Senco

Join a Community Where We 'Aspire, Believe, and Achieve' Together at St Helena School. Do you have the skills to foster a stimulating environment where every child can achieve their very best? Ready to inspire young minds to dream big? At St Helena School, we strive towards a mindset that anything is possible. We provide our young people with the confidence, motivation, and resilience to be successful through a wide and inclusive curriculum.

We're looking for an enthusiastic and conscientious SENCo to lead our SEND team. This is an exciting opportunity to build upon the excellent work already in place and champion our students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). At St Helena, we are committed to being inclusive and ensuring all students, particularly those with SEND, have the ability to thrive in our environment.

The successful candidate will be fully supported in this role, with protected time to fulfil their duties. The SENCo will lead an enthusiastic and committed team, including an Assistant SENCo, an Inclusion Room Lead, and a team of Learning Support Assistants.

This position is suitable for both an experienced SENCo with outstanding people skills and empathy, or a newly qualified SENCo ready to take on this leadership role.

• Ensure the school meets all legal obligations under the most recent version of the SEND Code of Practice.
• Work with students, subject leaders and class teachers with tutorial/pastoral responsibilities to set realistic expectations for students with SEND.
• Lead and line‑manage the SEND team.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with parents/carers of students with SEND/additional needs to promote student learning; communicate effectively about targets, achievements and progress.

• Established and evidenced practice with children with a variety of SEND.
• UK Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
• The ability to teach lessons that challenge, motivate and inspire all students.
• A passion for teaching and making a real difference to young people.
• A commitment to safeguarding and child protection.

If you are a dynamic SENCo with experience, who would like to work in a supportive and collaborative environment and you feel that you have the enthusiasm and commitment required to join our school, please apply.

St Helena School, part of the Sigma Trust, is a highly‑regarded 11‑16 co‑educational Academy, recognised as Good by Ofsted in 2014 and now on a journey to Outstanding. Located on 17 acres in historic Colchester, the school has a fine blend of traditional and modern facilities and opened a £2.5m new Science block in 2015 and a £2.5m all‑weather pitch facility in February 2016.

On 1 September 2016 the school joined The Sigma Trust, a partnership of schools including The Stanway School, The Thomas Lord Audley School, Clacton County High School, Monkwick Junior School, and Monkwick Infants School and Nursery. Working in collaboration with all the schools within The Sigma Trust, St Helena has developed and enhanced its professional practice. Safeguarding is a core priority;

all posts are subject to safer recruitment processes, including criminal record checks, online checks and other vetting checks, to ensure the protection of children and young people.

• A robust CPD training programme that empowers you to flourish.
• Unrivalled opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the Trust, sharing ideas and building strong professional relationships.

• A competitive salary and excellent pension scheme.
• A Health Cash Plan to help manage your everyday healthcare costs.
• Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme to support your well‑being.
• Exclusive perks such as the Cycle to Work scheme, access to discounts via free membership to Perkbox, eligibility for a Blue Light Card, and more.

The Sigma Trust is proud to be an equal‑opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of any protected characteristics. This is embedded in our vision “To Be Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts”, where we believe we are stronger and more successful when working together, creating a workplace that celebrates diversity. All posts are subject to safer recruitment processes, including the disclosure of criminal records, online checks and other vetting checks, to maintain a safe environment for all students and staff.