Now you are ready to use all of that to shape something bigger. To build a team. To raise standards. To be the kind of leader you wished you had earlier in your career.
The question is whether the right setting exists. One where leadership is genuinely valued, not just written into a job title. One where your clinical expertise still matters, and your voice still carries weight in the room. One where the work you lead has a real impact on the children it reaches. This is that setting.
A specialist SEND school in central London is seeking a Paediatric Band 7 Occupational Therapist to lead its OT provision and line-manage a team of OTs. This is a school where therapy sits at the centre of everything. Where the timetable, the classroom environment, and the daily routines are all shaped by the same integrated therapeutic model. The OT lead here does not just deliver therapy. They set the standard for it.
What this looks like in practice
You will lead and line-manage the OT team, supporting their clinical development and setting the standard for OT practice across the school. Alongside your leadership responsibilities, you will hold your own caseload, staying close to the work and the children it serves.
Day to day, that means therapy sessions, independence and communication groups, joint planning with teachers, assessments, parental contact, IEPs, and Annual Reviews. You will be present throughout the school day, including during unstructured times, working alongside speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, specialist teachers, and a strong pastoral team, all of whom operate from the same model. Dedicated planning time, regular clinical supervision, and specialist therapeutic facilities are part of how this school supports its senior therapy staff.
What you will bring
- HCPC registered (essential)
- Paediatric SEND experience (essential)
- Experience of, or a genuine readiness for, line management and clinical leadership
- School-based SEND experience (desirable)
- Confident across 1:1, small group, and whole-class settings
- Comfortable leading on IEPs and Annual Reviews
- Someone who leads by example and brings their team with them
The children in this school deserve OT provision led by someone who takes that responsibility seriously. If you are ready to step into that, and you have been looking for a place that will let you do it properly, it is time to have a conversation.
Apply now or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion; even if you are not actively looking, it is worth a conversation!