Sendco

London Borough of Waltham Forest; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A local education authority in London seeks a qualified SENDCo to work in alternative provisions. The role requires providing professional guidance, monitoring pupil's needs, and ensuring effective communication with parents and agencies. The ideal candidate will support young people's education and well-being in a trauma-informed and collaborative team environment.

Benefits

CPD opportunities and commitment to developing professional practice

Supportive wider staff team

Commitment to trauma informed approaches

Qualifications

• Provide SEND professional guidance to colleagues, working closely with staff, parents and carers.
• Advise on provision that meets the pupil's needs and monitor its effectiveness.
• Ensure records are maintained and kept up to date.

Responsibilities

• Work in an AP setting for 2 days per week across 2 sites.
• Review and discuss the education, health and care (EHC) plan with parents or carers.
• Support a smooth transition for the pupil to another school if necessary.

Skills

Ability to Identify a pupil's SEN needs

Effective communicator

Ability to work with multi agency and therapeutic staff

Education

Qualified SENDCo

Job description

Burnside and North Birkbeck PRU are two short term specialist provisions offering interventions for young people who are either at risk of exclusion or have been permanently excluded from their mainstream school. Both provisions are part of the Hawkswood group of schools which provide alternative provision to young people across Waltham Forest. We recognise that many pupils referred to us have experienced significant adverse experiences which impact on their behaviour, learning, and engagement. Our approach is therefore trauma-informed and underpinned by the following principles:

• Relationships at the core - staff prioritise building safe, consistent, and positive relationships with pupils as a foundation for change.
• Understanding behaviour as communication - challenging behaviours are understood as expressions of unmet need or emotional distress. Responses are focused on de-escalation, regulation, and problem-solving rather than punishment.
• Restorative practice - pupils are supported to repair relationships and take responsibility in a constructive way, with an emphasis on developing social and emotional skills.
• Predictable structures and routines - classrooms and daily timetables provide a safe, reliable environment where pupils know what to expect.
• Personalised interventions - SEMH interventions and mentoring are matched to pupil needs, with outcomes tracked against reintegration objectives.

We offer a short-term behavioural and educational intervention for young people aged 11-16 who are struggling with regulating their behaviour in mainstream school, as well as a small number of pupils who have been permanently excluded. Some of our pupils will have an EHCP for additional needs such as SEMH. Across the Hawkswood group we work hard to build resilience, social skills and mental wellbeing to enable pupils to successfully return to mainstream school. Our pupils are often able to learn well, but require calm, encouraging and enabling adult support. Our class sizes are small, with access to mentoring and specialist intervention where needed. We work with a range of multi agencies and work as a team to provide the best possible intervention for the young people who attend here.

What we are looking for:

• A qualified SENDCo with an interest in working in an AP setting for 2 days per week across 2 sites
• Someone who can provide SEND professional guidance to colleagues, working closely with staff, parents and carers, and other agencies
• Ability to Identify a pupil's SEN needs and make appropriate SEND referrals
• Advise on provision that meets the pupil's needs, and monitor its effectiveness
• Ability to work with multi agency and therapeutic staff
• Ensure records are maintained and kept up to date
• Review the education, health and care (EHC) plan with parents or carers and the pupil
• Effective communicator, regularly with updating parents/carers/schools and staff team
• Ensure if the pupil transfers to another school, all relevant information is conveyed to that school, and support a smooth transition for the pupil

What we can offer you:

• You will be part of a wider group of schools with a strong sense of moral purpose and ethical practice
• A commitment to trauma informed approaches and restorative and relational practice.
• A supportive wider staff team
• CPD opportunities and a commitment to developing professional practice.
• A commitment from Leadership to promote and support innovation.
• A school which has high aspirations and expects high standards of pupil conduct, both in school and in the local community.

Please see the JD and person specification. For further information call Joe Tousent on 0208 373 6426 or Michael McGraw on 0208 2894740 for an informal discussion about the position. Visits are also welcomed. As part of KCSIE 2025 all applicants will be subject on on-line searches. Applicants must be able to form and maintain appropriate professional relationships and boundaries with children, young people and other vulnerable adults. Applicants should have the ability to understand the difficulties and pressures associated with caring for children/vulnerable adults and demonstrate appropriate coping mechanisms. As a thriving and diverse school, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in The Hawkswood Group's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQI+ people.

The Hawkswood Group is committed to promoting the safeguarding of children. Please note that this position requires an enhanced DBS and safeguarding checks will be carried out prior to appointment. Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value. To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy