SENCO Early Years

What skills and experience we're looking for

The right candidate will have:

• Qualified Teacher Status
• A positive outlook, be compassionate and a have resilient nature
• Extensive experience of successfully working with children with Special Educational Needs
• Excellent communication skills both spoken and written

• Be committed to early years inclusion, being creative and doing things a little differently!
• Hold the National SENCO qualification or be prepared to participate in the course in the next 24 months.

This role would support someone who is looking to work part time. We can be flexible with the days you work but ideally we would want someone who could work 4 days; Tuesday- Friday or 3 days including a Wednesday

What the school offers its staff

We can offer you:

• A supportive outstanding school where early years is our specialism
• To be able to work with early years specialists who take part in action research and share this through our training consortium.
• To work in a wonderful learning environment both indoors and outdoors.
• The opportunity to network with other SENCOs in our Nursery School Consortium and federation and networks

Further details about the role

Professional skills and judgement

The post requires knowledge and understanding of:

1 The school aims, priorities, targets and action plans;

2 The characteristics of high quality teaching and the main strategies for improving and sustaining high standards of teaching, learning and achievement for a! pupil groups;

3 The relationship of Special Needs and Inclusion priorities to the development of the school as a whole;

4 Any statutory requirements relating to Special Needs and Inclusion (curriculum, assessment, recording and reporting of pupils' attainment and progress, The Children Act, child protection and health and safety requirements);

5 The implications of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs for teaching and learning and inclusion and ensuring that the school is following it.

See the National Standards for Subject Leaders.

Accountability for leading, managing and developing Inclusion

The post requires the post holder to work with colleagues to:

1 Organise the Special Needs Register, ensure it is up to date and that children with SEN are being fully monitored, including ensuring that review meetings are happening regularly and on time;

2 Ensuring that Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are appropriate and that the support identified is being given; 3 Develop and maintain appropriate schemes of work;

4 Develop and maintain appropriate assessment processes and procedures;

5 Identify relevant school improvement issues through rigorous self evaluation focussed on learning and achievement;

6 Evaluate the impact of all improvement activities on the quality of learning and teaching;

7 Identify barriers to learning and develop intervention strategies to address these;

8 Ensure that all teachers know what is required of them in teaching the subject;

Provide the Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) with relevant curriculum area and pupil performance information;

10 Define and agree appropriate improvement priorities with the Headteacher and SLT;

11 Write and follow an annual Subject Action Plan following approval from the SLT;

12 Report termly to SLT on progress with the Action Plan;

13 Be responsible for resourcing the subject area within the constraints of the budget given; 14 Identify relevant CPD needs and opportunities for the whole staff; 15 Take up all opportunities for personal professional development.

Accountability for impact on educational progress of children across the school

The post requires the post holder to work with staff to

1 Ensure that all children, irrespective of gender, cultural background, Special Needs or disability enjoy equal access to a broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum which enables them to achieve;

2 Identify appropriate achievement targets annually for ethnic minority children and those with Special Needs; 3 Identify what support may be needed to achieve these targets;

4 Monitor planning, curriculum coverage and learning outcomes on a termly basis;

5 Ensure that assessments and assessment record sheets have been completed as appropriate;

6 Moderate assessments to ensure consistency throughout the school;

7 Create portfolios/case studies of children's work showing different levels of attainment; 8 Monitor pupil standards, learning and achievement against annual targets:

2

a) Analyse any data that exists.

b) Identify improvements necessary.

9 Lead evaluation strategies when any improvement needs are identified.

Leading, developing and enhancing the teaching of others

The post requires the post holder to:

1 Maintain personal expertise, and share this with other colleagues;

2 Act as a role model of good classroom practice ;

3 Monitor and evaluate standards of teaching, identifying areas for improvement:

a) observe colleagues when appropriate.

4 Plan and implement strategies to improve teaching where needs are identified;

5 Liaise with local schools to ensure effective transition between Key Stages; Supervise the work of support staff working as Special Needs Assistants

7 Organise and, if appropriate, run in-service training;

8 Induct, support and monitor new staff;

Commitment to safeguarding

Pembury House Nursery School & C.C. is committed to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and all those directly connected have an essential role to play in making this community safe and secure. Safeguarding is at the heart of our school. At Pembury the best interests of children always come first. All children have a right to be heard and to have their wishes and feelings taken into account and all children regardless of age, gender, ability, culture, race, language, religion or sexual identity, have equal rights to protection.