Teacher - Special Educational Needs (TA4) at Education Authority Northern Ireland

Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

22 Jan, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

24 Oct, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Leadership, Safeguarding, Child Protection, Human Resource Management, Health and Wellness, Collaborative Working, Complex Needs Support, Risk Assessment, Policy Development, Quality Assurance, Budget Management, Teaching, Communication, Assessment, Professional Development, Classroom Management

Industry

Education Administration Programs

Description

JOB DESCRIPTION JOB TITLE: Teacher - Special REPORTS TO: Principal PROFESSIONAL DUTIES OF A TEACHER TEACHERS’ (TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT) REGULATIONS (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1987 Schedule 3 Regulation 5 Purpose of the Role TA4 post holders provide strategic leadership in key areas of school improvement, safeguarding, and collaborative working. They ensure high-quality provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) while fostering inclusive education and multi-agency collaboration. Duties In addition to the duties of a teacher, the successful candidate will be required to carry out the following duties for the above post of responsibility: 1. Safeguarding & Child Protection Act as Designated or Deputy Designated Teacher for Child Protection, ensuring compliance with statutory safeguarding duties https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/safeguarding-and-child-protection-schools-guide-schools Lead staff training on child protection procedures, ensuring all staff understand their responsibilities. Maintain accurate safeguarding records, liaising with external agencies when necessary. 2. Human Resource Function Oversee staff induction, and professional development, ensuring alignment with school policies. Monitor and manage staff absences effectively, ensure timely and appropriate substitute cover to maintain continuity in teaching and learning. Conduct performance management reviews, providing feedback and mentoring. Ensure compliance with employment regulations, supporting staff well-being initiatives. 3. Strategic Leadership in Health, Wellness & Resilience Develop and implement health and well-being programmes for pupils and staff. Signposting to mental health support initiatives. Monitor staff and pupil resilience, embedding strategies to foster a positive school culture. 4. Strategic Lead for Collaborative Working Establish formal partnerships with social services, Allied Health Professionals (AHP), and education providers. Coordinate multi-agency meetings, ensuring effective communication and collaboration with parents and professionals. Lead interdisciplinary training, enhancing staff understanding of external support systems. 5. Complex Cases – Medical Needs & Behaviour Act as coordinator for access to learning, ensuring pupils with complex medical and behavioural needs receive appropriate support. Oversee the complex case profiles of pupils within the school. Co-ordinate resources and staff with responsibility for the delivery of individualised learning plans, collaborating with medical professionals and behaviour specialists as required. Provide direction to staff on managing complex cases effectively. 6. Risk Assessment & Liaison with External Agencies Quality assure risk assessments for pupils with medical and behavioural needs, ensuring safe learning environments. Liaise with external agencies, including education authority, health services and social care, to coordinate support. Serve as Educational Visits Coordinator, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations for school trips. 7. Policy Development & Implementation Develop and review school policies, ensuring alignment with educational frameworks. Ensure policies reflect Clifton Special School’s ethos, promoting inclusivity and high standards. Lead on policy dissemination, ensuring staff and stakeholders are consulted and informed. 8. Self-Evaluation & Quality Assurance Conduct self-evaluation processes via an outcomes-based accountability approach, identifying areas for improvement. Lead on quality assurance, ensuring high standards in teaching and learning. Use stakeholder feedback to inform school development planning. 9. Budget Planning & Management of SEN Services Oversee earmarked funding, ensuring effective allocation for SEN services and resources. Lead on budget planning, ensuring financial sustainability and compliance with funding regulations. Manage special educational needs resources, ensuring equitable distribution and accessibility. 10. Compliance & Regulations Act as Subject Access Requests and Freedom of Information Coordinator, ensuring compliance with data protection laws. Ensure adherence to educational regulations, safeguarding pupil and staff rights. Provide guidance on legal compliance, supporting school leadership in regulatory matters. 11. Teaching Commitment Maintain a teaching commitment, delivering high-quality lessons tailored to pupils with SEN. Model best practices in teaching and learning, supporting staff development. Ensure effective differentiation, meeting the diverse needs of pupils. Circumstances may arise in the future when the duties associated with this post of responsibility are no longer in keeping with the current need, priority, future vision, strategy or direction of the school. In this circumstance, the Principal/Board of Governors will commence negotiations with teacher(s) concerned with a view to agreeing appropriate modified duties commensurate with the level of the allowance. For those applicants currently employed in a temporary capacity, should you be successful in obtaining this post of responsibility, you will hold this TA until: · The cessation of your temporary employment OR; · The cessation of the teaching allowance as detailed above. Whichever is the shorter duration. Additional Information A teacher may be awarded only one of five Teaching Allowances (TA) i.e. TA1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. It is not possible to award more than one TA to a teacher to recognise different areas of responsibility. In the event that a teacher who currently holds a TA applies for and obtains a post attracting a higher TA, the teacher will be required to relinquish the current allowance. The teacher will no longer be required to perform the duties associated with the current allowance unless these are subsumed within the duties of the new post following a revision of the management structure. 