About us:

Orchard Manor School, Dawlish (EX7) | Part of the Special Partnership Trust

Welcome to Orchard Manor School

At Orchard Manor School, we are proud to be a truly inclusive community where every pupil is known, valued and supported to belong. Our work is grounded in our core values of respect, relationships, kindness, community, and health & happiness, which are lived through daily interactions across our school.

We are a specialist school with an outstanding residential provision, supporting pupils aged 4–19 with autism and communication and interaction needs, alongside learning needs.

We place the child firmly at the centre of everything we do. Through strong relationships with pupils, families and professionals, we create a safe, nurturing environment where pupils feel respected, understood and able to thrive.

A significant proportion of our curriculum is dedicated to Communication, Language & Literature, underpinned by a Total Communication approach. Communication is central to wellbeing — supporting pupils’ health & happiness, enabling them to connect, express themselves, and participate fully in their community.

The Role:

We are seeking a passionate and skilled professional to lead communication practice across the school.

This is a key role in helping us:

·         Deliver the highest-quality universal communication offer across all classrooms and environments

·         Build consistent, confident practice rooted in respect and kindness

·         Provide high-quality targeted intervention for pupils with identified speech, language and communication needs

          You will play a central role in ensuring that communication is not an add-on, but something that shapes every interaction, every relationship, and every learning experience.

 You will lead communication provision across our pathway model (Explore, Discovery and Investigate), ensuring that approaches reflect individual need while enabling pupils to build independence and develop   their voice within the school community.

This post is open to candidates who are either:

• ·       a qualified Speech & Language Therapist, or

• ·       a specialist practitioner with expert knowledge in Total Communication and exceptional AAC practice, with a proven ability to influence and develop others

Key Responsibilities: 

Leading Whole-School Communication

·       Lead and embed a consistent Total Communication approach across the school

·       Ensure AAC systems are used effectively and consistently across environments

·       Promote a culture where pupils are listened to, respected and actively supported to communicate

Speech, Language and Communication Planning

·       Assess pupils’ needs and develop clear, practical communication plans

·       Ensure plans are implemented consistently and reviewed for impact

·       Align provision with EHCP outcomes and wider developmental goals

Universal Offer and Targeted Intervention

·       Strengthen the school’s universal communication offer, ensuring high-quality provision for all

·       Deliver or oversee targeted interventions where more specialist support is required

·       Ensure a clear link between need, provision and impact

Workforce Development & Line Management

·       Train, coach and support staff to develop confident, consistent communication practice

·       Line manage a specialist Teaching Assistant, ensuring strong delivery of interventions and strategies

·       Build staff capability so that communication approaches are embedded across the school community

Family Partnership & AAC Funding

·       Work closely with families, recognising their essential role within our community

·       Support families to access funding for AAC devices, offering advice and contributing to applications and reviews

·       Ensure communication strategies support consistency between school, home and wider environments

Collaboration & Impact

·       Work in partnership with external professionals and services

·       Contribute to EHCP processes, reviews and multi-agency planning

·       Monitor and evaluate impact, ensuring a strong focus on pupil outcomes and wellbeing

Our Total Reward Offer:

The Special Partnership Trust recognises the importance of developing a properly implemented People Strategy to underpin the overall strategic aims of the Trust.

Our People Strategy is designed to help us attract prospective high calibre candidates, as well as drive engagement, productivity and retention of our high performing and high potential employees. It reflects our belief in putting our people first. This does not mean putting our learners second. It is based on the philosophy that if we create a positive and rewarding work environment, if our staff feel motivated, well managed and well supported, they in turn will provide the best possible outcome for our learners.

We recognise that our total reward offer, has got to consist of more than just money. We seek to provide our staff with a diverse range of benefits that support their day to day needs both at work and outside of work. These include generous leave entitlements and pension scheme as well as access to health/wellbeing tools, training & development, career pathways and opportunities to ensure they feel valued.

Please visit the Special Partnership website, www.specialpartnership.org for further information about our Trust, or to learn more about our People Strategy and Benefits click here.

If you need the application form or any part of the recruitment process in a different format, please contact us directly at kbuckle-cooper@orchard-manor.org and we will make the necessary adjustments.

Are you ready to make a lasting impact? Join us today. 

Safeguarding:

The Special Partnership Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to the satisfactory completion of checks and references, including an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. In accordance with guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education; the Trust will undertake an online search of all shortlisted candidates.