SEND Administration Manager

We are looking for an experienced administrator to support the smooth and efficient operation of the Special Educational Needs provision for our students.

There is a great deal of collaborative working and sharing of good ideas and what works within secondary at Harris. The successful candidate will be joining a friendly and outward looking group where professional development and progression opportunities are second to none.

About Us

We believe that a happy and settled staff body helps drive the very best performance from our students. We are committed to a high-quality professional development programme and can draw on expertise from across the Harris Federation. As a HASU member of staff at any level you will receive the training and support that you need to carry out your role effectively and develop at a pace that suits you.

We are committed to ensuring that our staff have the right level of balance between work and home life. Our policies and procedures are aimed at allowing our teaching staff to spend as much time as possible planning and delivering lessons.

We work in an award-winning building with excellent facilities. Our thriving staff association ensures all new members of staff soon feel part of the HASU community.

We run a broad and diverse curriculum to a fully comprehensive intake of students.

Our focus on the core value of Integrity means that our behaviour is excellent, with staff supported by a strong and highly visible Academy Leadership Group. Detentions are run centrally, allowing teaching staff to do what they do best: plan and teach amazing lessons.

Attendance and engagement with learning is high, and centrally planned tutor time resources ensure that our tutors can engage with students whilst delivering high-quality experiences.

We are located in Sutton, with good public transport and road links. Central London (Clapham, Victoria) is 25 minutes away. We are on the Surrey border so journeys do not take long in fact journeys from Kent only take just over 30 minutes by car. We have safe and secure onsite parking with electric charging points.

Main Areas of Responsibility

This role will involve providing an administrative service to the SENDCo and SEND team, including:

• Supporting the SENDCo in maintaining a high standard of record keeping for all pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
• Producing accurate agendas and minutes from all meetings relating to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
• Supporting and diarising the provision for EHCP review processes
• Developing and managing the SEND filing system (including emails, record of telephone conversations), including the archiving, retrieval and disposing of SEND information as appropriate
• Liaising with primary/feeder schools and external services ensuring that all SEND information is received
• Forwarding SEND information to transfer schools
• Communicating on behalf of the SENDCo with key members of staff and outside agencies to ensure pupils with special educational needs and disabilities receive excellent levels of care and support
• Communicating on behalf of the SENDCo with parents of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
• Supporting the SENDCo in managing the process of assessment and testing for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
• Supporting the SENDCo in managing all aspects of record keeping in relation to pupils' access arrangements
• Supporting the SENDCo in maintaining timetables and rotas for teaching assistants
• Responding to email, telephone and other queries as necessary
• Undertaking general office duties such as photocopying and refreshments

Qualifications & Experience

You will need to have experience of working in busy and complex environments and be able to manage data and spreadsheet work effectively. A working knowledge of schools is desirable, and the ability to learn quickly and react well to changing environments is key. You will be working closely with the Academy SENDCo and liaising with other members of the SEND team including Teaching Assistants, our ELSA specialist and other members of teaching and associate staff.

A key part of this role is outward-facing, and you will need the empathy and sensitivity that is necessary when speaking to families of children with complex needs, as well as a robust understanding of Academy policy and student needs when communicating with external agencies.

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.