No candidate will meet every single desired qualification / criteria. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!
Salary: £52,018 - £53,399 per annum
Hours per week: 37 hours
The working pattern: Monday – Thursday 7 hours a day and Friday 7.5 hours a day.
Weeks per annum 52 weeks per annum
Location: Witney Campus
Contract Type: Permanent
At Abingdon and Witney College, we are passionate about ensuring that all our students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are empowered to succeed. We are seeking an experienced and committed Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) to join our inclusive and forward-thinking team.
This is a strategic leadership role that will give you the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people. You will play a key role in ensuring we meet our statutory duties under the SEND Code of Practice, and in shaping the direction and delivery of our SEND provision across the college.
Your responsibilities will include:
* Taking a strategic lead as part of the SEND Support Leadership Team, contributing to self-assessment, quality improvement plans, and the continual development of high-quality support services.
* Leading on key specialist areas such as:
* Autism and ADHD provision
* Specialist Therapy Teams (Speech & Language, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy)
* Exam Access Arrangements
* Dyslexia/dyscalculia assessment and screening
* EHCP administration and Annual Reviews
* Transition support for students with SEND
* Line managing relevant staff and liaising with external service providers, including managing Service Level Agreements where required.
* Conducting screenings and assessments to inform tailored support strategies.
* Delivering high-quality, specialist 1:1 support, including dyslexia support and advice on Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA).
* Working collaboratively with Local Authorities, external agencies, parents/carers, and internal college teams to ensure effective co-production and support for students.
* Responding to EHCP consultations and contributing to statutory processes such as tribunals and Needs Assessments.
* Providing staff training and ongoing CPD to raise awareness and improve the quality of SEND provision across college.
* Supporting the development and implementation of inclusive teaching strategies and a graduated response to student needs.
* Ensuring compliance with safeguarding procedures and promoting student welfare at all times.
What we’re looking for:
We’re seeking someone who brings both compassion and professionalism to this key leadership role.
You will have:
* A relevant degree, HND or professional qualification.
* A Level 5 teaching qualification (or higher).
* A Dyslexia Assessor Practicing Certificate, or a willingness to achieve it.
* An in-depth understanding of the SEND Code of Practice and relevant legislation.
* Extensive experience working with young people with SEND in secondary or post-16 education.
* Strong knowledge of a range of special educational needs and conditions.
* The ability to manage complex caseloads, lead professional meetings, and implement strategic support.
* A commitment to continuous improvement, safeguarding, equality, and the success of all students.
Desirable qualifications and experience include:
* The National Award for SEN Coordination
* Experience of line management
* A good understanding of post-16 vocational education and qualifications
Why Work With Us?
Excellent benefits for our employees including generous pension and holiday schemes (with potential Christmas closure days), continued professional development, flexible working options, corporate gym membership, cycle/tech scheme and much more.
*Abingdon and Witney College reserve the right to close all applications before posted closing date
AWC values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all appointments are subject to satisfactory clearances including enhanced DBS checks.
Abingdon and Witney College are committed to safer recruitment practices. In addition to our pre-employment checks, we will conduct an online search. This includes checking Google main results feed as well as the ‘News’ and ‘Images’ tab. We will be checking for any publicly available information that suggests the applicant may not be suitable to work with children or young/vulnerable people or content that could potentially damage Abingdon and Witney College’s reputation. This may include inappropriate posts, comments or images displaying evidence of offensive or inappropriate behaviour, jokes or language, discriminatory comments, inappropriate photos, drug or alcohol misuse