At OSH, children and young people come first. Our teachers are the key personnel who deliver this all important aim. Therefore, the conventional responsibilities of a SENCo will be incorporated into a broader role where one key area of responsibility will be the training of teaching and support staff. For this reason there will be a very small teaching timetable commitment. We will expect our SENCo to visit lessons and work with our teachers in helping them fine tune and develop their ability to differentiate with reference to pupils with SEN.
About OSH
Old Swinford Hospital is one of the country’s leading state boarding schools. A large number of the School’s students are boarders who come from a wide range of backgrounds in the UK and also from the EU and overseas. A third of our pupils are day pupils, who usually go home after lessons, unless they are involved in sport or music, CCF or DofE. The School is now on an exciting journey to become fully co-educational by 2025. Girls joined us in September 2021 in Year 7, whilst the Sixth Form has been mixed since 2004.
OSH is calm place to work. It is inclusive, tolerant and welcoming. The atmosphere is supportive and orderly, and it is also very relaxed because for many of our pupils their school is also their home. Parents, pupils and staff are all on the same side and our pupils want to learn before going out into the wider world and making their own contribution to it.
We have had two very favourable Ofsted visits, one for boarding and one for curriculum. You can see these via our website www.oshsch.com We enjoy a very good academic reputation and regularly feature in the lists of the most academically successful maintained schools. We’re not about league tables, however. We pride ourselves on developing in our pupils a balance of academic achievement, character and resilience and we’ve been doing this now for nearly 360 years.
Our extensive extra-curricular programme contributes to our pupils becoming happy, healthy and interested young people, for whom sport, music, art, drama, outdoor pursuits feature in their everyday lives.
A major building programme has recently been completed which includes a large extension to an already impressive sports centre, an all-weather floodlit sports pitch, a new teaching block with a specialist arts room, a performing arts centre and a new senior boarding house.
Other recent developments include a new off-site sports ground and a new food technology centre. From September 2021, university style teaching accommodation has enhanced and extended our campus in a new block, ‘Swinford Court’.
Person Specification
- A belief that young people have potential and can achieve;
- Relentlessness in pursuit of the best outcomes for young people;
- Experience of working with students with SEN;
- Ability to build good relationships with parents and outside agencies
- Experience of precision teaching;
- Knowledge of standardised and diagnostic testing;
- Knowledge of appropriate teaching and behaviour management strategies for a range of SEN;
- Knowledge of the SEN Code of Practice, current initiatives and principles of Inclusion education;
- A graduate teacher (QTS) with a keen academic interest in a subject;
- The willingness and ability to teach a subject at all age and ability levels within the school;
- Ability to work as part of a successful and supportive team;
- Commitment to supporting students with special educational needs;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to work independently, prioritise and manage own workload effectively;
- Ability to remain calm under pressure;
- Enthusiastic, positive and resilient;
- Sensitivity to the aspirations, needs and self-esteem of others;
- Commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children and young people.
- An interest in teaching ASDAN COPE course and developing a more vocational pathway for our KS4 and 5 students
- Be willing in the future to train to become an Access Arrangements Assessor - Level 7
- Oversee EAL provision within the school
We would expect our successful candidate to have the National Award for SENCo or be working towards this.
Job Specification
In addition to the responsibilities as a Classroom Teacher, the SENCo shall:
Main Responsibilities
- Leadership of the SEN/Inclusion department, including leadership and management of our LSAs
- Oversight of in-house CPD for teachers relevant to SEN/Inclusion
- Provision for and monitoring of pupils with learning needs in order to close any gaps between pupils with and pupils without SEN
- Management and interpretation of relevant data at a school, local and national level
- Responsibility through the Headmaster for statutory and regulatory compliance in SEN/Inclusion matters
- Strategic oversight of the SEN register and pupil profiles, ensuring that SEN/Inclusion information is shared with staff in a concise, clear and consistent manner.
- Develop concise action plans for students for whom there are significant inclusion barriers. This is shared with key stakeholders and reviewed regularly.
- Communication to key stakeholders about our work in SEN/Inclusion: governors, staff, pupils, parents and external agencies
Teaching and Learning
- Champion best practice for identifying and supporting pupils with learning needs
Work with teaching colleagues in order to:
- Assess; monitor anticipate current and future learning needs, including examination access arrangements
- Maintain and model a ‘can-do’ attitude to the teaching of children with learning needs
- Disseminate and act on current research into best practice regarding SEN in the classroom
- Develop a clear strategy in terms of visiting lessons to establish the effectiveness of teaching and teaching support to ensure SEN learners are receiving high quality provision.
