Head of Inclusion

Position description

Can you help us build the future of learning?

After supporting girls from marginalized backgrounds to thrive through globally-recognized girls leadership academies in Kibera and Mathare, SHOFCO is starting a new school! Named after Africa’s earliest and most prestigious institution of learning, Sankoré International School will prepare learners and leaders to shape the future of our communities, continent, and world! Sankoré offers an adapted international education while fostering Kenyan identity and pride. Our school is a microcosm of what we wish the world to become—a community of people from vastly different walks of life powerfully bound together in a shared journey to raise our children to discover themselves, lead purposeful and joyful lives, and make a difference for those around them. We offer sliding scale fees, with 40% tuition-free families. We will serve PreK-Grade 5 students from 2026 (grow in one grade per year until High School) with a campus set on 9 acres of land in Rosslyn.

We’re looking for a visionary and collaborative Head of Inclusion to co-design and lead a transformative learning experience at Sankoré. With a founding team of inclusive learning specialists, Learning Guides (what schools traditionally call teachers), co-curricular experts, and a passionate community of families—you will play a key role in shaping everything from curriculum to culture to Special Needs Education coaching. This role blends big-picture designwith day-to-day mentorship and execution. It’s for someone who wants to build—not just manage—something powerful.

Does this sound like you? Do you believe that inclusive learning, joyful play, and cultural affirmation belong together, if so, please read on....

Job description: Head of Inclusion

Reports to: Sankoré Head of School

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

About Sankoré

Our Mission

Sankoré nurtures the skills and strengths of character scholars need to create a better world for themselves and all of us. We offer a joyful and rigorous curriculum, a diverse learning community, and integrated sporting, STEAM, music, and nature play-based activities in service of holistic development. Rooted in our values, we co-create the world we want to live in with our scholars, families, and educators.

Our Values

• Consciousness
• Curiosity
• Courage
• Continuous Growth
• Creativity
• Community citizenship

About the Job

As the Founding Head of Inclusion, you will play a pivotal role in bringing Sankoré International School to life by designing and launching an exceptional, equity-driven inclusion program rooted in local relevance, global competence, disability justice, and deep joy. You will lead the creation of systems, curriculum adaptations, professional learning pathways, and learner supports that ensure every student—especially those with diverse learning needs—flourishes.

You will work hand-in-hand with the Head of School and fellow founding leaders (Learning and innovation, Operations, and Wellbeing) to build a thriving, inclusive learning community where every child is valued, challenged, and celebrated. Your leadership will ensure learning remains rigorous, accessible, culturally grounded, and alive for all children.

We aren’t walking into a school—we’re building one. The work will be complex, imaginative, and deeply meaningful. It will stretch you, inspire you, and transform you. And it will be worth it.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership for Inclusive Learning

• Co-create and uphold a powerful, equity-centered vision for inclusive learning at Sankoré, ensuring all learners—especially those with diverse learning needs—are supported to thrive.
• Use data (student learning profiles, IEP progress, assessments, interventions, family and community feedback) and research to shape systems that continuously improve outcomes for learners with disabilities and learning differences.
• Build and maintain sustainable structures—including documentation, intervention frameworks, referral systems, progress-monitoring tools, and inclusion practices—to ensure long-term impact and scalability.
• Leverage strategic partnerships with specialists, therapists, community knowledge holders, and inclusive education networks to enrich support for learners and Learning Guides.
• Lead efforts to position Sankoré as a national and regional model for inclusive, progressive, and equity-driven education.

Inclusive Curriculum & Learning Design

• Lead the adaptation, design, and documentation of an inclusive curriculum that is accessible, rigorous, joyful, identity-affirming, and responsive to learners with diverse needs.
• Ensure the curriculum integrates universal design for learning (UDL), differentiated instruction, multimodal approaches, individualized learning supports, and accommodations aligned with global best practices in inclusive education.
• Ensure assessments reflect a whole-child approach and are meaningful, flexible, and responsive to learners’ varied abilities, communication modes, and strengths.
• Collaborate with curriculum teams to break down big ideas into accessible learning experiences across grade levels—ensuring barrier-free participation for all students.
• Guide the selection of adaptive learning resources, assistive technologies, inclusive literature, and tools that reflect Sankoré’s values and support learner independence.
• Support curriculum iteration and growth as we expand toward Grade 12, ensuring inclusion systems evolve appropriately across developmental stages.

Instructional Coaching & Professional Learning

• Build and lead a robust professional learning program focused on inclusive practices, differentiation, IEP implementation, behavioral support, and reflective practice.
• Lead onboarding and ongoing development of Learning Guides and support staff (e.g., teaching assistants, inclusion aides, specialists) to build confidence and competence in inclusive pedagogy.
• Conduct classroom observations and provide coaching, modeling strategies for accessible instruction, co-teaching approaches, and inclusive classroom management.
• Strengthen and iterate Learning Guide development rubrics, personal learning plans, and portfolios to embed inclusive teaching standards and competencies.
• Champion pedagogy that is agentic, inclusive, joyful, rigorous, culturally grounded, and affirming of neurodiversity.

Learning Innovation, Research & Inclusive Practice Development

• Embed research-based inclusive practices and support staff in experimenting, piloting, and reflecting on new approaches that support diverse learners.
• Stay informed about global and local trends in special needs education, neurodiversity, therapeutic interventions, and inclusive models—and adapt them thoughtfully to Sankoré’s context.
• Attend and present at relevant professional learning convenings, networks, and conferences focused on inclusion and special needs education.
• Build and sustain partnerships with schools, universities, therapeutic centers, and research organizations to strengthen inclusive practice.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, inquiry, documentation, and reflection across the school, with a particular focus on inclusion.
• Collaborate with learners, families, educators, and external specialists to co-create interventions and adapt learning experiences.
• Explore inclusive models rooted in African knowledge systems, community wisdom, and global progressive pedagogies.

