Speech & Language Therapist in Gillingham

Danecourt Primary School is hiring for a Speech and Language Therapy role that is as unique as the pupils you'll support.

Hours: 35 hours per week, 4 days a week full time or 5 days a week, term time (39 weeks per year).

Are you a passionate, experienced Speech and Language Therapist looking to make a real difference in a setting where your expertise will be valued and your impact visible every single day? Danecourt School offers a truly unique opportunity to work with pupils with special educational needs in a nurturing, inclusive, and therapeutic environment.

Main duties of the job:

This is a fantastic opportunity for a Speech and Language Therapist who is developing a specialism in supporting children with complex learning needs. At Danecourt, you'll join a team committed to helping every child communicate, learn, and thrive.

You’ll work alongside our Occupational Therapist, Behavioural Specialist, and Therapies Assistant, delivering integrated support within our primary-aged special school. You’ll also collaborate closely with NHS therapists and our skilled teaching teams to ensure communication strategies are embedded across the school day.

Here’s what you’ll be doing:

• Deliver targeted, specialist, and universal interventions to meet a wide range of communication needs.
• Using AAC: Implement low, lite, and high-tech AAC, as part of a Total (inclusive) Communication approach tailored to individual pupils.
• Provide support for a small but growing number of pupils with assessed/known feeding difficulties (basic dysphagia training is essential).
• Collaborate with families, teachers, and external professionals to develop and maintain consistent communication support.
• Deliver engaging and practical training for parents, class teams, and whole-school staff.
• Provide reports and input into annual reviews and SEND planning.

Professional Support and Supervision: You'll receive regular supervision and support from our Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

About us:

Danecourt Special School is part of the Maritime Multi-Academy Trust, an innovative partnership of schools in Greenwich, Bexley, Kent and Medway. Our schools transform through collaboration and an entrepreneurial curriculum which equips children with life skills.

We are a special school catering for primary aged children who have special educational needs. The children who attend Danecourt have a wide breadth of needs including complex learning difficulties and autism.

At Danecourt, our mission is to support all pupils to become STARS - S - Self reliant, T - Team Players, A - Aspirational, R - Resilient, S - Successful. This is facilitated through pupils receiving a personalised curriculum that is tailored to meet their individual specific needs.

The highly trained staff team maintain high expectations of what each individual pupil is able to achieve, striving to ensure that they all reach their maximum potential; celebrating difference and encouraging curiosity and creativity. Staff work collaboratively with families/carers and a range of other agencies in order to meet the pupils' needs and as a result, pupils make strong progress academically, emotionally and socially. Pupil achievement is hugely valued and celebrated in a manner that is meaningful and appropriate for each pupil.

Job responsibilities:

• Empowering Pupils: Deliver targeted, specialist, and universal interventions to meet a wide range of communication needs.
• Using AAC: Implement low, lite, and high-tech AAC, as part of a Total (inclusive) Communication approach tailored to individual pupils.
• Supporting Dysphagia Needs: Provide support for a small but growing number of pupils with assessed/known feeding difficulties (basic dysphagia training is essential).
• Working Across Teams: Collaborate with families, teachers, and external professionals to develop and maintain consistent communication support.
• Training Others: Deliver engaging and practical training for parents, class teams, and whole-school staff.
• Contributing to EHCPs: Provide reports and input into annual reviews and SEND planning.

Professional Support and Supervision: You’ll receive regular supervision and support from our Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.

Person Specification:

Experience:

What We're Looking For: We're seeking a proactive, experienced, and compassionate therapist who is:

• Qualified and HCPC-Registered.
• Experienced in SEND, with confidence in working with children with complex needs.
• AAC Confident, with skills in implementing a range of tools and approaches.
• Dysphagia-trained (basic level essential).
• A Strong Communicator, able to work collaboratively and compassionately with pupils, families, and colleagues.
• Driven by Outcomes, and aspirational in your approach to helping children achieve their fullest potential.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Salary: £38,221 to £48,227 a year, Medway PO1 (27-37) + SEN Allowance.