1) Exercise of general professional duties A teacher who is not a principal shall carry out the professional duties of a teacher as circumstances may require:- (a) if he/she is employed as a teacher in a school under the reasonable direction of the principal of that school; (b) if he/she is employed by a board on terms under which he is not assigned to any one school, under the reasonable direction of that board and of the principal of any school in which he/she may for the time being be required to work as a teacher. 2) Exercise of particular duties (a) A teacher employed as a teacher (other than a principal) in a school shall perform, in accordance with any directions which may be reasonably given to him/her by the principal from time to time, such particular duties as may reasonably be assigned to him/her. (b) A teacher to whom paragraph 1(b) refers shall perform, in accordance with any direction which may reasonably be given to him/her from time to time by the board or by the principal of any school in which he/she may for the time being be required to work as a teacher, such particular duties as may reasonably be assigned to him/her. 1. Planning 1.1 Planning and preparing courses and lessons; 1.2 Teaching, according to their educational needs, the pupils assigned to him/her, including the setting and marking of work to be carried out by the pupils in school and elsewhere; 1.3 Assessing, recording and reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils. 2. General 2.1 Promoting the general progress and well-being of individual pupils and of any class or group of pupils assigned to him/her; 2.2 Providing advice and guidance to pupils on educational and social matters and on their further education and future careers including information about sources of more expert advice on specific questions, making relevant records and reports; 2.3 Making records of and reports on the personal and social needs of pupils except in instances where to do so might be regarded as compromising a teacher’s own position; 2.4 Communicating and consulting with the parents of pupils; 2.5 Communicating and co-operating with such persons or bodies outside the school as may be approved by the employing authority and the Board of Governors; 2.6 Participating in meetings arranged for any of the purposes described above. 3. Assessment/Reporting Providing or contributing to oral and written assessments, reports and references relating to individual pupils and groups of pupils except in instances where to do so might be regarded as compromising a teacher’s own position. 4. Staff Development/Professional Development 4.1 Participating, if required, in any scheme of staff development and performance review; 4.2 a) Reviewing from time to time his/her methods of teaching and programmes of work; b) Participating in arrangements for his/her further training and professional development as a teacher. 4.3 Advising and co-operating with the Principal and other teachers (or any one or more of them) on the preparation and development of courses of study, teaching materials, teaching programmes, methods of teaching and assessment and pastoral arrangements. 5. Discipline/Health and Safety 5.1 Maintaining good order and discipline among pupils in accordance with the policies of the employing authority and safeguarding their health and safety both when they are authorised to be on the school premises and when they are engaged in authorised school activities elsewhere. 5.2 Participating in meetings at the school which relate to the curriculum for the school or the administration or organisation of the school, including pastoral arrangements. 6. Public Examinations Participating in arrangements for preparing pupils for public examinations and in assessing pupils for the purposes of such examinations; recording and reporting such assessments; and participating in arrangements for pupils’ presentation for and supervision during such examination. 7. Review and Development of Management Activities/Administration 7.1 a) Contributing to the selection for appointment and professional development of other teachers, including the induction and assessment of probationary teachers; b) Co-ordinating or managing the work of other teachers; c) Taking such part as may be required of him/her in the review, development and management of activities relating to the curriculum, organisation and pastoral functions of the school. 7.2 a) Participating in administrative and organisational tasks related to such duties as described above, including the management or supervision of persons providing support for the teachers in the school and the ordering and allocation of equipment and materials. b) Subject to the provisions of Article 22 of the Order, attending assemblies; c) Registering the attendance of pupils and supervising pupils, whether these duties are to be performed before, during or after school sessions. 8. Number of days/Hours of work 8.1 a) A full-time teacher, other than a teacher employed in a residential establishment, shall be available for work on 195 days in any year of which not more than 190 days should involve teaching children in a classroom situation; b) A teacher, other than a teacher employed in a residential establishment, shall be available to perform such duties at such times and such places as may reasonably be specified by the Principal, or where he/she is employed by a Board on terms under which he/she is not assigned to any one school by the Board or the Principal of any school in which he/she may for the time being be required to work as a teacher, for 1,265 hours in any year exclusive of time spent off school premises in preparing and marking lessons and time spent travelling to and from the place of work; c) A teacher may not be required to teach as distinct from supervise children in a classroom situation for more than 25 hours in any week in a primary or special school and 23.5 hours in any week in a secondary school; d) Unless employed under a separate contract as a mid-day supervisor, a teacher shall not be required to undertake mid-day supervision; e) Subject to paragraph (f) all teachers shall be required to have a break of at least 30 minutes between the hours of 12 noon and 2.00 pm; f) Teachers in nursery schools and nursery units in primary schools shall be required to have a break of at least 30 minutes between the hours of 12 noon and 2.30 pm; g) For the purposes of this paragraph, a ‘year’ means a period of 12 months commencing on 31st July and a ‘week’ means a period of 7 days commencing on a Sunday. 