Assistant SENDCo

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy; Frankley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy in Birmingham is seeking an Assistant SENDCo to support the SENDCo in coordinating high-quality SEND provision across the academy. You will help identify barriers to learning, support EHCP processes, and promote inclusive teaching with a pupil-centred approach.

The role requires strong organisation, clear communication and the ability to collaborate with staff, families and external professionals to ensure every pupil receives the support they need to thrive.

Skills

SEND knowledge

Communication

Organisational skills

Collaboration

Job description

“Pupils and staff enjoy belonging to a vibrant school community where caring, respectful relationships are the norm” - Ofsted (January 2024)

We are seeking a dedicated, compassionate and highly organised Assistant Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (Assistant SENDCo) to join King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy and play a key role in ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities receive the support, guidance and opportunities they need to thrive.

Working closely with our SENDCo, you will help coordinate and develop high-quality SEND provision across the academy, ensuring that pupils with additional needs are supported to access an ambitious, inclusive and engaging education.

You will also play an important role in identifying and addressing barriers to learning, supporting the implementation and review of individual support plans, monitoring pupil progress and working collaboratively with teaching staff to promote effective and inclusive classroom practice.

The role will also involve building positive relationships with pupils, parents and carers, colleagues and external professionals, ensuring that support is coordinated effectively and that the needs of individual pupils remain at the heart of our approach.

You will support the SENDCo with the administration, monitoring and review of SEND provision, including contributing to Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) processes, preparing documentation and supporting statutory reviews where appropriate.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who is passionate about inclusion and committed to making a meaningful difference to the lives of young people. The successful candidate will demonstrate a sound understanding of SEND, excellent communication and organisational skills, and the ability to balance a compassionate, pupil-centred approach with high expectations for achievement, independence and personal development.

We are looking for someone who reflects our academy values in the way they work every day:

• Bold - You will confidently advocate for pupils with SEND, challenge barriers to inclusion and contribute innovative ideas and approaches that ensure every pupil has the opportunity to succeed.
• Ambitious - You will hold high expectations for all pupils, recognising their individual strengths and potential, and supporting them to achieve the very best outcomes academically, socially and personally.
• Collaborative - You will work closely with the SENDCo, teaching and support staff, families and external agencies to ensure a consistent, coordinated and effective approach to meeting pupils’ individual needs.
• Kind - You will demonstrate empathy, patience and understanding, building trusting relationships with pupils and families and ensuring that every young person feels valued, respected and supported.

Most importantly, you will be joining a supportive community of Senior Leadership, Teaching and Support staff where “staff feel valued and appreciate how their workload and wellbeing are considered by leaders at all levels”, as recognised by Ofsted.

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is a dynamic and forward-thinking school where pupils know that staff have high expectations of them and want them to succeed. We are proud of the journey our academy continues to make and would welcome applications from individuals who share our commitment to providing an inclusive, ambitious education for every pupil.

Who will you be joining?

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is located in South West Birmingham. The academy is rapidly improving and continuing to benefit from having joined King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham which has led to investment across the academy, including the availability of cutting-edge technology in each classroom. King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is proud to be part of The Schools of King Edward VI Birmingham which supports its schools, faculties/departments and individual staff to work collaboratively. The successful candidate will benefit from a wide range of professional development opportunities encompassing the potential to experience schools across the Foundation and to pursue professional qualifications. There will be opportunities to collaborate with other schools and to benefit from their expertise and resources.

Our expectations and aspirations

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy has the highest aspirations and expectations for all members of its community. As a member of staff, you will be valued, challenged and supported in making a difference to the lives of our young people. We expect the same of our pupils. We demand courtesy, endeavour and resilience from all of our pupils and the support of their parents and carers.

We are exceptionally proud of our academy and our young people and would encourage interested applicants to come and spend some time with the leadership team to understand our shared vision, have a look around and experience what life is like as part of our community.

About the Academy Trust

The King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham, is a progressive charitable organisation which has supported excellence in education across the city since 1552. Our schools are diverse in nature but have a common purpose and commitment to achieving our mission of “making Birmingham the best place to be educated in the UK”.

Our Academy Trust currently consists of two independent schools, six selective, and five non-selective academies. Our recent expansion into a wider diversity of local communities is enabling us to accelerate our strategies for improving the life chances of young people in Birmingham, whatever their background.

The King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham (“the Academy Trust”) was established in 2017 and is made up of the academies outlined above. The academies receive back office central support services including governance, from the Foundation Office (a central support services function), with several staff being seconded from the Foundation to deliver support services to the Academy Trust and the academies themselves.

Our highly focused five-year strategy aims to build on our existing strengths and heritage and deliver our ambitious growth strategy which aims to bring in a further five academies over the next five years.