About The Role
Salary: Main scale / UPS + TLR 1A (min) + SEN 2 (for those holding the mandatory QTVI qualification) Inner London Allowance pay rates apply.
Location: Tower Hamlets Learning Advisory Service, 19 Ensign Street, E1 8JD
Hours per week: Up to 32.5 (full time)
Shortlisting Date: Week commencing 13th April 2026
Interview Dates: Week Commencing 20th April 2026 (proposed date Tuesday 21st April)
Start Date: 1st September 2026
About Us
The Visual Impairment (VI) team sits within the wider Tower Hamlets Learning Advisory Service (LAS), working in close partnership with other special educational needs and disability (SEND) services and with a range of health professionals across the borough.
Our team includes Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVIs), Sensory Support Assistants (VI), and a Registered Qualified Habilitation Specialist (RQHS). Together, we provide high-quality advisory support for children and young people (CYP) with visual impairment aged 0–25, promoting inclusion, independence, access to learning, and improved outcomes across early years settings, schools, colleges, and the home environment.
The role
We have an exciting vacancy for a Team Leader for Specialist Advisory Teachers – QTVIs, available from September 2026.
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired, ideally with previous line management or coordination experience, who is confident working in an advisory capacity in a diverse, multi‑lingual and multi‑cultural community.
As a Team Leader, you will
* Line manage the specialist VI advisory teaching team, including sensory support assistants and matrix management of the Registered Qualified Habilitation Specialist.
* Promote the educational, social and independence-related inclusion of CYP with visual impairment across the 0–25 age range in a range of educational settings and family homes.
* Ensure delivery is compliant with legislation, quality standards and local policies on inclusion and equality.
* Lead on the allocation and monitoring of new referrals, service-level data, caseload management and performance indicators.
* Work closely with the SEND Inclusion Advisor and alongside the Team Leader for Deaf and Partial Hearing to advise the local authority on strategic policy and practice relating to sensory needs.
* Maintain oversight of children and young people with Multisensory Impairment (MSI), working jointly with the Deaf and Partial Hearing team where dual sensory needs are identified. An awareness of MSI and its impact on learning is required; direct experience is desirable and training can be provided
* Maintain and strengthen multi-agency partnerships across education, health and social care, including ophthalmology, paediatrics, Early Years services, SENAR, and other specialist provisions.
* Support capacity-building across schools and settings to raise attainment and promote independence for children and young people with visual impairment.
What we offer
For candidates with the right qualifications, skills and experience, we offer:
* Salary: Main scale / UPS + TLR 1A (min) + SEN 2 (max) (with the mandatory QTVI qualification).
* Potential Earnings: For a UPS teacher working full-time, earnings could be between (£73,303 - £78,167 per annum).
* Travel: A travel allowance or essential car user allowance is available to support the peripatetic nature of the role.
Who we are looking for
The ideal candidate will:
* Be an excellent communicator with significant experience supporting CYP with visual impairment across a range of educational settings.
* Have strong organisational skills, resilience and the ability to lead, motivate and develop a specialist team.
* Demonstrate a sound understanding of relevant legislation, inclusive practice, SEND policy and effective multi-agency working.
* Bring a strong commitment to equity, inclusion and high expectations for children and young people with visual impairment.
* Work proactively with families, school leaders and professionals across health, education and social care.
How to Apply
Each role has a detailed job description and person specification, which are published on the advert for the relevant role. The person specification sets out the criteria we use to assess applicants.
It is important that in your application you address all criteria that are marked with the letter A in the person specification. The letter A indicates that we will use the criteria to shortlist (and longlist if we need to) candidates. You should provide examples of how you meet the criteria.
A full overview of duties and requirements can be found in the attached Job Description.
Please see the attached job description for full details. If you believe you have the right skills and experience for this post, and you want to come and work in a dynamic borough like Tower Hamlets, then we would like to hear from you.
Please email if you would like more information.
About Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets is a truly unique borough at the heart of London – a place where history and innovation sit side by side. From the docks and markets that shaped the East End to the global business hub of Canary Wharf, we are proud to be one of the most dynamic, diverse, and ambitious communities in the UK. We are also one of the fastest growing and youngest boroughs in the country, offering unrivalled opportunities to make a real difference to people's lives. Our residents are energetic, creative, and resilient, and our council is committed to delivering the best possible services and opportunities for them.
Our award-winning new Town Hall in Whitechapel provides a modern, flexible workplace for our staff, right at the heart of the borough and directly opposite Whitechapel Tube and Elizabeth line station. It is more than just a workplace – it's a hub for collaboration, innovation and community, designed to bring out the best in our people.
As an employer, we put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of everything we do. Our active Employee Network Groups celebrate and champion our workforce, helping to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging. Guided by our TOWER values – Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and Respect – we are building a positive, inclusive culture where colleagues can thrive.
At Tower Hamlets Council, you'll find exciting challenges, supportive colleagues, and the chance to shape one of London's most important and vibrant places. If you're looking for a role where you can see the impact of your work every day, then Tower Hamlets is the place for you.