SENDCO (0.6 FTE)

Are you an experienced and passionate practitioner with a commitment to inclusion, high expectations and ensuring every child achieves their full potential? Do you have the vision, expertise and leadership skills to drive inclusive practice across an entire school community?

Kempston Rural Primary School is seeking an exceptional and enthusiastic SENDCO to join our leadership team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a strategic role in shaping and developing an ambitious, inclusive culture where all children thrive.

This role is not solely focused on SEND provision. We are looking for a leader who understands that inclusion is everyone's responsibility and who can champion excellence in teaching, learning and provision for all pupils. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with staff, parents, governors and external agencies to ensure that barriers to learning are identified and removed, enabling every child to succeed.

Kempston Rural Primary School is a vibrant and inclusive two-form entry primary school with a pre-school, located in Kempston, Bedfordshire. We are a thriving school where every child is valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. We pride ourselves on providing a high-quality education and nurturing environment for our pupils, fostering a love of learning and promoting a strong sense of community. With a well-developed and established curriculum, excellent behaviour for learning, high staff retention and a commitment to professional development, Kempston Rural Primary School is an exceptional place to work. Through a strong ethos of inclusion and high expectations, we are committed to continuous improvement and providing the very best education for all children.

The successful candidate will join an experienced and highly effective SEND team and will work alongside another experienced part-time SENDCO in a job-share arrangement. Together, you will contribute significantly to whole-school development, school improvement priorities and the strategic leadership of inclusion across the school.

We are looking for a SENDCO who is passionate about ensuring that every child receives the support, challenge and opportunities they need to flourish. You will be an excellent communicator, an outstanding advocate for children and families and a resilient leader with a thorough understanding of SEND legislation, inclusive practice and effective provision.

• Holds Qualified Teacher Status.
• Holds the NASENCO Award or NPQ for SENCOs, or is currently undertaking the qualification.
• Has substantial experience working with pupils with SEND across a range of needs.
• Has a strong understanding of the SEND Code of Practice, Equality Act, Children and Families Act and relevant statutory guidance.
• Has a proven track record of driving high standards and improving outcomes for vulnerable pupils.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusion and equity across the whole school.
• Has successfully developed staff practice through coaching, mentoring, training and professional development.
• Can strategically lead and evaluate SEND provision across the school.
• Has experience of intervention mapping, provision mapping and evaluating impact.
• Has experience of planning, monitoring and reviewing support for pupils with additional needs.
• Has excellent knowledge of high-quality first teaching, adaptive teaching and inclusive classroom practice.
• Has experience of managing and developing support staff teams effectively.
• Can lead pupil progress discussions and ensure interventions are appropriately targeted and impactful.
• Has experience of writing and reviewing SEND support plans and contributing to statutory assessment processes.
• Has experience of coordinating and managing Education, Health and Care Plan processes.
• Has excellent record-keeping, organisational and administrative skills.
• Is confident analysing assessment data to identify needs, trends and priorities.
• Builds strong relationships with parents and carers and places children and families at the centre of decision making.
• Has experience working collaboratively with external agencies, professionals and multi-agency teams.
• Can confidently lead meetings with parents and professionals.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Is committed to continuous school improvement and contributing to the strategic leadership of the school.
• Demonstrates resilience, professionalism, integrity and a solution-focused approach.

• A welcoming and supportive school community.
• Enthusiastic, respectful and well-behaved children who love learning.
• An experienced SENDCO colleague to work alongside in a collaborative job-share arrangement.
• Membership of the school's leadership team.
• The opportunity to strategically shape and develop inclusion across the school.
• A supportive, present, forward-thinking and active SLT.
• A committed and highly skilled staff team.
• Strong staff retention and positive staff relationships.
• Opportunities for high-quality CPD, leadership development and career progression.
• A well-resourced school housed in an impressive modern building.
• An established curriculum and robust school systems.
• A strong commitment to staff wellbeing and workload, including a wellbeing day off termly.
• Free access to Care First wellbeing services.
• Free tea and coffee.
• Free flu jab.
• A supportive and happy working environment in a beautiful setting.
• The opportunity to make a genuine and lasting difference to the lives of children and families.

The successful candidate will be a qualified teacher and experienced SEND practitioner with a proven ability to lead, inspire and improve outcomes for children with additional needs. They will possess excellent organisational, communication and leadership skills and be committed to ensuring that inclusion remains at the heart of everything we do.

Visits to our wonderful school are strongly encouraged and warmly welcomed. To arrange a tour, please contact the school office on [phone removed] or email [email removed].

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a thriving primary school with a strong community ethos and an unwavering commitment to inclusion and excellence. If you are an ambitious, skilled and passionate SEND leader, we would love to hear from you.