SENDCo

SENDCO

Location: Horsham, West Sussex

Contract Type: Permanent, full-time

Hours: 40 hours per week

Salary: £31,650 - £49,084 (M1 – UPS3) depending on experience

Start Date: Summer term

Aurora Vincent House School

As part of our growth strategy, Aurora is really pleased to be opening a brand new SEND Secondary School in 2025 in the heart of Horsham, West Sussex for young neurodivergent people aged 11-16. Most of our students are coming to us from mainstream education to have access to an adapted National Curriculum delivered in small classes with a focus on meeting their sensory needs and support for their emotional wellbeing. Many of our students would have previously camouflaged at school or had freeze/faun responses or sometimes flight; Vincent House School will provide an accepting and safe, welcoming place for young people to thrive.

The Role:

This is a fulltime SENDCO role in a specialist school where you will work within a transdisciplinary model with integrated therapy and a unique universal offer, liaising closely with the onsite therapy team led by a clinical psychologist. You will lead on educational interventions and specialist assessments. The role will include training and supporting all staff to support student needs and ensure their EHCP is appropriate, resourced, evaluated and reported upon.

As SENDCO you will also be a valuable member of the senior leadership team working collaboratively to engage students and their families. You will shared responsibility for comprehensive training of all staff regardless of their role. This is an exciting and rare opportunity where you would be integral to setting up a unique SEND provision and building a bespoke curriculum with the support of Aurora.

Please note that duties will vary and you will be expected to contribute to the overall aims of Vincent House School when required. Please see the link below for our full job description:

Job Description - SENCO

Skills and Qualifications

Successful candidates are likely to demonstrate:  

• A strong understanding of the SEND code of practice
• An understanding of a range of interventions and assessments particularly in Literacy
• Enthusiasm and a growth mindset
• Ability to work independently and collaborative with a range of disciplines
• Previous successful support of neurodivergent students
• A willingness to continue their in-depth knowledge and understanding of neurodiversity
• Experience of supporting families with children and young people with SEND.

It is also preferable for candidates to have experience:

• of working in a SEND provision
• supporting students with high anxiety or experiencing mental health difficulties
• working with students aged 11-16
• in access requirements
• safeguarding duties

Candidates must:

• have either a SENCO qualification OR have SENCO experience and be willing to complete the new NPQ SENCO qualification within 2 years
• prioritise safeguarding and the holistic needs of the student
• have excellent communication skills for working with families
• be committed to becoming a neuro-informed and neuro-affirmative practitioner
• be proficient staff trainers and able to line manage and support Teaching Assistants
• have good IT skills

We offer:

• The chance to work with, and learn from, an onsite clinical team including a Clinical Psychologist as well as OT and SaLT. There are also opportunities to be involved in research that will support our students and the wider neurodivergent community in terms of specialist interventions.
• Opportunities to work collaboratively with others schools, forums, local initiatives and a wide range of external agencies.
• A rare opportunity to be part of a team creating a new school and culture that will change the lives of many young people and their families within the community
• It is an exciting time to be part of Aurora and this is a unique career opportunity to make your mark on our growing services

If you are interested, we strongly recommend you contact Liz in the new year to arrange an informal talk with the Headteacher who can explain the role fully

Benefits and Additional Information

You will also benefit from a generous package that includes:

• Life assurance
• Competitive Pension
• Perkbox - offering high street discounts
• Employee assistance programme
• Car lease scheme
• Fully funded training and qualifications
• Bike to work scheme
• Free membership to our Health cash back plan - Claim back money on services such as dental, optical, physio and many more.

How to Apply: 

Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details. If you need any assistance or would like any more information, please contact Liz in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at liz.hudson@the-aurora-group.com

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.

This advert could be paused or taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled or we receive a sufficient number of applications.

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.