SENCo

St Columba's is a Catholic comprehensive school for boys aged 11 – 16 in the London Borough of Bexley. The school’s ethos and vision are that every member of our school community is a unique and special creation of God. We are proud to be part of South East London Catholic Academy Trust (SELCAT), which operates ten schools across the Diocese of Southwark and whose vision is to create an environment where all children will be empowered, inspired and flourish. 

St Columba's most recent full Ofsted inspection judged the school to be a Good school and said that the values we hold ‘…are evident in the safe and welcoming community the school has become.’ They also said that ‘Warm and positive relationships are a strong feature.’ and this includes the parent body who when questioned by Ofsted ‘…are extremely positive about the school’ and ‘Virtually all respondents would recommend (the school) to other parents.’

The St Columba’s School Vision places inclusivity at the heart of our school. We are proud to have two Resourced Provisions within our school catering for thirty students whose needs would otherwise not be met in a mainstream school.

We are looking to appoint an outstanding SENDCo to support the strategic direction and development of our SEN provision to support our young men. We will expect you to help our students achieve academically and personally. There is the opportunity to make a big impact on standards of student attainment through your fresh ideas, motivational skills and keen focus on improvement. 

We are seeking a practitioner with a SENDCo qualification or willingness to work towards this, in addition to a degree and a teaching qualification. You will need to draw on experience of raising educational standards in a leadership role (curriculum and/or pastoral experience is essential). You will also bring a real energy and dynamism to the role, alongside genuine determination that children with SEND should be educated to a high standard and make at least the same progress as their peers.

The successful candidate will have a limited teaching timetable which will enable them to demonstrate the best classroom techniques and to build strong relationships with our students.

St Columba's makes staff development a priority; many staff have taken advantage of opportunities with NPQs in recent years backed by a supportive professional network in the school and opportunities within the SELCAT network.

St Columba’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Offers of employment are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure and other employment checks. The school is committed to equality and diversity in employment practice and service delivery.

The successful candidate will be required to also complete the CES Application Form.

Early applications are encouraged and we reserve the right to interview ahead of the closing date.

Closing Date: Midday Tuesday 15 October 2024

Interview Date: w/c Monday 21 October 2024