9. Staff cover 9.1 Supervising and teaching any pupils whose teacher is not available provided that: a) In schools with an average daily enrolment of 222 or less, in primary 1 and primary 2 classes in schools with an average daily enrolment greater than 222 pupils and in nursery classes in primary schools a teacher other than a supply teacher shall not be required to provide such cover: b) In schools with an average daily enrolment greater than 222 pupils a teacher other than a supply teacher shall not be required to provide such cover after the second day on which a teacher, other than a teacher of primary 1 or primary 2 class or of a nursery class in a primary school, is absent or otherwise not available, or from the first day if the fact that the teacher would be absent or otherwise not available for a period exceeding 2 days was known to and agreed by the employing authority in advance. This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time. In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times. PERSON SPECIFICATION NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant. You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role. In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet any desirable criteria. SECTION 1 - ESSENTIAL CRITERIA The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. Factor Essential Criteria Method of Assessment Qualifications/ Professional Membership Qualifications must be obtained at the closing date for completed applications Hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland Shortlisting by Application Form Experience, Knowledge and Skills Proven experience in a leadership role, including managing staff, overseeing operations, and ensuring effective communication and coordination across departments, for a period of 2 years or more in the last 8 years. Have a minimum of 3 years' teaching experience in a special school within the last 8 years Strategic and Visionary Leadership · Experience in setting strategic direction and aligning team efforts with school development plans. Safeguarding and Inclusion Expertise · Deep understanding of safeguarding legislation and inclusive education practices. People and Performance Management · Ability to model high-quality teaching and support staff development through coaching and mentoring whilst promoting a culture of accountability. SEN and Complex Needs Leadership · Extensive experience supporting pupils with complex SEN, medical, and behavioural needs which includes liaison with external professionals and parents. Collaborative and Multi-Agency Working · Skilled in leading interdisciplinary meetings and joint planning for pupil support. Shortlisting by Application Form Other Be registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) before taking up post Pre-employment Check SECTION 2 - ESSENTIAL CRITERIA The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage. Factor Essential Criteria Method of Assessment Knowledge Knowledge of Northern Ireland Curriculum Knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and its implications Current working knowledge of a range of teaching strategies to effectively meet the learning needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs Knowledge and understanding of current assessment methods used with children and young people who have Special Educational Needs in order to diagnose, plan for learning and measure progress Knowledge of approaches to promoting positive behaviour for learning e.g. Restorative Practice Knowledge of Information Technology systems such as digital classroom tools/media and the use of tablets/mobile technologies Interview Skills / Abilities Effective teaching and classroom management skills to inspire and challenge pupils to raise achievement Proven ability to provide a supportive, inclusive learning environment Ability to use initiative, solve problems and be flexible Ability to seek and avail of opportunities to increase his/her own professional competence as a teacher Ability to work collaboratively to promote positive relationships with pupils, colleagues, parents and the wider community Ability to work as an effective member of a team, and to motivate self and others Interview Values Orientation / Identification with School Ethos Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect the School’s Values/ethos. You will find information about our Values/ethos on the school's website Interview SECTION 3 - DESIRABLE CRITERIA Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. Factor Desirable Criteria Method of Assessment Qualifications and Experience Self-Evaluation and Quality Assurance Proficient in using data and stakeholder feedback to drive school improvement. Policy, Compliance, and Governance Experience drafting and implementing school policies aligned with statutory and regulatory frameworks. Resource and Budget Management Experience and understanding of financial planning, procurement, and value-for-money principles. Shortlisting by Application Form DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage. Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice. APPLICANT GUIDANCE NOTES To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here. To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, click here The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Responsibilities

The Teacher - Special Educational Needs (TA4) will provide strategic leadership in school improvement and ensure high-quality provision for pupils with special educational needs. Responsibilities include safeguarding, human resource management, health and wellness programs, and collaboration with external agencies.