As a Specialist Teacher, you are an important member of the team in two key ways. You will support our student’s aspirations and areas of interest, allowing them to develop a sense of mastery in areas they wish to study. This will be supported by a carefully curated progression of work designed to provide the correct amount of challenge and stimulation and scaffolded to support the areas of least confidence or practical skill. Our students often have very spiky profiles and intense areas of interest and before they are willing to branch out into a broad and balanced curriculum as can be delivered in school, you will support specific areas of interest for development to build self-confidence and resilience. Working alongside the learning mentors, planning and delivering lessons for small groups of between 1 and 4 students, carefully considering each child’s profile, you will liaise with the Director of Education to move each student forward in their studies. Where there is a goal of examinations by a set date, this will be taken into
consideration and your ongoing assessment should keep the team informed as to progress to that goal and preparation for exam entry.

The second key role for specialists is to support the development of a key skill across many areas of the curriculum. You may be asked to support the roll out of aspects of your specialty more widely across the setting. This may include cascade training learning mentors to support the student’s ongoing work in your area outside of your working times or helping to develop setting wide plans with providers of specialist support include Speech and Language practitioners, Occupational Therapists etc. Their role
is different but at a similar professional level to a specialist teacher, in that specific skill sets are being supported and similar professional skills employed to work with the students.

Further professional development is offered as a key part of this role. This includes significant training in
supporting neurodivergent young people and recognizing and supporting a range of risk-raising experiences our students may have experienced. The focus, even within a specialist lesson is the support of the student above the delivery of content, but with a goal to maximize what the student can access by using appropriate teaching methods and recoding methods are part of your base planning, differentiating where necessary for each student in the group.

Pay is by hourly rate, negotiable depending on curriculum areas/ skill set offered by the candidate and experience level.