Deputy SENDCo
Whickham School
Gateshead
- £47,416 - £52,338 per year
- Quick apply
- Expired
- Salary:
- Lead practitioner pay scale LP1 to LP5
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- Summer term or September 2024
- Apply by:
- 21 February 2024
Job overview
Deputy SENDCo
Grade LP1 to LP5. Salary range - £47,416 to £52,338
Preferred start date : Summer Term but will consider a September 2024 start
Whickham School is a high-performing and over-subscribed 11-18 school in Gateshead. Staff and students enjoy working and learning at our school and have created a culture that facilitates high levels of attainment and progress. Student progress is significantly above regional and national averages. The school has built an excellent reputation for the quality of provision provided to students. The school has made significant progress in becoming a place where students fulfil their potential. We want to recruit a colleague who demonstrates the ambition, drive and commitment to play a significant role in continuing this journey.
We are seeking to appoint a dynamic and solution focused Deputy SENDCo to join the excellent SEND Team at Whickham. You should have experience of working and making a difference with children with additional educational needs and want the opportunity to train to become a SENDCo. This exciting opportunity will see the successful candidate play a vital role in developing and implementing our SEND strategy.
Core Purpose
The Deputy SENDCo, under the direction of the SENDCo, will:
- Be responsible for the strategic and day to day operational leadership of our SEND SEMH provision, ensuring that individual pupils are well supported, and make good progress.
- Be the nominated SEND lead for SEMH pupils, identifying needs, taking part in termly and annual reviews, the writing of, and overseeing the effective implementation of, pupil centred plans.
- Lead on the writing of EHCPs and responding to school placement consults for pupils with SEMH.
- Work to reduce barriers to the success of SEMH pupils, co-ordinating and, where appropriate, leading on SEMH interventions.
- Provide professional guidance, and CPDL to colleagues within the SEND team and wider school.
- Support the SENDCo in leading our wider SEND provision, undertaking quality assurance activities and line management of some staff.
- Deputise for the SENDCo where required.
In addition the post holder will be required to work towards completion of the NPQ for SENCOs.
Our school has an excellent reputation for support children with additional educational needs and the successful candidate will work in an exciting, dynamic, fast-paced supportive environment. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards for behaviour, engagement and academic outcomes. We value all of our students and ensure that they are seen as individuals with differing interests, knowledge, skills and needs. We have an inclusive ethos and strive to increase the learning and participation of all pupils, ensuring access to an appropriate curriculum.
Every teacher is a teacher of every young person, including those with SEND or any other additional need. We work closely with our children, families and a wide range of professionals to ensure each young person fulfils their potential. If this reflects your own beliefs and values and you have the energy, determination and skill to make a positive difference for our students, we look forward to your application.
This role is aimed at colleagues who are passionate about making a difference for young people and feel they can do this through leading a cohort of students. This role is pivotal to the success of the young people at Whickham School as we believe that if we can positively influence pupils regarding their behaviour and expectations of themselves, we can help them secure better outcomes for their future.
Our aim is to ensure every young person is the best they can be and, whilst we have already achieved much in achieving our goal, we recognise that there is so much more we can do. We are proud of our good reputation within the region and the positive feedback we receive from students, parents, staff and external organisations such as Ofsted.
Specific details regarding the role, skills and qualities that the successful candidate will need to demonstrate, are in the attached job description and person specification.
We welcome visits by prospective applicants to the school. Please contact Maxine Dickinson via email: mdickinson@whickhamschool.org if you wish to arrange a time to see the school.
This post is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service criminal records check for work with children.
- Whickham School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our students and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
- We have a robust Safeguarding Policy and all staff will receive training relevant to their role at induction and throughout employment with the school.
- This post is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service criminal records check for work with children. KCSIE guidance is followed including an online search of applicants.
Attached documents
About Whickham School
- Whickham School
- Burnthouse Lane, Whickham, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Gateshead
- NE16 5AR
- United Kingdom
The School
Whickham School is a large and successful school in Gateshead with over 1700 students including approximately 350 in our high performing sixth form.
Ofsted
Following our recent Ofsted inspection in May, Whickham School continues to be a good school with enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if Ofsted were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.
“Staff have very high expectations of pupils. Through the school’s values, pupils are encouraged to have empathy and respect for others. They are also encouraged to aspire and to be resilient.”
“The support available for pupils with SEND is exceptional.”
