SENCO

Location: Barnet, London — a five minute walk from High Barnet tube station

Start: September 2019

Opportunity for an exceptional candidate to be a founding middle leader, shaping a brand new ARK secondary school in Barnet

Next September, Ark Pioneer, a non-selective secondary school, will open the doors to our brand new building in Barnet and welcome in our first year 7. By the time they reach year 13, we’ll have over a thousand pupils. We will deliver a standard of education matching the very best schools in the country. Our vision is that every pupil leaves Ark Pioneer with real options, be it embarking on the university course of their choice or starting out in their chosen career.

We are recruiting a founding team of exceptional staff to achieve our vision and work together to create a genuinely outstanding school. The SENCO will shape our inclusion department and recruit and develop an exceptional pupil support team.

We will consider candidates who have not worked previously as a SENCo if they have experience working successfully to support pupils with special education needs. If the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinator has not yet been attained, we will fund and support its completion in our first year.

The successful candidate will grow with our school: we will develop you, providing one-to-one support, coaching and access to extensive network training. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate on network-wide projects.

The ideal candidate will

·         Have a strong academic background, with good A Levels or equivalent, and a good degree

·         Have the commitment, skills and character required to build a successful department

·         Share the Ark Pioneer vision and be aligned with the six pillars underpinning it

·         Value and support practices driving continued progress across the network of Ark schools

Please submit your application by midnight on Wednesday 30^th January. For further information, a confidential discussion or any technical queries please contact Aishling Ryan, the principal, at aishling.ryan@arkonline.org

Job Description and Person Specification.pdf
Ark Pioneer Academy Vision.pdf  

Closing Date: Wednesday 30^th January

Interviews: Wednesday 13^th February

Salary: ARK MPS £28,286 - £39,937 / UPS £41,925 - £45,086 plus TLR 1a-1d

Contract: Full-time hours, permanent contract

We value diversity and are committed to safeguarding and promoting child welfare. The successful candidate will be subject to DBS and any other relevant employment checks.

Job Description: SENCO

Reports to:   Vice Principal / Assistant Principal

Start date:    September 2019

Salary: ARK MPS £28,286 - £39,937 / UPS £41,925 - £45,086 plus TLR 1a – 1d

The Role

As SENCo, you will be responsible for cultivating an inclusive learning environment throughout Ark Pioneer. You will develop the graduated response at a whole school level, to support pupils with particular learning needs and lead staff in best practice, enabling every Ark Pioneer pupil to achieve their potential.

Key Responsibilities

·         Lead on the strategic direction and development of the school offer for SEND pupils

·         Embed the graduated response for literacy, numeracy, language and communication, SEMH and EAL at a whole school level

·         Monitor and evaluate the teaching provision for and progress of pupils with SEND

·         Liaise with external agencies and coordinate provision of necessary specialist support for pupils

·         Identify the training needs of staff and coordinate relevant training as required

Inclusion

·         Maintain a clear, up-to-date SEND register

·         Implement effective and efficient SEND administration, including provision mapping and any information sharing proformas

·         Plan the provision for pupils with an EHCP, a statement of special needs or requiring school based support and review termly with a view to apply for an EHCP if needed

·         Ensure there is early identification of pupils’ additional needs

·         Identify evidence-based interventions that are matched to pupils’ needs and ensure that these are measurable, time-limited and all staff delivering them are trained thoroughly

·         Facilitate and coordinate multi-agency input and specialist support such as Speech and Language Therapy, Educational Psychology, Autism Outreach Services and Sensory Impairment Services

·         Ensure all staff are aware of the needs of each SEND pupil and are trained in how to meet them

·         Build relationships with pupils’ previous settings to create transition plans that facilitate continuity of support and learning

·         Communicate regularly with parents, ensuring they are aware of the support provided for each pupil and are involved in setting targets for improvement

·         Feed into the annual Academy Development Plan and School Evaluation as needed

Line Management

·         Line manage the Inclusion Team and participate in the staff recruitment process

Teaching Responsibilities

·         Set high expectations so that all pupils are inspired, motivated and challenged to reach their full potential

·         Create a positive climate for learning, by explicitly teaching lesson routines and applying behaviour systems consistently and fairly

·         Plan and teach well-structured, differentiated lessons which allow adequate time to embed new knowledge, understanding and skills

·         Nurture every pupil’s intellectual curiosity, asking pertinent questions to deepen pupils’ understanding

·         Systematically check pupils’ understanding and act to correct any misconceptions

·         Provide pupils with individual feedback aimed at moving his or her learning forward, developing a growth mindset in each pupil

·         Review and reflect on each assessment to identify gaps in pupil learning and take steps to address them

Culture and ethos

·         Lead the inclusion team’s behaviour management, ensuring they implement school systems consistently and in a kind and respectful manner

·         Develop strong partnerships and ensure regular communication with parents

·         Complete duties around the school, modelling best practice for all staff

Development of the Ark Network

·         Value and support practices driving continued progress across the network of Ark schools

·         Participate actively throughout the network, by attending relevant meetings, and, as appropriate, delivering network-wide training and initiatives

Other

·         Carry out other reasonable tasks as directed by the principal

Person Specification: SENCO

Qualification Criteria

·         Qualified to teach and work in the UK

·         Strong A Levels, or equivalent

·         Qualified to degree level and above

·         Has completed the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCo)

Note: We will consider candidates who have not worked previously as a SENCo if they have experience working successfully to support pupils with special education needs. Ifs the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinator has not yet been attained, we will fund and support its completion in our first year.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

·         Experience identifying, monitoring and providing effective support for pupils with SEND

·         Good working knowledge of relevant legislation, particularly the SEN Code of Practice

·         Experience of leading a team and/or developing others

·         Experience in effectively training and coaching other teachers

·         Excellent communication, planning and organisational skills

·         Excellent SEN & classroom practitioner

·         Strong understanding of both subject and general teaching pedagogy

·         Experience of reflecting on and improving practice to increase pupil achievement 

·         Effective and systematic behaviour management

Personal Characteristics

·         Genuine passion and a belief in the potential of every pupil

·         Deep commitment to Ark’s mission of providing an excellent education to every pupil, regardless of background

·         Effective team member and leader

·         High level of self-awareness and self-management in stressful situations

·         High expectations for accountability and consistency

·         Acts as a role model to staff and pupils

·         Resilient, motivated and committed to achieving excellence

·         Reflective and proactive in seeking feedback to constantly improve practice

·         Commitment to regular and on-going professional development and training to establish outstanding classroom practice

·         Commitment to and understanding of professionalism in line with the National Teaching Standards

Other

·         Commitment to equality of opportunity and the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils

·         Willingness to undertake training

·         This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check