Assistant Head Teacher - Special Educational Needs Lead (SENCo)

Keir Hardie Primary School                                          

Address: 13 Robertson Road, Canning town London E16 1FZ

Telephone: 0207 476 1284

Email:recruitment@keirhardie.newham.sch.uk

Assistant Head Teacher - Special Educational Needs Lead (SENCo)

Leadership Pay Scale L6 - L10

(£62,304 - £67,880)

Required As soon as possible. 

At Keir Hardie we aim to inspire our children to achieve excellence. We expect children to be Motivated in their learning, display a positive Attitude at all times, show Gumption when faced with obstacles, demonstrate Independent thinking and always Communicate effectively. We call these our MAGIC habits.

Keir Hardie Primary school is looking to appoint an excellent leader to join our team as SENDCo and Assistant Head Teacher for Inclusion. We are looking for an ambitious leader, who can drive strategic focus areas as well as contribute to the day to day running of the school through building strong relationships with pupils, parents, staff and external agencies. The successful candidate will lead our successful and dedicated team and contribute to the senior leadership of our school. 

We are looking for someone with the passion, drive and expertise to ensure that our pupils are given the best opportunities to maximise their development and to reach their full potential. This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate with an interest in inclusion combined with excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills, to join a thriving, outstanding school and share in our mission to prepare children for the best possible life.

You would be responsible for our SEND model and the quality of provision for all pupils on the SEND register, ensuring that all pupils are able to engage effectively in school life and learning, whatever their needs, and, where appropriate, make rapid progress from their starting points.

As an excellent classroom practitioner, you will support quality first, inclusive teaching. You will have the skills and knowledge to implement an effective graduated response and ensure that high quality target setting is implemented within planning and teaching. You will have a good understanding of the SEND Code of practice, assessment processes and how to obtain and manage funding. You will ensure our school continues to benefit from and contributes to local and regional networks, disseminating guidance and training. You should be organised, IT efficient and passionate about improving outcomes for our vulnerable children, 

Previous experience of the role within a primary setting is essential. 

We would expect the successful candidate to have completed the National award for SENCO accreditation.

We are looking for a candidate who will:

• Be committed to raising standards for all pupils.
• Have an excellent record of classroom practice and high expectations of all pupils in our inclusive school
• Have excellent leadership qualities and vision to build on our successes to date that include the Inclusion Flagship Accreditation 
• Be responsible for day-to-day operation of the SEN and Inclusion policy and coordination of specific provision to support individual pupils with SEN or a disability
• Have sound knowledge of the SEND code of Practice 
• Lead by example and inspire, motivate, challenge and support an enthusiastic team of support staff
• Have experience of strategic planning and of school self-review.
• Be committed to and champion inclusion for all children.
• Have a commitment to delivering and receiving professional development
• Present forward thinking ideas to SLT ensuring initiatives to improve whole school development
• Be reflective on their practice and lead by example.
• Have proven experience of analysis and the use of data to monitor the impact of interventions 
• To demonstrate the highest expectations to staff and learners and be committed to the wellbeing and welfare of pupils and staff.
• Monitor the progress of pupils throughout the year, identifying gaps and any underachievement 
• Be a key point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority (LA)
• Work with the headteacher/deputy headteacher and governors to ensure the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 in terms of reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
• Make referrals and liaise with professionals outside of the school - this could include psychologists, health and social care providers, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.
• Oversee the provision of pupils with EHCP
• Review school SEND policy, regularly and oversee the day by day operation of the policy, and LA policy.
• Have a commitment to and successful experience of developing the achievement and progress of children with Special Educational Needs
• Have a good knowledge of the SEN Code of Practice, its application within schools and interventions for a range of SEN
• Have experience of working with external partners, relevant agencies and parents to effectively support and improve outcomes for vulnerable pupils and families
• Have experience of leading Safeguarding including liaison with outside agencies
• Keep SLT and governors informed on the progress of SEND pupils 
• Attend SEND network meetings and play an active role in IQM network meetings 
• Maintain accurate pupils records for pupils and ensure information is updated and accurate 

We would welcome applications from experienced and ambitious teachers and leaders who want to make a significant contribution to the provision and outcomes for our vulnerable pupils and who would be willing to develop their leadership skills in monitoring, tracking and reporting on progress and attainment in this area of school performance.

An informal visit to the school is strongly encouraged. Please contact the school on: 020 7476 1284 to arrange an appointment with the Head Teacher.

Interviews: Week beginning 6th January 2025

Interviews will be on a rolling basis. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.