Early Years Specialist Advisory Teacher for SEND Transition (EYSAT) in England

Salary: Soulbury EIP 4-6 £48,818 to £51,694 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00. You will need to be flexible to work core hours of schools and settings.

Location: Base to be agreed but the role is countywide, working across the multiple Locality Inclusion Network Areas (LINs) within West Sussex. Note: You will be required to travel independently throughout the county, including to locations that are not always accessible by public transport. There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.

Closing date: 19 November 2026

Interview date: 23 November 2026

We have an exciting opportunity to join WSCC as an Early Years Specialist Advisory Teacher focusing on SEND transitions to school. This role sits within the Early Years and Childcare Service in the SEND and Inclusion Team, where you will collaborate and liaise with a range of professionals to support children with identified SEND in their transition from early years settings (or home) into reception class at school.

As a Specialist Advisory Teacher, you will be linked with early years settings and schools to provide practical support, advice, and guidance to enable effective inclusion and transition of learners with identified SEND. You will work closely with SEND and Inclusion Advisers, Advisory Teachers, Early Years and Childcare Advisers, and other local authority teams to provide further professional support on the delivery of positive outcomes for children. This includes working with external Early Years leaders, managers, governors, parents, and practitioners to ensure positive learning outcomes for children.

Key Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of SEND, passionate about inclusive practice and identifying innovative solutions.
• Providing supportive, sensitive challenge to early years settings and schools.
• Encouraging inclusive practice, strengthening reflective thinking, and promoting high-quality provision for all learners.
• Building the capacity, confidence, and understanding of staff to better meet the diverse developmental, social, and communication needs of children.
• Contributing to a culture where inclusion is embedded, celebrated, and continuously developed.
• Emotional resilience, integrity, and an awareness of others.
• Ability to make sound pragmatic problem-solving decisions.
• Providing comprehensive professional advice, analysing and making judgements to resolve difficult problems.
• Developing and maintaining collaborative working relationships and excellent partnership working skills.
• Challenging existing practices and identifying innovative solutions to improve learning outcomes for children.
• Forward planning, setting timescales, and meeting challenging targets and objectives.
• Excellent inclusive practice and teaching skills.
• Effective evaluation and analytical skills to monitor and review effectiveness of provision, teaching and learning.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (verbal and written).

For a full list of key skills, responsibilities, experience and qualification requirements please refer to the job description linked below.

About Us

The Education and Skills Directorate plays a crucial part in delivering the West Sussex Plan to provide our young people with the Best Start in Life. This means it is vital that every school in the county offers each and every child the education that they are entitled to, and we will do everything in our power to make that happen. This requires strong collaboration with the wider local authority agenda, particularly with Children’s Services.

The Early Years and Childcare Service brings together a range of specialist resources to support the drive for an inclusive educational culture across West Sussex Early Years Education and Childcare providers.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:

• Employer Pension Contribution: 15% (this alters per annum on the 1 April each year).
• Annual leave: 31 days holiday + Bank Holidays = 39 days.

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to QTS check, an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing, and an occupational health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.