Home School Services ECT Manager

Warning - This Vacancy is now Closed!

Special Needs Teacher - Full-time - Special Needs Position

Whitfield Aspen School, Dover

  • Ref:KCC886-2471-183T
  • Posted:24/03/2025
  • Pay:Main Pay Scale + SEN Allowance
  • Start Date:Monday 1st September 2025
  • App Close Date:21/04/2025 at 23:45
  • Interviews:Thursday 8th May 2025

Advert

Special Needs Teacher working in an SRP classroom required  for Whitfield Aspen School starting September 2025

Mainscale Salary and SEN allowance (ECT/UPS welcome to apply)

Whitfield Aspen School are looking to appoint two enthusiastic Special Needs Teachers to work with a class of pupils with profound and complex physical, medical and learning needs.  We are looking for a dynamic individual who will fully embrace the school’s Vision and Values of “Learning Together with Aspiration, Imagination and Determination”.  The school is currently undergoing an expansion programme, with the addition of 8 new classrooms. This is a very exciting opportunity for someone to join our friendly and supportive staff so we need to find the right person.  Have you got what it takes? 

The ideal candidate will: -

 

  • Have experience, understanding and an enthusiasm to meet the learning needs of pupils with profound and complex physical and medical needs in exciting, meaningful and effective ways.
  • Have high expectations and a commitment to providing stimulating learning experiences.
  • Possess excellent interpersonal skills in order to communicate effectively with children, colleagues and parents.
  • Be able to lead a TA team in their class to ensure all learning is dynamic and personalised.
  • Be a teacher who uses their imagination to enrich the children’s enjoyment of learning and is passionate about engaging the children in the world around them.

If you would like to join our highly motivated team in our school, we highly recommend you come and visit us before applying online.  This gives applicants a chance to see this unique school which prides itself on how it enables everyone to learn together whilst treating everyone equally but not necessarily the same.

Please apply via Kent Teach: Reference KCC886-2471-183T or see Whitfield Aspen School Vacancies page for an application form.

Please note that as part of Keeping Children Safe in Education, all references are required to be obtained prior to interview. Shortlisted candidates will undertake online social media checks. Contracts will be subject to satisfactory references, teacher barring and qualification checks and pre-employment health screening.

Our school and its personnel are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children.  This post is subject to an Enhanced Certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

For further information or to make an appointment to view the school please contact Gemma Kingsland-Roberts on 01304 821526 or by email: gemma.kingsland-roberts@whitfield.kent.sch.uk

Deadline for Applications: Monday 21st April at 23:45 PM

Interview Date:                Thursday 8th May 2025

Information about the school

Whitfield Aspen School is unusual in a national context.  It is a combination of a mainstream primary and a Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) for primary age pupils with profound, severe and complex learning needs (PSCN). In September 2022, we developed the Engagement Model as an approach across the whole school to support children with complex social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), who are disengaged with their learning. In addition, there is a Specialist Intervention Nursery team who support interventions and next steps for identified children in local mainstream Nurseries. We also offer on-site provision for Specialist Intervention, for Nursery age children who are not able to access a mainstream setting, due to their complex needs.   

Whitfield Aspen School works collaboratively with a group of 11 other local mainstream schools, the Samphire Learning Hub. We are a group of schools that work collaboratively to improve outcomes for children. We also are part of Kent Special Educational Needs Trust which contains all the Special Schools within Kent. We work closely with them to ensure the staff within the SRP are as competent as those teachers working within Special Schools.

At Whitfield Aspen school the proportion of pupils with profound, severe and complex learning needs far exceeds the national average for a mainstream school.    In September 2021, the school split over 2 sites. The Richmond site opened for Yr. 4, Yr. 5, Yr. 6 and KS2 (Key Stage 2) pupils on the SRP roll. The lower school for EY, Yr.1, Yr.2 and Yr.3 and KS1 (Key Stage 1) pupils on the SRP roll, continues to be based on Mayfield Road. We are maintaining the fully inclusive model over both sites. 

An additional block will be added to the Richmond site during 2024-2025. This will create the capacity, initially, for an additional 4 classrooms. We currently have 630 students across two sites and in excess of 230 staff. Our Governors play an active role in school life and support our school aims fully.

In January 2025 we went through a Graded Inspection and maintained our Good status.

Job Contact Information

Documents

Below are documents that have been added to this vacancy.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our students. You are advised that this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and therefore this post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Please be aware that schools are also required to undertake online recruitment checks on shortlisted candidates under changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education.