Team & Culture Leadership

• Model Sankoré’s core values through compassionate, equity-driven leadership that centers dignity and respect for all learners.
• Collaborate with Heads of School, Academic Leadership, Operations, and Wellbeing to align systems that sustain a holistic, joyful, inclusive school environment.
• Build trusting relationships with staff, families, and learners—ensuring transparent communication, shared purpose, and strong advocacy for inclusive practices.
• Address conflict with clarity, care, and professionalism, modeling courageous conversations and values-aligned decision-making.
• Champion an affirming and equitable school culture that elevates children’s voices, honors neurodiversity, and embraces diverse lived experiences.
• Contribute to the recruitment, onboarding, and retention of high-impact educators and specialists committed to inclusive education.

In the first year you will…

Before School Launch

• Design inclusive curriculum adaptations and support the selection of accessible learning materials, assistive technologies, and resources that meet the needs of diverse learners.
• Contribute to the hiring and onboarding of Learning Guides and support staff, ensuring strong capacity for inclusive and differentiated instruction.
• Co-lead learning design for the founding team, ensuring universal design for learning (UDL), individualized supports, and inclusive pedagogies are embedded from the start.
• Set up school-wide systems for inclusion: IEP/ILP processes, intervention pathways, progress-monitoring systems, documentation templates, accommodations protocols, communication channels with families, and referral procedures.
• Establish structures for coaching, planning, observation, and feedback tailored to inclusive teaching practices.
• Support family recruitment through inclusive community events, orientations, and conversations that build trust and communicate the school’s inclusive vision.

During Staff Orientation

• Co-lead vision alignment to ensure all staff share a deep understanding of inclusion, neurodiversity, child protection, and whole-child development.
• Lead training on inclusive pedagogy, behavior support, differentiation, co-teaching models, and accessible classroom setup.
• Collaborate on building school schedules, intervention blocks, and support models that allow equitable access to learning for all children.
• Build early trust with staff and families by introducing inclusive systems, sharing expectations, and establishing communication pathways for ongoing support.

First Month of School

• Mentor Learning Guides and support staff daily, modeling inclusive practices and co-teaching strategies.
• Observe classrooms to identify strengths, challenges, and immediate needs for learners requiring additional support.
• Launch and refine coaching structures, team meetings, inclusion check-ins, and data reflection routines.
• Establish or adjust IEP/ILP supports based on real-time learner needs and assessments.

Ongoing Responsibilities

• Facilitate regular professional development focused on inclusion, behavior support, assistive technology, data-driven intervention, and reflective practice.
• Monitor learner outcomes (academic, social-emotional, behavioral) and adapt curriculum accommodations, intervention plans, and support systems accordingly.
• Lead inclusive learning exhibitions, portfolio showcases, and parent workshops that celebrate diverse learner strengths and growth.
• Support staff wellbeing and ongoing capacity building through retreats, reflective learning spaces, and coaching cycles.
• Track and share progress toward schoolwide inclusion and learning goals, ensuring transparency and continuous improvement.
• Maintain strong relationships with families, specialists, and external partners to ensure coordinated, holistic support for learners with diverse needs.

Qualifications

You are a learning designer, educator coach, and systems builder who dreams big and delivers thoughtfully.

You have the following experience:

Required Experience

• 10+ years of experience in education, including work as a special needs educator, inclusion coordinator, learning support specialist, instructional coach, curriculum lead, or school leader.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing, adapting, and differentiating curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners, including those with disabilities, learning differences, and exceptionalities.
• Proven ability to design and lead adult learning, including professional development on inclusive pedagogy, differentiation, behavior support, and universal design for learning (UDL).
• Familiarity with progressive, inquiry-focused, and child-centered curricula (e.g., PYP, Common Ground Collaborative, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, Waldorf, Kenyan Competency-Based Curriculum), and experience adapting these models for accessibility and inclusion.
• Preferred: Knowledge of Kenyan and/or international frameworks for special needs education, regulatory requirements, child protection expectations, and accreditation processes.

You Demonstrate the Following Strengths

• Strategic vision for inclusion paired with the ability to build practical, grounded systems that support learners and staff day-to-day.
• High emotional intelligence, cultural humility, and deep care for community, especially marginalized or historically excluded learners and families.
• Strong collaboration, facilitation, coaching, and communication skills, with the ability to mentor diverse teams toward inclusive, strengths-based practice.
• A commitment to decolonizing education, challenging deficit-based narratives, and centering African excellence, disability justice, and learner agency.
• A profound love of learning—for yourself, your colleagues, and the learners you serve.
• Deep trust in children, including those with disabilities or learning differences, as capable, curious, and deserving of autonomy, dignity, and joyful learning.
• The ability to see the strengths in every learner, family, and colleagues, and nurture their potential through compassionate, evidence-based practice.
• A strong capacity to embrace uncertainty, iterate, and learn from missteps, modeling growth mindset and reflective practice.
• The highest degree of integrity, self-awareness, and humility, including the courage to own mistakes and continuously improve.

Application instructions

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity, all interested please email the following materials to [email protected]. The subject of your email should be: Your name, Head of Inclusion Application. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter (max 2 pages) addressing:
  • Your motivation for this role
  • Relevant experiences leading transformational educational initiatives
  • Your vision for education and how you’ll bring it to life at Sankoré
  • Your expected salary range
1. Optional Video (Max 2 minutes): A brief introduction and why this role matters to you

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications should reach us no later than 10th December 2025.

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