Functional Skills and Ignite Class Teacher in Crewe

Functional Skills and Ignite Class Teacher (The Axis Academy)

Location: The Axis Academy, Lodgefields Drive, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 8TU, UK

Salary: M1 to M6 (Consideration to U1 for an exceptional candidate)

Contract Type: Permanent

Education Phases: Through School;

Job Roles: Teacher;

Working Patterns: Full-Time;

Key Stagess: Ks4, Ks5;

Application Deadline: Friday, 9th October 2026

Expected Working Start Date: 4th January 2027

Is a Shared Job: Yes

About us

“Wedo things differently here.”

AtAxis, everything we do is rooted in relationships, understanding need, andrefusing to give up on young people for whom education has not yet worked.Guided by the YES Trust values, we are child-centred, relational and adaptiveto need.

Igniteis our alternative KS4 pathway. It provides a personalised and flexiblecurriculum for learners who need a different route to success, combiningFunctional Skills, wider curriculum learning, life skills, personal developmentand purposeful offsite activities. The postholder will also deliver FunctionalSkills to KS5 learners, helping young people build confidence, independence andreadiness for adulthood.

Weare seeking a creative, resilient and values-driven teacher who can deliverFunctional Skills across English, Maths and Science, while leading engaginglearning across the wider Ignite curriculum. The successful candidate willcombine strong teaching with authentic relationships, high expectations and aclear understanding of SEMH, SEND and trauma-informed practice.

Job Description

TheFunctional Skills and Ignite Class Teacher will plan, deliver and assess ahigh-quality alternative curriculum for pupils within the Ignite KS4 pathwayand KS5 provision. The role has two connected strands: the delivery ofFunctional Skills across English, Maths and Science, and the delivery of thewider Ignite curriculum, including life skills, preparation for adulthood andoffsite learning.

Thepostholder will be an adaptive classroom practitioner who makes learningpractical, meaningful and accessible. They will use pupils’ starting points,EHCP outcomes, aspirations and identified barriers to shape provision,supporting learners to re-engage with education and make purposeful academic,social and personal progress.

Workingclosely with teaching assistants, pastoral colleagues, therapists, families andexternal partners, the teacher will provide a safe, structured and aspirationallearning environment and contribute to the continued development of Ignite as adistinctive, high-quality pathway.

Key Responsibilities

Functional SkillsTeaching and Assessment

• Plan and deliver engaging Functional Skills teaching in English, Maths andScience for KS4 and KS5 learners.
• Use assessment information and individual starting points to identify gaps,plan next steps and demonstrate meaningful progress over time.
• Prepare pupils for relevant Functional Skills, Entry Level and otherappropriate accreditation pathways, in line with each learner’s needs andintended destination.
• Teach core knowledge and skills through practical, real-life contexts thatimprove confidence, independence and transfer of learning.
• Provide timely, constructive feedback and maintain accurate records ofattainment, progress and intervention.
• Work with curriculum and exams colleagues to support appropriate entries,evidence requirements and access arrangements.
• Lead the day-to-day teaching of an Ignite class, creating a consistent,purposeful and nurturing learning environment.
• Plan and deliver the wider Ignite curriculum, balancing academic learning,personal development, employability, enrichment and preparation for adulthood.
• Oversee delivery of practical life skills sessions that develop communication,self-advocacy, problem-solving, personal responsibility and independence
• Design learning that reflects pupils’ interests, aspirations, EHCP outcomes andnext-step destinations.
• Contribute to the ongoing development, sequencing and evaluation of the Ignitecurriculum.
• Ensure learning is ambitious, accessible and appropriately adapted withoutlowering expectations.

Offsite Learning andCommunity Engagement

• Plan and lead purposeful offsite activities that extend the curriculum and helppupils apply learning in authentic settings.
• Ensure offsite learning has clear educational outcomes linked to life skills,community participation, employability, independence or personal development.
• Complete required planning, risk assessment and safeguarding procedures foreducational visits in line with school and Trust expectations.
• Build positive links with community organisations, training providers,employers and other partners where these enhance pupils’ learning and nextsteps.
• Support pupils to develop safe, respectful and increasingly independentparticipation in the wider community.