- Work closely with the Assistant Head: Teaching and Learning to ensure that SEN provision is working in harmony with whole school Teaching and Learning Priorities
- Share examples of best practice from within Old Swinford Hospital
- Consolidate teachers understanding of teaching strategies to do with supporting pupils with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, autism and sensory/physical needs
Leading SEN/Inclusion Provision
- Set an example to colleagues, through a very limited teaching timetable, of how to teach pupils with SEN and learning needs in the classroom
- Oversee the recording, reporting and sharing of SEN/Inclusion information amongst colleagues
- Collecting and interpreting specialist assessment information
- Sharing appropriate information with stakeholders both inside and outside of OSH
- Keep accurate and live records of pupils with SEN
- Willingness to represent the SEN/Inclusion department at marketing events, open mornings and transition mornings
- Willingness to represent the SEN/Inclusion department at appropriate school committees
- Ability to lead on SEN/Inclusion reporting to governors
- Ability to lead and manage our team of six LSAs
Other Responsibilities
- Advise the SLT and governors on developments and priorities in SEN education
- Support transition of pupils into OSH, and especially from Year 6 into Year 7 and Year 11 into Year 12
- Oversee laptop users within school, ensuring there are clear guidelines for laptop use that students and staff understand.
- Oversee Examination Access Arrangements for pupils at OSH
- Oversee statutory reviews (eg: EHCP) and support PEP and other pupil reviews throughout the year
- Undertake such other duties as the headmaster may require from time to time reasonably require.
- Oversee EAL provision within the school
General Job Specification and Conditions of Employment for Teachers
The conditions of employment set out in the current School Teachers’ Pay and conditions Document will apply. The person appointed is responsible to the Subject Leader to carry out the duties and functions of a teacher in accordance with the Teaching Standards and the stated aims and objectives of the School and the Department.
The person appointed will:
- in consultation with the Subject Leader, plan, design and produce teaching materials and resources which are appropriate to age and ability and are in accordance with the School Development Plan and the Department Development Plan;
- in accordance with scheme of work, plan, deliver and review lessons which are appropriate to the age and ability of the students so as to facilitate progression in students’ learning and following the required examination syllabuses;
- manage the classroom and teaching equipment so as to create a supportive and positive learning environment which makes effective use of the available resources;
- attend meetings, carry out administrative tasks and duties as specified in the Staff Handbook;
- provide and facilitate the general progress and well-being of any individual student within any group of students assigned to him or her, providing guidance and advice to students on educational and social matters;
- implement the School policy with regard to registration, student absence, dress code and enforce School rules relating to behaviour and health and safety;
- participate in full staff and departmental meetings and to contribute to School decision making and consultation procedures;
- be involved in the School Performance Appraisal process, to engage in professional development activities so as to enhance personal performance, fulfil personal potential and be able to participate effectively in the implementation of the School’s goals and Development Plan;
- establish individual active links with industry and business in order to extend both student learning and own professional development;
- assess, record and report on the development, progress and attainment of the students assigned to him or her within the School guidelines;
- to be an Academic Tutor to an assigned Tutor Group if required, and to carry out related duties in accordance with the general job description of Tutor; including meeting parents and contacting home when directed to do so by Heads of Year or SLT
- to carry out a share of supervisory duties in accordance with published rotas; this will include break duty and also a lunch duty in return for complementary school dinners
- to participate in appropriate meetings with colleagues and parents;
- Operate relevant equipment/ICT packages (e.g. MS Office, internet, intranet, EduLink, SIMS, Every, E-mail);
- Keep up-to-date knowledge of the range of external agencies and opportunities that can be used to provide extra support for students;
- Support Learning Support Assistants with day to day issues;
- Participate in the promotion of the Department and School, including Saturday morning Open Days and other Open Evenings, Induction Days and the like, and the attendance at any marketing events as requested by SLT;
- Ensure effective communication with all colleagues (teaching and support staff);
- Undertake such other duties as the Headmaster or member of SLT may require from time to time reasonably require.
Equal Opportunities
Old Swinford Hospital welcomes applications for employment from all sectors of the community.
Suitability to Work with Children
Old Swinford Hospital is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants are required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.
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