Secondary Special Education Teacher

Esprit Scholen; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 40,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LB pay scale

Year-end bonus 8.33%

Holiday allowance 8%

ABP pension plan

MacBook

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Amsterdam International Community School (AICS) in Amsterdam seeks an experienced Secondary Special Education Teacher with a focus on autistic adolescents and inclusive education.

You will work with secondary students needing additional support to access learning, participate in school life, and develop independence, delivering structured, engaging lessons and reducing barriers to progress within an IB framework.

Qualifications

• Qualified teacher for secondary-aged students in the Netherlands
• Specialisation or substantial experience in special education
• Demonstrable experience teaching autistic students and diverse learning profiles
• Strong knowledge of autism-informed educational practice
• Understanding adolescent development and secondary education needs
• Ability to create structured, accessible learning environments
• Experience supporting independence, organisation and self-regulation
• Commitment to inclusive, IB-based international education
• Excellent collaboration with colleagues, families and external professionals
• Fluency in English and strong communication skills

Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver structured, engaging lessons for autistic adolescents
• Identify and reduce barriers to participation and progress
• Collaborate with subject teachers and wellbeing team to support autism-inclusive practice
• Support smooth transitions between classes and management of executive functioning
• Build calm, consistent relationships with students while maintaining professional boundaries
• Advise colleagues on autism-inclusive classroom strategies
• Engage with families and external professionals to support students' learning and participation

Skills

Special education expertise

Autism knowledge

Collaboration

Communication

English proficiency

Education

Secondary teaching qualification (NL)

Special education qualification or significant experience

Job description

Do you want to be part of an international IB school in Amsterdam where learning, belonging, and inclusion are at the heart of what we do? Are you an experienced special education teacher who is passionate about supporting autistic adolescents to participate, learn, and develop within an inclusive secondary school community? Then we invite you to apply.

About us

The Amsterdam International Community School (AICS) is a Dutch International Primary and Secondary School providing international education in English to approximately 2,400 students from more than 80 nationalities who are living in the Netherlands.

AICS is a partly state-funded community school, enabling us to provide high-quality, accessible international education. We were the first school in the Netherlands to offer the full International Baccalaureate continuum; PYP, MYP, DP, and CP, and are a fully accredited member of the Council of International Schools (CIS).

Our students value and embrace difference and diversity. We aim to support them in becoming compassionate, knowledgeable, and thoughtful young people through learning and inquiry.

AICS is guided by the core values of belonging, a possibility mindset, and learning for life. We aim to create a community in which students, staff, and parents/caregivers feel valued, approach challenges with optimism, and remain committed to continuous personal and academic development.

About the position

For our Secondary teaching and wellbeing team, we are looking for a qualified Secondary Special Education Teacher with strong experience of working with autistic adolescents and a clear commitment to inclusive education.

You will work directly with secondary-aged students who require additional support to access learning, participate successfully in school life, and develop greater independence. You will plan and deliver structured, engaging, and appropriately challenging learning and identify and reduce barriers that may affect students' participation and progress.

You understand that adolescence brings significant developmental changes and increasing expectations for independence. You can support autistic young people as they navigate the academic, social, and emotional demands of secondary school, including transitions between classes and teachers, organisation and executive functioning, peer relationships, communication, identity, self-advocacy, and preparation for greater independence.

You will also play an important role in strengthening autism-inclusive practice across our secondary school. Working collaboratively with subject teachers, and the Secondary Wellbeing Team, you will help colleagues understand students' learning profiles and develop classroom environments and teaching approaches that enable students to participate as independently and successfully as possible.

You will work closely with students, colleagues, parents/caregivers, and external professionals. Our students come from a wide range of cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds, and we are looking for someone who combines specialist expertise with curiosity, flexibility, and a strong belief in the potential of every student.

This is what you bring

You are an experienced, reflective, and collaborative special education teacher who believes that inclusion means enabling students to belong, participate, learn, and develop increasing independence within their school community.

You bring:

• A recognised teaching qualification that enables you to teach secondary-aged students in the Netherlands, together with a qualification, specialisation or substantial professional experience in special education.
• Demonstrable experience teaching and supporting secondary-aged autistic students, including students with complex and diverse learning profiles.
• Strong knowledge of autism-informed educational practice and an understanding of how autism may influence communication, executive functioning, sensory processing, emotional regulation, social interaction, and access to learning.
• A strong understanding of adolescent development and how the developmental, social, and academic demands of secondary education interact with the needs of autistic young people.
• The ability to create structured, predictable, and accessible learning environments using approaches such as explicit instruction, visual supports, scaffolding, chunking, modelling, and appropriately differentiated learning materials.
• The ability to identify barriers to learning and participation and adapt teaching approaches while maintaining ambitious, meaningful, and age‑appropriate expectations.
• Experience supporting young people to develop independence, organisation, self‑regulation, communication,and self‑advocacy skills.
• An understanding of behaviour as communication and the ability to respond calmly and constructively to students experiencing anxiety, dysregulation or difficulty engaging with learning.
• A commitment to the school’s mission to provide high-quality community‑based international learning in the form of the IB programme
• A commitment to inclusive education, including supporting students to participate meaningfully in mainstream learning and the wider life of the school wherever appropriate.
• The ability to build calm, respectful, and consistent relationships with adolescents while maintaining clear professional expectations and boundaries.
• Strong collaborative skills and the ability to work effectively with subject teachers, teaching assistants, wellbeing and learning support colleagues, parents/caregivers and external professionals.
• The confidence and expertise to advise and support colleagues in developing autism‑inclusive classroom practice.
• An understanding of, and sensitivity towards, working within a culturally and linguistically diverse international school community.
• Good command of the English language and strong communication skills.
• A reflective, flexible, and solution‑focused approach, with a commitment to your own continued professional development.
• A resilient attitude and a good sense of humour
• You excel in planning and organising engaging lessons while building and maintaining strong relationships with students, colleagues, and parents.

Experience within an IB or international school setting is an advantage but is not essential. More important to us is your specialist expertise, your understanding of adolescents, and your commitment to high‑quality inclusive international education.

We offer

• Salary in the LB pay scale, based on knowledge and experience (€3.622, to €5.520,- gross per month based on full-time employment), or a higher scale depending on experience and the responsibilities of the role.
• An end-of-year bonus of 8.33%.
• Holiday allowance of 8%.
• A good work-life balance, including school holidays.
• An excellent pension plan with ABP.
• A wide range of vitality and wellbeing benefits.
• Professional development opportunities.
• A MacBook.
• Staff outings and events.
• The opportunity to contribute to the continued development inclusive secondary education within an international IB school.

We offer a temporary contract for 0.6-0.8 FTE, with the prospect of a permanent position after one year based on proven suitability.

The position is based at our South East Campus.

Are you interested?

In your motivation letter, we would particularly like to hear about your experience of working with autistic adolescents and how you have supported young people to access learning, develop independence,and participate successfully in a secondary school community.

For questions about the vacancy, please contact [e-mail].

Please apply by Friday, 11 September 2026.

Do you have Esprit?

AICS is one of the 15 Esprit schools. At Esprit Schools, we offer innovative education and challenge ourselves to do things differently. We want to explore the world of education beyond traditional boxes and categories, ultimately aiming for learning beyond boundaries.

For that, we need you. Your ideas. Your energy. Your Esprit.

Child safety

The Amsterdam International Community School is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students and staff. Reference checks for serious candidates will include child protection and safeguarding verification. A police clearance certificate for previous countries of employment and a Verklaring Omtrent Gedrag (VOG) are required for all staff.

Internal candidates are given priority. Acquisition regarding this vacancy is not appreciated.