Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and Safeguarding Officer

Closing Date: 21st May 2024

Interview Date: 23rd May 2024

Job Start Date: 1st September 2024

Contract/Hours: Fixed Term until 31st August 2025

Salary: MPR/UPR + TLR2

Hours of Work: Full time

Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and Safeguarding Officer Summary

Are you an enthusiastic practitioner looking for the opportunity to be part of a hard-working and caring team within an exciting and inclusive church school? Then we have the school for you!

Kingsclere CE Primary School is seeking a Special Educational Needs Coordinator and Safeguarding Officer to join our dedicated team. Also serving as the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, you’ll play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and support of our children.

Kingsclere CE Primary School is a ‘Good’ school (Ofsted January 2019) with ‘‘polite and friendly pupils who show respect for one another throughout the school’. Our caring ethos is fostered through ‘timely and effective care to our pupils by all members of our school community’.

A core expectation as SENCO will be to contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning for pupils with SEND across the school. The SENCO needs to be a knowledgeable and effective classroom teacher able to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding of others.

As the Safeguarding Officer you will work alongside the Designated Safeguarding Lead, this role involves managing a caseload of students and providing them with appropriate support. The ideal candidate will have previous experience in the safeguarding field and be accustomed to handling large amounts of sensitive and confidential data. Additionally, they should demonstrate excellent record-keeping skills and attention to detail, enabling them to produce reports, minute meetings, and document safeguarding concerns effectively.

An understanding and empathetic nature will be key in making a positive contribution to our children. The confidence and ability to communicate to students, parents/carers and staff is essential, as well as an awareness of local and national agencies that provide support to young people and their families.

The SENDCO and Safeguarding Officer must:

• be a qualified teacher who holds or is completing the National Award for SENDCO and has experience of working with pupils with a range of special educational needs
• have a strong understanding of the SEND Code of Practice
• be calm and focused with a resolution-focused approach
• be able to motivate, support and inspire learners, members of staff and our wider community

We are open to considering a practitioner who holds the National Award for SENDCO but has less experience in working in a safeguarding role and is keen for this as a developmental opportunity. We will support the successful candidate to gain the necessary training and experience as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

We can offer:

• Motivated and happy pupils who understand the importance of learning
• A friendly and caring school community including staff, parents/carers and governors, who all work hard to support our pupils
• Training and ongoing development in your career at whatever stage
• An inclusive Church school where everyone is valued and encouraged to succeed
• A supportive and hard-working staff team with a good sense of humour

Application Procedure

To obtain an application pack or to find out more about our school please contact Jo Messenger (Headteacher) on email: adminoffice@kingsclere.hants.sch.uk or telephone on 01635-298583.

Kingsclere Church Of England Primary School and Hampshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Criminal Records Bureau checks along with other relevant employment checks.