SENDCo

Permanent role - Full Time - 35 Hours (part time hours considered for the right candidate). Deadline for applications: Midnight, Sunday 28th June. Salary £33-36k depending on experience.

We’re looking for a passionate, knowledgeable and innovative SEND professional to empower every student in our school to meet their full potential. At York Steiner School, we believe that every child is unique, and to deliver the right education for them, we must be able to adapt our teaching and support to meet their needs. We want a collaborative and confident SENDCo, to help our school go beyond ‘good’ and work with our incredible teaching and learning support teams to deliver an inclusive learning environment that is true to our Steiner Waldorf pedagogy.

Role: Reporting to the Headteacher, with responsibility for leading the school’s SEND provision, to ensure this is of the highest quality and reflects our vision of an inclusive school, where all children are supported to thrive and achieve their full potential. Provide professional guidance to staff and parents and liaise with external agencies. Provide and coordinate support for children with SEND. Support and advise staff on appropriate resources and techniques to adopt to ensure children with SEND receive high quality inclusive teaching.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver learning support to a range of children.
• Ensure each child has the right environment to learn, depending on their own needs.
• Support teachers to develop and implement effective and inclusive teaching and behaviour management approaches in the classroom, including supporting children in the class, as needed.
• Understand and support Steiner Waldorf pedagogy and work within this approach to ensure all children have access to learning.
• Develop learning resources to help with pupils’ development.
• In collaboration with the class teachers, carry out four-part cycle assessments of pupils with SEND - Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) to identify needs and monitor progress - including observations in the classroom and meetings with teachers and parents.
• In collaboration with class teachers, work with pupils, learning support assistants (LSAs), the school leadership team, parents and relevant external agencies to develop, implement and monitor individual support/learning plans.
• Meet with teachers, parents and external agencies to develop and review support plans.
• Ensure LSAs are allocated appropriately across the school.
• Develop, submit and chair annual reviews for EHCPs, providing parents, the LEA and other relevant agencies with updates on the pupils’ progression.
• Make Early Help referrals and monitor the progress of these.
• Make referrals and liaise with professionals outside of the school within local authorities and health care services, including psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.
• Develop and maintain systems for keeping pupil records, ensuring information is accurate and up to date, including an accurate SEND register.
• Work with the admissions officer to gain information about new pupils to ensure we can meet their needs.
• Take on the role of a Deputy Safeguarding Lead, analysing incidents and attending regular safeguarding meetings.
• Monitor exclusions, supporting pupils’ reintegration into the school as appropriate.
• Working closely with the school leadership team, evaluate whether our school can meet the needs of a child.
• Periodically review the school’s SEND Policy, ensuring that all policies and procedures relating to SEND are in line with the latest national and local mandatory SEND policies and regulations.
• Oversee the implementation of the school's SEND action plan and policy, cascading any changes and relevant information to colleagues.
• Prepare and lead SEND training for Teachers and LSAs, on supporting pupils with SEND and mental health/wellbeing needs.
• Develop and oversee the implementation of the school's mental health action plan and policy.
• Line manage and performance manage the learning support assistant team.
• Manage, review and advise on the school SEND budget and resources for SEND provision, including ensuring the EHCP top-up funding is allocated correctly.
• Implement access arrangements for statutory examinations including relevant assessments and paperwork.
• Report to the Board of Trustees on School SEND data, drawing on local and national data where relevant.

Additional Responsibilities

• Member of the Senior Leadership Group, which meet weekly after school hours.
• Participate in staff training days/sessions - leading training relating to SEND.
• Comply with all school policies and procedures, especially safeguarding, health & safety and IT policy.
• Participate in break-time supervision and any other reasonable management instructions.

Statutory Requirements

• Responsibility for electronic record keeping to meet both statutory and school requirements e.g. school management systems, safeguarding systems.
• Follow the school’s behaviour policy when interacting with children.
• Ensure all safeguarding concerns are recorded in accordance with the school’s safeguarding policy.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Degree level qualification.
• NASENCO or NPQSENCO.
• QTS and at least five years’ teaching experience, preferably in primary schools.
• Experience working with a range of children with SEND.
• IT skills including Microsoft Office and G suite.
• An understanding of Steiner Waldorf education and the ethos of York Steiner School or a willingness to learn.
• Knowledge and experience of different learning profiles, including learning difficulties and disabilities, which are classified as SEND.
• A sound knowledge of phonics.
• Trained in the Soundswrite phonics programme or equivalent (if not Soundswrite then this training will be provided).

Desirable

• Experience of chairing annual reviews for EHCPs.
• Expertise and experience in adaptive teaching.
• Knowledge of Universal Design for Learning techniques to support in class inclusion.
• Access arrangement experience.

Personal Qualities

• Professional, positive, friendly and approachable.
• Ability to relate to and inspire children.
• Ability to work cooperatively as part of a team and on your own.
• A commitment to inclusive education.
• A commitment to collaborative working.
• A commitment to Steiner Waldorf education and to the school and a desire to become part of the school community.
• Excellent interpersonal skills dealing with children, staff, parents and external agencies.
• Responsible, self-motivated, proactive and adaptable (in the context of a small school).
• Demonstrate resilience and a sense of humour in times of pressure.