AddressWe are proud of the fantastic learning culture at John Watson. The decisions we make are guided by SLICE.
These 5 areas drive the work of the school. Our aim is to empower each child to ensure they can live as full and as independent lives as possible…
Safety
Learning
Independence
Communication
Engagement
If you share our values of teamwork, inclusion and innovation and have high expectations of what children can achieve, we would love to hear from you. We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic teacher to join our existing committed team. The post would suit someone with sound knowledge of child development and experience of working with children and young people with Special Educational Needs.
We are a Community Special School for children and young people from the ages of 2-19 years, with 110 on roll. Our pupils have severe learning difficulties, or profound and multiple learning difficulties. The designation of the school means that pupils typically have complex needs, and medical needs requiring a high degree of differentiation and bespoke provision. In most cases our pupils will be working below the national curriculum and the equivalent of Expected Levels for NCY1.
We value a happy, healthy and secure learning environment in which all the needs of pupils are met, enabling each young person to reach their individual potential and to maximise their independence. We provide pupils with opportunities for integrated educational experiences across shared sites with mainstream schools.
We are judged Good by Ofsted (October 2022) and we are ambitious in our vision for the future provision for our pupils. We offer small classes, typically less than 10 pupils per class, working within large teams of support staff and additional NHS therapists, and have newly furbished high-spec learning spaces through most of the school. We have a unique relationship with Wheatley Nursery School who share our site.
Please see our website www.johnwatsonschool.org for further information about the school.
Please consider the job description and person specification below and complete an application form, which can be found on our website.
Oxfordshire Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. These posts involve the type of work with children and young people that requires applicants to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post. All cases are considered confidentially and according to the nature of the role and information disclosed.
Salary Details: MPR/UPR plus SEN Allowance 1
Job Term: Maternity cover
Appointment Type: Full time (FTE.)
Contact Telephone: 01865 452 725
To start: Maternity cover - May/June 2024
JOB DESCRIPTION - CLASS TEACHER
General Duties
You will be expected to carry out the professional duties of a teacher as outlined in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions 2023/24 document, or any subsequent legislation and to meet the Teachers’ Standards (attached). In addition, you will be required to follow all the current school policies, procedures and protocols and uphold the good reputation of the school.
Specific Duties: Class Teacher
- Ensure that you are able to demonstrate how your role furthers the core principles, values and key objectives linked to the school improvement plan and the school’s key priorities
- Establish and maintain an appropriately ordered learning environment with displays of student work which comply with school wide guidance and expectations
- Use formative and summative assessments to secure pupils’ progress
- Be accountable for pupils’ attainment, progress and outcomes
- Be responsible for the pastoral care of students in your care promoting self-discipline and good behaviour at all times
- Deliver high quality teaching to students assigned to you
- Be responsible for ensuring that improvements in personal and social development, behaviour, literacy, numeracy and communication are priority targets for all students
- Support and promote opportunities for 2-way inclusion with peers within school and with mainstream students as appropriate, in order to enhance students’ learning and social development
- Ensure an appropriate level of inclusion reflecting the particular needs of the individual student, the EHC plan and exploiting the opportunities arising from the co-location of our split site provision
- Ensure effective working partnership is established and maintained with the CNS and therapist teams
- Ensure effective home-school links are established and maintained and that appropriate logs are kept of all communications using school wide systems
- Ensure that you contribute to effective shared communication and e-communication systems, enabling collaborative accountability across the Hard Federation
- At all times display a high regard for risk management through robust risk assessment and the strict adherence of school policies pertaining to Behaviour and Safety Management
- Manage a weekly Team Meeting with your staff, or participate in a KS meeting
- Attend and participate in a weekly Professional Development Meeting
- Attend morning briefings (as required)
- Provide effective line management to your class team
- To perform regular dinner duties (as required.)
- To lead school trips to further learning beyond the classroom
- Cover other classes as and when required
General Responsibilities: All Staff
- Follow school and county guidelines for safe working practice to safeguard students and staff in schools, maintaining confidentiality and attending training as required
- Take part in the school's current staff development, self-review and appraisal programmes and the school performance management systems
- Support the educational aims and philosophy of the school, contributing to all aspects of school life as a member of the school team and undertaking other duties reasonably requested by the headteacher
Specific responsibilities under Health & Safety legislation to ensure that you:
- Take reasonable care for your own health and safety, and the safety of others affected by your action or inaction;
- Cooperate on all issues involving health and safety and safeguarding;
- Report any health and safety or safeguarding concerns to your line manager as soon as practicable.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL
- Proven ability to meet Teachers’ Standards in full
- Successful recent relevant classroom experience teaching primary age pupils
- Excellent understanding of Safeguarding and Risk Management
- Understanding of how to support the holistic needs of pupils with complex learning needs and behaviours
- Excellent classroom organisation and management skills, in order to maximise pupil autonomy
- Proven ability to manage a class team effectively to meet the holistic needs of those in your care
- Proven track record in using pupil performance data to monitor the progress of pupils
- Commitment to providing quality inclusion opportunities
- Ability to provide coaching and mentoring support to your class team
- Highly effective verbal and written communication skills
- Able to contribute to school leaders, governors and other professionals involved in self-evaluation and school improvement
- Excellent understanding of how to support early reading (including structured phonics) and how to embed rudimentary maths knowledge and understanding
- Excellent IT skills to support your role, and support effective learning and assessment
- Excellent understanding of the needs of families with SEN children and ability to maintain links with parents/carers
- Willingness to participate in the wider life of the school
- Proven commitment to continuing professional development
DESIRABLE
- Experience of working in more than one setting
- Experience monitoring the quality of provision across a Key Stage and/or area of the curriculum across the school
- Team Teach trained
- Recent experience contributing to curriculum design and development
- Experience offering training to other colleagues in a curriculum area
- Experience of working with pupils in the locality, beyond the classroom
