Early Years & Key Stage 1 – Special Needs Teacher

Class Teacher

Salary: Dependent upon experience and qualifications

Protective Ethos
Child & Young People Protection and Safety Spring Common Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to actively share this commitment. All staff are required to promote a school team protective ethos and record all concerns about a child’s safety and welfare using the electronic recording system and notify the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) promptly. All staff will follow local safeguarding board inter-agency procedures (www.cambslscb.org.uk) and attend meetings/training as required by the Head Teacher.

Can you inspire and make a difference?

This is an exciting opportunity for a teacher with energy and enthusiasm to join a successful team. Pupils will have a wide range of special needs and disabilities and the school has specialist teachers. We will ensure that the class has appropriate support of teaching assistants according to pupil needs.

Support is always there to help:

You will be supported by a senior management team that includes: Head Teacher, Deputy Head, Assistant Heads, Managers for Literacy, Maths, Communication & Interaction, and Post 16.

Being adaptable:
You should be aware that the school reserves the right for flexibility in the interests of the efficient use of resources for staff so this means we could ask you to move to different age groups in the school. This is usual in special schools.

Defined staff structure:
We support our teachers well to make a difference with our children and young people. The school has a staff structure of three HLTAs, Lead Class Teaching Assistants for each class at level 3 and Lead Specialist Teaching Assistants at Level 3 directed by teachers to support children with a range of special education needs. This post will be important to secure continuity of learning plans and therapy programmes for our pupils in school and link to the work in the PMLD/Complex needs and Autism bases.

Working with multi – agency teams:
It will be an important part of the role to plan the implementation of therapy or multi–professional advice with other staff and to make sure the objectives detailed in Education Health Care Plans are achieved.
Working with parents and carers:
It is anticipated that the successful candidate will develop close links with parents and carers and multi–agency professionals.

Structuring learning:
An understanding of Assessment for Learning for pupils is important in order to track progress and plan future Learning opportunities in a Special School environment. The Deputy Head is able to coach and arrange mentoring of a good candidate without this level of expertise.

Induction programme:
We wish to assure you that the school is prepared to support a Candidate with mentoring and coaching to achieve outstanding standards of teaching and learning. The school had an outstanding Ofsted report which is available on the Academy or Ofsted website. We are very ambitious about creating a centre of excellence for our children. If this sounds like you – then this post could be an important stepping stone in your career development.

General teaching duties:
Our Academy adopted pay and conditions for Teachers. The general duties for teachers are described in the ‘Teachers Pay and Conditions Document’, Teacher standards and Appraisal and Capability for teachers.

1. Promoting the learning and teaching of pupils, having due regard to individual needs of pupils, including National Curriculum
expectations, P Scales and all policies agreed by the Governing Body.

2. To share in the corporate responsibility for behaviour and safeguarding by following safeguarding policy and procedures for
child protection, well being and discipline of all pupils. All staff share responsibility for promotion of a protective and secure environment
for all our children. Preparedness to positively support children with challenging behaviours and to gain positive outcomes is an
expectation within a team.

3. To actively promote the agreed aims and values of the school and through personal example reflect and develop the ethos of
inclusion, development of achievement and our caring values at Spring Common Academy

4. Plan termly targets and schemes of work for your class and for unique individuals and evaluate their effectiveness for the Head
Teacher. Prepare IEP and EHCP outcome expectations.

5. Develop class based curriculum resources through curriculum coordinators budgets and follow purchasing procedures for financial
audit.

6. Keep all forms of record keeping and assessment files up to date and accessible to senior managers.

7. Attend and realise the importance of your contribution in meetings as requested e.g. staff meetings, case conferences, parents
evenings and school based in-service training.

8. Attend in-service training to develop the SEN specialist teacher role.

9. Cover classes for absent colleagues in any class as requested.

10.Carry out supervision duties at any time as requested during the school day, e.g. monitoring break, arrival and departure of pupils or
to maintain safety in case of staff absence.

11.To complete risk assessment and procedures using online reporting using Evolve prior to educational visits.

12.To follow school procedures as a budget holder and conform with Spring Common Academy purchasing procedures.

To whom responsible: Head Teacher

Person Specification:

Qualifications and Training

 Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
 Evidence of further professional study in SEN is desirable.
 The willingness to undertake additional training to develop SEN specialist skills and expertise is essential for our school.
 Evidence of good or outstanding performance with teaching and learning through monitoring or performance reviews. The school
requests a copy of recent lesson observations.

Experience

 Teaching pupils with a range of needs and taking into account medical and care needs. However, we would be very willing to train a suitable candidate.
 Working in partnership with parents and carers.
 Flexibility and personal skills to work in liaison with other agencies is desirable.
 Interpersonal skills to work in a team and meeting agreed outcomes is essential.

Knowledge and Skills

 Ability to teach Literacy, Numeracy at Early Years or Primary stage.
 Commitment to functional approach to integrate Literacy, Maths and ICT into lesson design.
 Ability to teach and offer a main National Curriculum subject.
 Ability to listen and respond to the of parents and carers to and engage them in learning process. 
 Personal ICT capability.
 Assessment and recording in relation to P Scales (Although training is readily available).
 Ability to safeguard children maintain safety. To develop risk assessments and health and safety planning.
(Training is available).
 Ability to contribute towards training of Teaching Assistants working in the classroom.

Personal Qualities

 Flexibility and resilience
 Patience and adaptability
 Team working skills
 Willingness to continue your professional development
 Excellent communication skills
 Keen eye for detail in relation to care standards and health & safety to ensure protocols with Health are maintained.
 Commitment to Equalities Act 2010,equal opportunities and inclusion of children.
 Ability to listen and be receptive to new ideas to gain best practice.

Essential

Degree
QTS status
Personal skills to work as part of a team
Patience and personal resilience
Strives towards outstanding teaching and
learning.

Desirable

1. Willingness to undertake additional
training to gain a specialist qualification in
special education needs including: PMLD,
Autistic Spectrum Condition, NPQ, SEN Code
of Practice and knowledge of disability
discrimination.
2. Outreach and Inclusion interest or
experience.