SEND Teacher

EIAT is a thriving Multi Academy Trust in North Birmingham incorporating Wilson Stuart School, Mayfield School, Queensbury School, The Hive College, Lime Tree Nursery and Blue Sky Nursery. We strive to share best practice and work in cohesive, collaborative and innovative ways. Our ethos is 'Better Never Ends'.

Mayfield School is looking for teachers to join our growing team. Our school is a special school for 315 pupils aged between 3 and 19 with a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities including PMLD, cognition and learning needs and autism. We are proud to be a Unicef Rights Respecting School, on a journey to achieve the gold award.

The school is split across two sites - Wheeler Street in Lozells (co-located with Holte School and Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery) and Heathfield Road in Handsworth. Successful applicants can be asked to work at either site depending on the needs of the school. Class placement will be in our primary or secondary class groups and will be based on experience. We welcome applicants with primary or secondary experience in any type of educational setting.

At Mayfield School, teachers are valued and their professional development is supported and invested in. We recognise that working with young people with SEND can be challenging and a full programme of training and support is offered. We expect teachers to adopt creative, innovative and individualised approaches to engaging young people in learning and enabling them to make progress. This is a joyful and rewarding job and one where you can really make a difference to the lives of young people and their families. 

We are looking for reliable, consistent, positive and solution focused people who will seek every opportunity to provide rich and relevant learning experiences for our pupils and who can show personal resilience and a commitment to children’s universal rights.

Applications are invited from unqualified or qualified teachers who have experience of working directly with children or young people in any setting and who are willing to work with others as part of a strong team. Special school experience is advantageous but not an essential requirement provided you have a willingness to learn and a dedication to securing positive outcomes for all pupils. ECTs are welcome to apply.

Our teaching team tell us that they value the in-house training offered by the school and welcome the professional development opportunities available to them which are carefully tailored to their experience and their class cohort. They value their current choice of working 4 or 5 days per week and the arrangement for teachers to take their PPA from home and they tell us they appreciate the supportive and trusting working relationships they experience with their colleagues within the school and across the wider Trust.

This post could be based in any key stage class working with pupils who have persistent differences with social interaction, social communication and understanding emotions. Our pupils need clear boundaries and consistent support with engagement, learning, emotional and sensory regulation and benefit from working with adults who pro-actively pursue positive partnerships between home and school.

 About the role:

Qualifications and training

• Degree

• Qualified teacher status (or willing to work towards)

• Level 2 mathematics and English or equivalent qualification

• Willing to undertake regular training and professional development as and when required

• Working knowledge of SEND Code of Practice 0-25 years

Experience (desirable)

• Has experience of teaching children or young people with autism spectrum conditions in a mainstream, resource base or special school setting

Skills and knowledge

• Knows how to use ICT effectively to enhance learning and communication

• Understands that pupils with ASC may experience persistent differences with social interaction, social communication and understanding emotions

• Knows how to support pupils to break down barriers

• Knows how to use personal interests and strengths to motivate pupils to engage in learning

• Is able to provide and maintain visible and predictable structure for pupils

• Is able to provide opportunities for pupils to apply learning in different contexts and situations

• Able to provide pupils with clear boundaries and consistent support with engagement, learning, emotional regulation, sensory needs and behaviour management.

• The ability to use restorative approaches to minimise conflict and build and maintain effective partnership working with pupils and parents

• Able to facilitate pupil participation and involvement in all aspects of school life

• Able to effectively role model what is expected of others

• Knows how to use social stories, PECS and/or Makaton to support communication and understanding (desirable)

Personal qualities

• A commitment to achieving the best outcomes for all pupils & prioritising their needs

• High levels of personal resilience

• Solution focused

• Commitment to own professional development and growth

• Effective team player

• Self awareness and the ability to act as a role model to others

• Uphold and promote the ethos and values of the school

• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively

• Maintain confidentiality at all times

• Commitment to safeguarding and equality

• Commitment to children’s universal rights

• A commitment to communicate and involve parents and pupils in the work of the school

• An awareness and understanding of, and commitment to, equal opportunities

• A heightened awareness of the issues involved in the education of children with SEND