The Springfields Academy, Reach South Academy Trust is growing! Following this period of growth, we are seeking to appoint an exceptional Autism/SEND Teacher to join the School. 

Post: Autism/SEND Teacher  

Location: The Springfields Academy, Curzon Street, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0DS 

FTE Salary Range: MPS to UPS plus SEN Allowance £2,539 per annum  

Contract Type:  Permanent, full time

Contract Hours: 32.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

About the role

The role of Autism SEND Teacher is an exciting role working with our team in Calne to support our growth in pupil numbers. The core purpose of the role is to develop and deliver a holistic academic, social communication and life skills curriculum for our pupils with autism.  

It is a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to create a developmental learning experience that not only enables the pupils to develop within our setting but maximises opportunities to develop the skills for a ‘safe, independent life’ using autism enablement structures and systems. 

The role requires the successful candidate to have an understanding/commitment to understanding the theories of autism and how they can be applied in practice to meet individual need; in addition to creativity, flexibility, resilience and a commitment to meeting the needs of our pupils through innovative provision and pedagogy. 

The Springfields Academy is a Reach South Academy for young people aged 4-19 with autism, we are proud to hold the NAS Advanced specialist award and to be recognised as an Ofsted good school. We have 240 pupils attending our provision.  

Our goal is to build safe independent lives for autistic young people through support, understanding and enablement.  

Part of the excitement of teaching at Springfields is the broad range of individuals that you will care for. A key aspect of working at Springfields is taking the time to get to know pupils and their individual needs, and given their complexity, being able to create a safe, stimulating and supportive learning environment is crucial. 

You will be joining a happy, hardworking and well-established team. You will also work in partnership with our multi-disciplinary therapy team as part of our therapy first culture.  

About the successful candidate

We are looking for someone with. 

• A passion for making complex concepts accessible for the autistic learner. 
• A child-centred practitioner who responds to the individual needs of each child. 
• A teacher with a commitment to developing a good knowledge and understanding of autism and social communication needs and appropriate strategies to support pupils with this need. E.g. TEACCH 
• A creative and flexible approach to teaching that builds success through challenge, personalisation and innovation. 
• The confidence and skills to build positive relationships that help to break down barriers, build self-esteem. 
• A commitment to enabling all our pupils to overcome their challenges and achieve their potential both socially and academically. 
• Experience of primary, secondary, or specialist provision beneficial.

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable young people with autism.  
• The chance to deliver an engaging and creative functional curriculum that builds independent life skills. 
• A close-knit team of professionals who work in a supportive and inspirational environment. 
• An outstanding learning community that engages pupils and develops positive attitudes to learning.  
• The opportunity to be involved in wider-school life through trips, clubs, collapsed timetable days, Duke of Edinburgh etc.  
• On-going, specialist professional development. 
• A comprehensive CPD package with opportunities for individual development and development of knowledge linked to good autism practice 
• A commitment to ‘Healthy Working Lives’ through a comprehensive trust Employee Assistance programme 
• A work laptop  
• Small class sizes 

School Background

The Springfields Academy is an academy based in Calne.  We aspire to build safe independent lives for autistic young people through support, understanding and enablement. Additionally, we hold the National Autistic Society Advanced specialist award and are recognised as an Ofsted good school.  

We are an acknowledged centre of excellence for Autism; we are highly reflective in our practices, and are continually working to improve our provision and practices. We provide a personalised curriculum journey that enables leaners with a diagnosis of autism to develop skills in areas of need and to overcome their barriers to learning. The drive to build ‘safe Independent lives’ shapes this curriculum and everything else that we do.  The Academy has a PAN of 210, rising to 250 September 2024. 

Trust Background

Reach South is a young and developing Trust which operates across the South West of England with the aim of delivering all through 3-19 education.  We operate 17 academies in Plymouth, Bournemouth, Dorset and Wiltshire.  We are building this Trust on a clear set of values, behaviours and curriculum principles. At the heart of those values and principles is a belief in our young people and a determination to support them to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to become the successful citizens for today and all of their tomorrows.  

Our core business is delivering exceptional education for children and young people with a mission to help all pupils aspire to achieve beyond the expectations that others put on them.  We do this through the development of a talented and committed workforce. In order to deliver exceptional opportunities for learning, we need highly motivated staff across all parts of the organisation.   

Those we recruit are able to demonstrate that they share our values, are highly motivated to work with colleagues, within and beyond their school, to continuously develop their skills and pursue professional excellence. 

Next Steps

So if you have any queries about this role or would like an informal conversation, visits are warmly welcome, please get in touch by calling Marie Lopez on 01249 814125 or email at marie.lopez@springfieldsacademy.org. 

If you are experiencing any technical issues, please contact recruitment@reachsouth.org for support. 

Closing date: for applications is Sunday 26th Jan 2025

Interview Date:  Interviews will provisionally be held on the week commencing 6th February 2025

To apply for this opportunity, please complete our online application form by clicking ‘apply now’ on the advert.

We reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date. Therefore, an early application is strongly advised.

Opportunities and Benefits

We offer a competitive salary plus TPS pension, great career progression and development opportunities, access to our Employee Assistance Programme with many other benefits.  

We’re proud of how we support our staff in order that you have high levels of job satisfaction, are aware of the difference you are making for the children and families you work with and can see your contribution towards our community. There are regular opportunities for professional development and training, and a wider community of staff to network with within Reach South Multi Academy Trust. You will have the chance to visit other local schools, work alongside a range of outside professionals and take part in a variety of e-learning and face-to-face training. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Each post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.  

Reach South Academy Trust is committed to ensuring that there is no discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation at any stage of the recruitment process or in the terms and conditions offered to new employees, or promoted employees.