SEN Teacher / Wider Leadership - Autism & Complex Needs

Sutton, South London | Specialist SEN School | Long-Term Temporary
£240 - £290 per day | Full-Time | September Start

Are you an experienced SEN Teacher who is ready to take on more responsibility beyond your own classroom?

Do you have strong experience supporting pupils with Autism, severe learning difficulties and complex communication needs, alongside the confidence to guide and develop other members of staff?

Would you like to join a large, established specialist setting where communication, emotional regulation, independence and highly personalised learning sit at the heart of the school?

A well-established specialist SEN school in Sutton, South London is looking for an experienced practitioner to take on a Wider Leadership position, combining classroom teaching with additional responsibility across a designated area of the school.

This is an excellent opportunity for a strong SEN Teacher who may be looking to make their first move into leadership, or for an existing middle leader who wants to continue developing within specialist education.

The school supports children and young people with a wide range of complex additional needs, including Autism, SLD, complex communication needs, sensory needs and associated social and emotional difficulties. Pupils follow highly individualised learning pathways, with a strong emphasis on communication, regulation, functional learning, independence and preparation for adulthood.

The successful teacher will maintain a classroom teaching commitment while also supporting colleagues and senior leaders to ensure consistently high standards across the wider provision. The original brief places particular emphasis on leading a department, coaching staff, contributing to school improvement and promoting consistent approaches to communication, regulation and learning.

Key responsibilities include:

• Maintaining a teaching commitment and modelling high-quality specialist SEN classroom practice.
• Taking additional responsibility for a designated department, phase or area of provision.
• Supporting pupils with Autism, severe learning difficulties, complex communication and sensory needs.
• Ensuring teaching is highly personalised around individual starting points, EHCP outcomes and developmental needs.
• Creating calm, structured and predictable learning environments which support engagement and emotional regulation.
• Promoting pupils' communication, independence, confidence and functional skillsthroughout the school day.
• Supporting the effective use of visual communication, AAC and individualised communication strategies where appropriate.
• Leading and deploying Teaching Assistants effectively within specialist classrooms.
• Coaching, mentoring and supporting teachers and support staff to strengthen classroom practice.
• Helping colleagues develop consistent approaches to communication, behaviour, emotional regulation and personalised learning.
• Monitoring the quality of teaching, pupil engagement and progress within the designated area.
• Supporting staff with planning, differentiation, assessment and individual pupil programmes.
• Line managing and appraising members of staff where required.
• Contributing to whole-school improvement priorities and the continued development of specialist provision.
• Supporting pupil admissions, transitions and Annual Review processes.
• Working closely with therapists, wellbeing professionals, senior leaders and the wider multidisciplinary team.
• Building positive relationships with pupils, families and other professionals.
• Supporting older pupils to develop independence, functional skills and preparation for adulthood.
• Maintaining consistently high expectations around safeguarding, pupil welfare and professional practice.

We are looking for:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)or an equivalent recognised teaching qualification.
• Strong experience teaching within SEN or specialist education.
• Good knowledge and practical experience of Autism and neurodiversity.
• Experience supporting pupils with complex learning and communication needs.
• A calm,structured and relationship-led approach to teaching and behaviour.
• The ability to adapt curriculum content significantly around individual pupils.
• Strong classroom leadership and the ability to effectively direct Teaching Assistants.
• The confidence to support, coach and develop other members of staff.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• The ability to work closely with therapists and multidisciplinary professionals.
• High expectations for pupils regardless of their level of need.
• An understanding of emotional regulation, communication and sensory needs within an autism-specialist environment.
• A commitment to positive, respectful and individualised practice.
• Previous middle leadership experience is beneficial but not essential- strong SEN Teachers ready for progression will also be considered.

The opportunity

This role offers significantly more than a standard classroom teaching position. You will have the opportunity to influence practice beyond your own class, support the development of other staff and contribute directly to the wider direction of a large specialist provision.

The school has strong staffing levels, experienced support teams and a collaborative approach between education, therapy and pastoral professionals. There is a genuine focus on developing staff internally, making this particularly suitable for an experienced SEN Teacher who wants to begin moving towards middle or senior leadership.

You will be joining a supportive specialist environment where progress is measured around the individual child and where communication, relationships, emotional regulation and independence are viewed as fundamental to successful learning.

£240 - £290 per day | Full-Time | Long-Term Temporary | Sutton, South London | September Start

Apply now or send your CV to Stephen at KPI Education to be considered.

INDTEA