Complex Needs Teacher - Southwark
January 2027 start, long-term to permanent, full-time (term time only), Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4pm
£220 to £277 PAYE per day (Inner London M2 to M6), weekly payment
Interviews arranged ASAP
What changes for a young person with complex needs when the same Teacher and the same team are there every morning?
For a pupil with severe learning difficulties and autism, a familiar adult can be the difference between an anxious day and a day spent learning. They know your voice and learn your routines. Over a few weeks, they start to trust that school is a safe place to try something new. This Complex Needs Teacher role, teaching a KS3 class in a SEND school in South East London, is for a Teacher who wants to be that constant.
Where are you right now?
Some of the Teachers I speak to work in a resource-based or mainstream school. The pupils with the most complex needs are the ones they think about on the drive home. Others already teach in special schools but move classes every year, so they never see a group through. If either sounds like you, consider whether your current role lets you teach the way you know these young people need.
Inside your classroom
You teach a small KS3 class of young people with SLD, some of whom are also autistic, and you lead the Teaching Assistants who work alongside you. A weekly team meeting keeps every adult clear on what each pupil is working towards. Planning, EHC targets, and progress tracking are connected in one system, which means less time spent copying evidence between documents. Every member of staff is trained in the school's specialist spaces, so you are never left to work out the equipment on your own.
About the school
This is a friendly specialist secondary school for young people with SLD, PMLD and ASC. The building was designed with sensory learning in mind and easy access to outdoor space, so lessons can move outside whenever needed. Music and art are part of school life, and water-based activities are on the weekly timetable. When staff talk about the school, the development and support Teachers get comes up again and again.
It is a straightforward commute from Lambeth and Lewisham, with on-site parking.
Your role as a Complex Needs Teacher
- Teach a KS3 class with severe learning difficulties through practical, sensory activities
- Plan from each pupil's EHC plan, setting targets small enough to show progress week by week
- Direct your Teaching Assistants and lead a weekly class team meeting
- Make communication part of every activity, using the approaches each pupil responds to best
- Keep in touch with families through the home-school diary, and support personal care and water-based sessions
Is this you?
- You have a personal interest in complex needs, SLD and autism, and want to specialise further
- You hold QTS and have taught pupils with complex needs, SLD, PMLD or ASC
- You teach in mainstream or a resource base and feel ready to move into a special school
- You stay calm and give clear direction when leading other adults
- You are comfortable with personal care and hold, or are happy to apply for, an Enhanced DBS
What you get
The school pays on the Inner London Main Pay Range, M2 to M6, which is £43,713 to £54,131 a year, paid as a weekly PAYE day rate. You start on a long-term placement with a route to permanent, so you can settle with the class before you commit.
When you work through Parker Smith Inclusion, you only see SEND roles, and only long-term or permanent ones. Educators have given PS Inclusion over 400 five-star Google reviews, and you can access free CPD throughout your placement. I have spent over ten years in SEND recruitment. Before your interview, I will give you an honest picture of the class and the team.
Pay information
Every placement through PS Inclusion is paid via PAYE, with no umbrella company in the middle. The day rate above is your gross pay before tax and pension. It excludes employer National Insurance and admin fees. Where you sit in the range depends on your experience.
Interviews are happening now for a January start, so get in touch this week if you want to be considered.
Interested? Apply now or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion.
Parker Smith Inclusion is a specialist SEND recruitment agency. We put people first, taking the time to get to know you and finding the right career opportunity. We recruit across a wide range of SEND settings for all career stages, including support staff, Teachers, Therapists and senior leaders. If you are keen to explore other opportunities, get in touch at heeji@psinclusion.co.uk or call Heeji on 0203 011 4848.