SENCo and Exams Lead

Meadows School is a non-maintained special day school in Kent run by the children's charity Barnardo's. We provide education for students between 5 and 19 who have an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) or are in the process of obtaining one. Our designation is for pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs.

Based in Southborough (between the two historic towns of Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge) on a beautiful 19-acre campus. Our site incorporates Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 and has a separate post-16 provision.

At present there is capacity for 100 pupils on roll.

The pupils who attend Meadows school may have had a negative experience of education and some will have spent time out of school in the past. It is for this reason that we have the three values of 'Engage, Enrich and Empower' at our core. 

We engage minds, enrich lives, and empower futures.

We strive to achieve a culture that: promotes respect, tolerance and kindness; celebrates success and provides the ability to work through difficulties. Working in partnership with families and agencies, we aim to support pupils to develop character strengths and promote their resilience to enable the young person to maximise their potential during their time with us.

We offer a broad curriculum tailored to individual pupil needs. There are opportunities to study for GCSEs, BTECs, Functional Skills, Vocational Skills qualifications, Entry Level Certificates and Open Awards.

We believe in children; We transform lives; We fulfil vision.

The SENCO role requires a strong, experienced and compassionate leader who can strategically develop SEND provision while ensuring that individual pupils receive tailored support to meet their needs. The successful candidate should demonstrate excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills, working collaboratively with staff, families and external agencies to promote inclusion, secure positive outcomes for pupils and ensure compliance with statutory responsibilities.

The exams officer is responsible for the organisation and smooth running of both internal and external examinations. The officer acts as the primary liaison between the school and external examination bodies. They will be familiar with the requirements and regulations placed on schools by both awarding bodies and the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), and will ensure that the school is compliant with these before, during, and after examination periods.  Full training will be given.

 

Why work at Meadows?

The perks of working at Meadows School center heavily on a supportive environment, low staff-to-student ratios, and extensive employee benefits.
Workplace & Environment Perks
• Small Class Sizes: Class groups are kept small with a maximum of ten pupils, and every class is supported by two staff members.
• Inclusive Culture: A strong workplace culture focused tightly on individual staff well-being, safety, and operational development.
• Daily Conveniences: Staff receive free school lunches and have access to free on-site parking.Financial & Core Benefits
• Pension Scheme: Access to an official workplace pension scheme.
• Barnardo's Benefits Portal: As the school is run by Barnardo's, employees gain access to a dedicated benefits platform providing various corporate discounts and lifestyle perks.Professional Growth
• Regular CPD & Training: Ongoing access to excellent continuous professional development (CPD) and routine skills training.
• Therapeutic Collaboration: Staff work alongside a multi-disciplinary well-being team, collaborating directly with Speech and Language therapists, Counsellors, and Occupational Therapists.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification and Job Description. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Please note salary offered will be subject to skill set and experience following interview.

Barnardo's Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Our safer recruitment processes mean that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount at every stage of the process and therefore we adopt rigorous scrutiny in our pre-employment checking. Applicants must be willing to undergo relevant pre-employment checks, including references being taken up prior to interview and for the successful candidate, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and online checks being completed in line with the Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance. It is an offence to apply for a role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

As part of your application, you will need to provide full details of your employment since leaving secondary education, starting with your current or most recent employment first and then by working backwards, including reasons for leaving. Please also include any periods of voluntary work and/or training, providing reasons for any periods not in employment, education or training.

Read further about our commitment to safeguarding and our pre-employment checks in our applicant information sheet below.

Barnardo's Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Our safer recruitment processes mean that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount at every stage of the process and therefore we adopt rigorous scrutiny in our pre-employment checking. Applicants must be willing to undergo relevant pre-employment checks, including references being taken up prior to interview and for the successful candidate, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and online checks being completed in line with the Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance. It is an offence to apply for a role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

As part of your application, you will need to provide full details of your employment since leaving secondary education, starting with your current or most recent employment first and then by working backwards, including reasons for leaving. Please also include any periods of voluntary work and/or training, providing reasons for any periods not in employment, education or training.

Read further about our commitment to safeguarding and our pre-employment checks in our applicant information sheet below.

Barnardo's Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Our safer recruitment processes mean that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount at every stage of the process and therefore we adopt rigorous scrutiny in our pre-employment checking. Applicants must be willing to undergo relevant pre-employment checks, including references being taken up prior to interview and for the successful candidate, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and online checks being completed in line with the Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance. It is an offence to apply for a role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

As part of your application, you will need to provide full details of your