SENCO

Teaching Vacancies; Bicknor Wood; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CPD opportunities

Supportive staff team

Job summary

Teaching Vacancies is seeking an outstanding SENCO to lead and develop our SEND provision across the school. You will champion inclusive practice, coordinate effective interventions and work with staff, parents and external agencies to raise outcomes for students with SEND.

The role requires a strong track record as a teacher, deep knowledge of SEND legislation, and the ability to lead and inspire colleagues while safeguarding students’ welfare.

Qualifications

• Qualified teacher with a strong commitment to inclusive education.
• Thorough understanding of the SEND Code of Practice and current SEND legislation.
• Experience of supporting students with a range of additional needs.
• Demonstrates excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills.
• Can inspire, support and challenge colleagues to ensure the best outcomes for all learners.
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and operational management of the school's SEND provision.
• Lead the strategic development of SEND across the school and coordinate interventions.
• Liaise with staff, parents and external agencies and champion inclusive practice.
• Line-manage the Assistant SENCO and Teaching Assistant Team.
• Oversee records of all students with SEND and liaise with parents/carers.
• Ensure SEND policy complies with local and national guidance and annual reviews.

Skills

Qualified teacher

Inclusive education

Leadership

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Safeguarding

Education

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

Job description

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are seeking an outstanding and committed SENCO to lead and develop our SEND provision and ensure that every student is supported to achieve their full potential.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced teacher with a passion for inclusion to join our leadership team and play a key role in shaping high-quality provision for students with special educational needs and disabilities. The successful candidate will lead the strategic development of SEND across the school, coordinate effective interventions, work closely with staff, parents and external agencies, and champion inclusive practice throughout the curriculum.

We are looking for a colleague who:

• Is a qualified teacher with a strong commitment to inclusive education
• Has a thorough understanding of the SEND Code of Practice and current SEND legislation
• Has experience of supporting students with a range of additional needs
• Demonstrates excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills
• Can inspire, support and challenge colleagues to ensure the best outcomes for all learners
• Is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people

What the school offers its staff

In return we will offer you:

• A dedicated and supportive staff team
• Polite and welcoming children and families
• A working environment where everyone is valued and respected
• Excellent CPD within the school and across the Trust

Further details about the role

Job Purpose

To provide strategic leadership and operational management of the school's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision. The SENCO will ensure that all students with SEND achieve their full potential, have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, and receive high-quality support that enables them to participate fully in school life.

Key functions

• Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the School’s SEND Policy and SEND Information Report and reviewing at least annually, incorporating changes to local and national policy
• Co-ordinating provision for all students with SEND
• Liaising with and advising teaching staff, including contribution to/delivery of staff training and engagement with other SENCOs as part of the Trust and at Borough level
• Line management of Assistant SENCO and Teaching Assistant Team
• Overseeing the records of all students with SEND
• Liaising with parents/carers

Duties

• Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the School’s SEND Policy
• To keep up-to-date with current national and local guidance to ensure SEND policy and practice meets all statutory requirements and best practice
• To work with the Assistant Headteacher (Student Welfare and Inclusion) to make adjustments to the SEND policy where required and undertake a full review annually, in preparation for presentation at Governors
• To update the School’s SEND Information Report annually
• To develop the SEND area of the School’s website
• To develop and implement the SEND action/development plan with RAG rating
• Co-ordination and delivery of provision for students with SEND

Teaching & Learning:

• Development of curriculum offer for identified students
• Delivery of curriculum for identified students where required
• Delivery of/oversight of individual and small group interventions including assessment of progress/impact (Plan/Do/Review)
• Oversight of timetabled support for SEND students with complex needs
• Analysis of progress data for all students with SEND at Assessment Points (APS) and to facilitate interventions for individual students where needed, in conjunction with SEND Team, Heads of Faculties, individual class teachers and pastoral staff
• Oversight of Social Space before school, break time, lunchtime
• Oversight of Social Skills club, including assessment of impact
• Oversight of SEND students’ access to extra-curricular activities, events, trips etc

Identification of needs, referrals and multi-agency working – working with Assistant SENCO to ensure the following:

• Effective transition arrangements in place for Year 6 into 7 and post-16, plus casual admissions mid-year including carrying out relevant testing
• Assessment of students using a variety of available diagnostics e.g. dyslexia screening
• Arranging and overseeing external testing for exam concessions
• Referrals to appropriate cross-borough agencies for assessment e.g. ADHD, ASD
• Liaison with external agencies and professionals e.g. Educational Psychology Service, Borough SEND Teams, Virtual School etc.
• Providing information to key agencies involved in assessment
• Management of the EHCP process, from request to conduct a statutory assessment to the process of Annual Reviews for existing EHCPs and Tribunals where necessary
• Responding to requests for EHCP students to attend CHSFG

Examination Concessions

• Effective liaison with the Examinations Team
• Completion of exam concession documentation e.g. Form 8s, Access Arrangements On-line (AAO)
• Maintenance of student evidence files to support exam concessions
• Facilitating JCQ inspections in liaison with the examinations team
• Maintenance of exam concession tracker and cross-referencing with Pupil Passports if relevant

Administrative: working with Assistant SENCO to ensure:

• SEND list is updated and accessible to all staff
• Records on SIMS are accurate
• Maintenance of the Pupil Profile Handbook to communicate information to classroom teachers and all staff to support Quality First Teaching
• Liaising with and advising teaching staff, including contribution to/delivery of staff training
• To be the main point of contact in School on all matters relating to SEND, providing expertise and advice on issues relating to SEND
• To communicate to staff individual’s barriers to learning through the SEND List and the Pupil Profile Handbook
• To work with Heads of Faculty/individual teachers to address underachievement of SEND students, identified at Assessment Points and to support/advise on appropriate interventions
• To take part in the planning and delivery of staff training in school and as part of Inicio Trust.
• To provide briefings to staff on matters related to SEND

Line-management of Deputy SENCO and Teaching Assistant Team:

• Oversight of timetabled support for SEND students with complex needs
• Oversight of cover for absent team members
• Leading Team meetings/briefings with minutes/action points
• Contribute to recruitment and lead induction for new Teaching Assistants
• To share CPD opportunities with the Teaching Assistant Team and facilitate cascade of learning
• To take part in annual appraisal process
• Overseeing the records of all students with SEND
• Work with the Assistant SENCO to ensure:
  • Effective transfer of SEND files at points of transition
  • That SEND files are comprehensive and up-to-date
  • Liaising with parents/carers
  • Creation of Pupil Passports
  • Attend parents’ evenings and provide opportunities throughout the year for contact with parents/carers to review Pupil Passports (3 reviews)
  • Ongoing liaison with parents/carers on a needs basis

All Teachers Duties

• Follow all safeguarding expectations and guidelines as set out by the school and the Trust
• Participate in and support the Teachers’ appraisal process
• Support the school’s review and refine approach through positive and active participation in the faculty and school development plans, reviews and collective improvement
• Undertake specific duties within the English Team as agreed with Faculty Lead for English
• Create a purposeful and positive school culture through building positive professional relationships with students and staff
• Create a supportive home-school dialogue through effective and regular contact with student families as required through the job role
• Take personal responsibility for both the overall professional delivery of the role of a teacher and use line management to effectively seek support in aspects of the post as needed
• Undertake such other duties as reasonably required by the Headteacher including open evenings

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.