“Pupils behave exceptionally well at Whickham school. They feel safe and well looked after in the school.”
School Organisation
Demand for student places is strong and the school is regularly oversubscribed. Students are organised into year groups whilst eight faculties deliver the school curriculum. The Sixth Form, which has its own dedicated facility, is an increasingly popular choice of students from all over the local area.
In January 2020 many faculties moved into a brand new, state of the art, STEAMS themed building. The stunning four storey building houses Science, Technology (plus Business and IT), Engineering, Art, Maths and Sport.
The Leadership Team meet weekly and share responsibility for policy generation, decision making, planning and the general wellbeing of the school. The relevant governing body committee is involved in strategic planning and policies from the onset. Faculty and Year groups meet every two weeks to discuss strategic issues.
Vision and Values
“Whickham, a school to be proud of at the heart of the community. Where learning is cherished in a safe, caring and supportive environment. A school where everyone is valued and inspired to be the best they can be.”
CPDL & Well Being
Staff development and wellbeing is something that is very important at Whickham - we recognise that the physical and mental health of our staff are crucial aspects of sustaining a motivated, dedicated and high performing workforce. Please see the attachment which mentions some of the steps we actively take to support our staff.
We are committed to ensuring we provide outstanding CPDL and an environment that enables exceptional staff well-being. We will support you in your personal and professional development, enabling you to contribute fully to the creative and dedicated teams of dynamic and ambitious staff you will be joining.
In addition to our School Improvement hour every other week, we have a series of working groups dedicated to Teaching and Learning as well as other opportunities to become involved in driving forward best practice. All of our teachers benefit from dedicated collaborative planning time, and we run a very successful NQT programme which offers comprehensive support and guidance from dedicated mentors.
We are accredited with the Bronze level of the Better Health at Work award and we are committed to supporting staff not only through the dedicated campaigns that we have run, but also in proactively encouraging healthy practice in a range of meaningful ways.
Curriculum
At Whickham School, we aim to provide a broad and engaging curriculum that enables students to fulfil their talents and interests, whilst gaining the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in your further studies, training and employment. High quality information and guidance is provided to help students navigate their pathways through the courses on offer.
A strong foundation is provided at Key Stage 3 where students follow a broad and balanced curriculum comprising the following subjects: Mathematics, English, Science, Modern Languages, Geography, History, RE, Technology, ICT, Art and Design, Music, Religious Studies and Citizenship.
Pupils are allocated to mixed ability tutor groups and are taught in those groups for most lessons. Pupils are taught in smaller groups for Technology and Physical Education. Pupils are taught in setted classes for Mathematics and, from Year 9, English.
At KS4, students follow a two-year programme to provide more time to study key GCSE and Btec subjects in more creative and supportive ways, accelerating progress and achievement.
The curriculum at Key Stage 4 is more varied with students choosing programmes of study from a wide range of curriculum areas. Our new curriculum enables the vast majority of students to follow an academic pathway that enables them to achieve a set of qualifications that would contribute towards the EBAC. In addition, we have an extensive range of creative and vocational courses delivered on and off-site that enable all our students to follow courses that ensure high levels of engagement and success. We continue to collaborate with external partners to ensure that learning in areas such as engineering takes place in real – work contexts.
The school has strong AEN department that provides additional support to encourage academic progress at all key stages.
The breadth of choice continues into the Sixth Form, with large numbers of students selecting from over 35 different A Level and BTEC National courses.
Whickham School is alive with activities that offer students the opportunity to broaden their interests and experience.
Physical education and Sport are highly prominent with a wide range of interests catered for. Music and Drama are also strengths in the school. The school puts on a number of productions each year including an annual musical which plays to packed houses for a week. The school band and drama groups perform at various prestige events. Educational visits and exchanges are organised for students of all ages. Sports Leadership is particularly strong.
The Governing Body
The governing body is enthusiastic and active and they bring a wide range of experiences and skills derived from their diverse employment in commerce, industry and education.
The relationship between the senior management team and the governing body has evolved into one which enables open and frank discussion to take place on school issues. The introduction of more linked governors to specific school subject areas has improved governor involvement and awareness of issues and priorities. Strengths and weaknesses are discussed freely.
The relationship between the governing body and staff is one of mutual trust and openness. The governing body endeavours to provide support as well as challenge and to become actively involved in all school matters. We consider the governing body to be part of the school management team and to support the school in its quest to maximise all student achievements in a happy interesting and safe environment.
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