Deputy SENCO

We are looking for a hard-working and dedicated candidate to join our outstanding school as a Deputy SENCO.

About Kensington Aldridge Academy

KAA is an 11 – 18 academy situated in the heart of Notting Hill.  We opened in brand new buildings in 2014 with just Year 7 and have grown year by year and are now a full school with 1,250 students in Years 7 to 13. 

KAA has grown to become one of the top academies in the UK. DfE performance tables show we are in the top 5% of schools nationally in terms of KS5 Progress. Our Ofsted report grades us outstanding in all categories and describes standards as “exceptional”. In 2018 we were awarded TES Secondary School of the Year.  

Key Responsibilities

• Share responsibilities with the SENCO for leading the provision for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) within the academy and to deputise for the SENCO if required.

• Support the SENCO with providing a strategic vision for the department.

• Raising standards of SEND student inclusion, attainment and achievement by monitoring and supporting student progress.

• Advocate and drive a fully inclusive ethos across the whole school, ensuring that 

• Advise staff with developing a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum to help SEND learners succeed.

• Liaise with Learning Support staff, Heads of Department, class teachers, Heads of House and parents about students with SEND and, where necessary, referring students to the appropriate external agencies for further support.

• Advise and guide learning support assistants and learning mentors of the needs of students with SEND and of suitable methods and strategies to remediate these needs. This may include the modelling of good practice or support with planning and review.

• Ensure that appropriate schemes of work, including related SEND assessment processes, are in place and regularly reviewed.

• Monitor student progress through the use of Learning Support Plans, standardised assessments and other school wide or departmental assessment data to ensure that appropriate intervention strategies that raise overall standards are implemented.

• Promote a collegiate approach so that the staff in the department work as a team

• Be responsible for relevant SEN administration with the Local Authority and other outside agencies as directed by the SENCO, including the administration of EHC plans through the annual review process.

• Within the context of the Academy’s aims and policies, work with the SENCO to develop and implement SEND policies, plans, targets and practices.

 

Staff benefits

• 180 school days, 10 training days (not 5 as you find in most schools) & 5 planning days per year, which include the opportunity for teachers to work from home.

• Two week half term in October. 

• Professional development that is of a national standard. In Ofsted’s words: “Staff morale is exceptionally high. Staff enjoy working at the school and benefit from high-quality training. Teachers new to the profession feel very well supported in settling into the school quickly and developing their practice.”

• Free weekly staff wellbeing activities; yoga, circuits, staff choir and art classes etc.

• Discounted membership of the brand new Kensington Leisure Centre. 

Download the full candidate pack for more information about this position and the academy.

Please send completed applications to Payal Joshi at recruitment@kaa.org.uk by 9am on Tuesday 23rd April 2019.

Early applications are encouraged and in the event that the academy is able to fill the vacancy before the deadline, it reserves the right to close the vacancy and won’t review further applications.