SEMH, SEND andTrauma-Informed Practice

• Embed PACE: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy, within everydayteaching and interactions.
• Use trauma-informed, relational and attachment-aware approaches to supportregulation, engagement and readiness to learn.
• Adapt teaching, resources, routines and the learning environment in response topupils’ communication, sensory, cognitive and emotional needs.
• Understand behaviour as communication while maintaining clear, safe andconsistent boundaries.
• Promote pupils’ dignity, voice, wellbeing and sense of belonging.

Class Leadership,Relationships and Pastoral Contribution

• Build strong, trusting and consistent relationships with pupils who may haveexperienced disruption, exclusion or low confidence in education.
• Provide clear routines, high expectations and calm, emotionally availableteaching.
• Direct and support classroom staff effectively so that roles, interventions andapproaches are well coordinated.
• Contribute to pastoral planning and work collaboratively to remove barriers toattendance, engagement and progress.
• Communicate positively and professionally with families, sharing progress,successes and areas for development.

Planning, Review andProfessional Practice

• Contribute to annual reviews, EHCP planning, Personal Education Plans whererelevant, provision mapping and destination planning.
• Participate in curriculum review, moderation, quality assurance and schoolimprovement activity.
• Engage fully in professional development, supervision and reflective practice,particularly in relation to SEMH, SEND, Functional Skills and alternativecurriculum design.
• Work collaboratively across Axis Academy and the YES Trust, sharing effectivepractice and contributing to a one-team culture.
• Undertake the professional duties of a teacher in line with the SchoolTeachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, Teachers’ Standards and reasonabledirection from the Headteacher.

Safeguarding

• Uphold safeguarding responsibilities and promote the wellbeing, safety anddignity of all pupils at all times.
• Follow school and Trust policies for safeguarding, child protection, health andsafety, educational visits, behaviour and information sharing.
• Record and report concerns promptly, maintaining professional curiosity andappropriate confidentiality.
• Contribute to a culture in which pupils feel heard, understood and safe to seekhelp.

• Very small class sizes and strong classroom support.
• Access to training and CPD, including further professional qualifications andspecialist training where required.
• Cyclest to Work scheme, free parking and charging stations on most sites.
• Free lunch at school.
• Perkbox vouchers, discounts and wellbeing benefits.
• A flexible and supportive approach to work.

Desired Criteria

• Currentexperience of delivering Functional Skills or Entry Level qualifications in oneor more of English, Maths and Science.
• Experience teaching across more than one core subject.
• Experience within a special school, SEMH setting, alternative provision orpost-16 SEND provision.
• SEND-specific, trauma-informed, PACE, attachment-aware or educational visitstraining.
• Experience of preparation for adulthood, employability, life skills orcommunity-based curriculum planning.
• Experience working with external providers, employers or communityorganisations to support learner pathways.
• An innovative mindset and willingness to challenge traditional approaches toteaching and learning.

Qualificationsand Professional Status

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or an equivalent recognised teachingqualification.
• Experience of teaching learners within secondary, post-16, specialist oralternative curriculum provision.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development in Functional Skills, SEMH, SENDand trauma-informed practice.

Teaching,Curriculum and Assessment

• Ability to teach Functional Skills across English, Maths and Science, includingadapting subject content for learners working at different levels.
• Understanding of Functional Skills, Entry Level or other appropriatealternative accreditation routes.
• Ability to use assessment accurately to establish starting points, identifygaps and plan sequenced learning.
• Ability to design practical, engaging learning linked to real-life application,independence and preparation for adulthood.
• Confidence in delivering small-group teaching and personalised intervention.
• Ability to plan and lead safe, purposeful offsite learning.

SEMH,SEND and Relationships

• Experience of adapting teaching for pupils with SEMH and/or SEND, significantgaps in learning, low confidence or disrupted educational experiences.
• Strong understanding of relational, trauma-informed and emotionally availableteaching.
• Ability to remain calm, reflective and consistent when supporting pupilsexperiencing dysregulation.
• Ability to build trusting relationships while maintaining clear expectationsand professional boundaries.

PersonalAttributes and Values

• Strong alignment with YES Trust values and Axis Academy’s child-centred,relational and adaptive ethos.
• Commitment to Axis Academy’s principle: “We do things differently here.”
• Flexible, creative, solution-focused and emotionally intelligent.
• High expectations balanced with compassion, patience and understanding.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting pupil wellbeing.
• Willingness and ability to participate in offsite activities andcommunity-based learning, with reasonable adjustments where required.