Job profile

PolyMAT is a small and ambitious MAT with a unique family feel. Our vision is ‘Success for Everyone’ that places inclusion and well-being at its heart. We currently have three schools in our Trust: Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys, a long-successful boys’ school, Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls that opened in 2019, and Bannockburn Primary School, a large successful primary that joined the Trust on 1^st November 2023.  We also have our flourishing Sixth Form provision which is co-educational. Our Trust and our schools’ pride themselves on a culture of high standards delivered through our Values of Care and Unity.  We provide a rewarding environment where students and staff feel valued and supported and everyone feels part of the larger family as our schools and departments work very closely together.

Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys are looking for an innovative and dedicated leader who will work alongside the leadership team to achieve our vision of success for everyone. We believe that every child is unique and special and has the capacity within them to succeed, both at an academic and personal level.

As Senior SENDCo, you will play a key role in driving the strategic direction of our inclusive practices to ensure that our SEND students achieve the best possible outcomes. You will be an inspiring practitioner with the energy and creativity to motivate a team, lead by example and challenge staff and students to ensure that success is achieved. This position has the advantage of an administrative assistant Monday-Friday to directly support the Senior SENDCo and the Learning Support Department.

Here at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys, we place significant value on our professional working relationships with others and, therefore, we are looking for an individual who not only has excellent inter-personal skills but also has a track record of forming strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders to achieve a shared vision and goal.

The successful candidate will:

• Contribute to the effective leadership of the school.
• Promote, monitor and support student learning and be responsible for the progress of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
• Be responsible for leading, managing and developing staff in the SEND department.
• Raise standards of student attainment and attitudes to learning of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
• Ensure effective coordination of all aspects of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Provision.
• Resilience and optimism in the face of challenges
• Integrity
• Attention to detail
• Decisiveness, consistency and an ability to focus on solutions
• Courage and conviction
• Ability to deliver a consistent approach with regards to discipline
• Stamina to cope with the role
• A sense of humour
• Maintain the school’s register of SEND pupils and collate and update related records, ensuring they are available for reference with due consideration for confidentiality.

We are a school who knows that our success is due to the high-quality staff we employ, therefore we make staff wellbeing and development a priority. More details of this are shown below.

As a member of staff at Woolwich Polytechnic School we can offer you:

• Opportunities to contribute ideas and develop initiatives that improve the school
• Outstanding staff: professional, supportive and committed
• Opportunities for career progression
• Excellent professional development
• The opportunity to play your part to help provide a rewarding environment where students and staff feel valued and supported and everyone feels part of the ‘Poly Family’
• A contributory pension scheme
• Opportunities to collaborate with outstanding and dynamic teaching professionals
• Access to various discounts for a small monthly fee
• An employee assistance programme
• Season ticket loans
• Finders fees for personal introductions of staff that we employ
• Excellent catering facilities with complimentary daily coffee for staff
• Secure on-site parking
• A focus on wellbeing with a dedicated wellbeing committee to liaise with SLT

PolyMAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all trustees, staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced Criminal Record Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service, along with other relevant employment checks, including overseas criminal background checks, where applicable. All new trustees, employees and volunteers will be required to undertake safeguarding training on induction, which will be regularly updated in line with statutory guidance.

In accordance with KCSIE 2022 legislation all shortlisted candidates are subject to a social media check.

The school is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 3 January 2024.

Interviews are scheduled shortly after.

We look forward to hearing from you.