SENDCo - The Aurora Group

Overview and Responsibilities

SENDCo

Location: Compton, Wolverhampton

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week

Salary: M1 – UPS1

Closing Date: 8th May 2024

The Aurora Group

The Aurora Group is an innovative provider of education and care for children, young people and adults with special educational needs and disabilities.

We have opened a new specialist provision in Wolverhampton with a proposed capacity of 80 students aged between 5-19.

We are currently looking for a SENDCo to join us in June or September 2024 to support with planning, creation and running of a successful ASC provision.  The building has been redeveloped into an amazing learning environment with facilities to allow students to access a varied curriculum in a calm and nurturing environment with a team that strives to give every student the confidence and opportunities to achieve.

The Headteacher is looking for fun, passionate, dedicated, and driven staff to help support her vision for the pupils and the school environment.  She is committed to offering a truly unique workplace environment, embedded with a supportive culture, positive ethos, strong teamwork, and personal drive, with further career opportunities as both the school and Aurora, as a company, grows.      

It is an exciting time to be part of Aurora, and this is a unique career opportunity to be instrumental in the progress of some of the most vulnerable children in our community.

The main purpose of the role:

Your role will be to act as a member of the leadership team to support the SLT and develop the schools Special Education Needs (SEN) provision and have responsibility and oversight of the day-to-day operation of that policy with the aim of raising SEN pupil achievement.

Key duties:

 Identify and adopt the most effective teaching approaches for all pupils ensuring dissemination throughout all staff

• Monitor teaching and learning activities to meet the needs of SEN pupils and track AFL data for the purposes of Annual Reviews, PEPs, LAC Reviews, and general School Reporting
• Liaise with other schools to ensure continuity of support and learning when transferring SEN pupils
• Promote best practice and contribute to the aims and ethos of the school through Inset and CPD for new teachers
• Set targets for raising achievement among all pupils
• Collate and present assessment and performance data and share with staff and other professionals where appropriate
• Set up systems for identifying, reviewing, and monitoring need. This includes the management (chairing) of Annual Reviews for Statements and EHCPs
• Update the Head and SLT on the effectiveness of the provision and delivery of SEN provision
• Keep parents informed about their child's progress through individual meetings and at parents’ evenings
• Provide training opportunities for learning support assistants and teachers to learn about SEN, including whole school Inset
• Identify resources needed to meet the needs of SEN pupils and make recommendations to the Head for appropriate spends

Duties will vary, for a full job description please contact Karen from the recruitment team: karen.barnfield@the-aurora-group.com  

Skills and Qualifications

Skills and Experience:

• SENCO qualifications preferred or teacher working in special school and willingness to undertake SENCO qualification
• GCSE Maths and English Level 2/C or above qualification is essential
• Relevant knowledge and experience of pupils with SEN and SEND Code of Practice
• Understanding of the Safeguarding principles and Child Protection procedures
• Experience of managing a range of approaches to behaviour, including managing behaviours that challenge
• Experience working with SEN in an employed or voluntary setting   
• Commitment to the role, the desire to put children first and treat them as individuals
• Be positive and creative in meeting pupils’ needs
• Full UK driving licence and access to your own car desirable

Benefits and Additional Information

What’s on offer? 

• Training and Development

Within Aurora, we strongly believe that learning and development should not be limited to just the children and young people we support.  We offer wide range of programmes and opportunities to all our employees to improve your skills and further your career. 

• Save money on your bills!!

With the cost of living rising we have a fantastic benefit through Perkbox to help with cutting costs and help make your money go further.  Perkbox is a free app for you to use on the go wherever you are.  You can get deals and discounts to save money on things like your weekly food bill, phone plans, internet, eating out, gym memberships, insurance and more.  You can also use Perkbox for our cycle to work scheme and car scheme. 

• Competitive Pay and Reward

Every year we compare the market rates of pay and rewards to insure they are comparable or better to other similar organisations.  We also offer Enhanced Annual Leave, Company Sick Pay, Pension and Life Assurance.

• UK Health Cash Plan

This plan can help cover your day to day healthcare expenditure such as optician and dental bills.  You and your children are covered on this plan and you can also choose to upgrade and add a partner to enjoy the benefits with you.

• Employee Assistance Programme

Your health and wellbeing is very important to us and we have support available on a wide variety of issues, helping you with online tools, information and via a freephone counselling service available 24/7. 

• Refer a friend for £1,000

We’ll reward you for recommending friends and family to come and join the company (*terms apply)

How to apply?

Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details.  If you need any assistance or would like any more information please contact Karen in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at karen.barnfield@the-aurora-group.com

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.

This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled. 

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.