Primary SEN Teacher – Autism & Complex Needs
Full-time, Permanent
Kingston Upon Thames, South West London
ASAP / Easter start
£30,000 – £45,000 per annum
This is one of those schools where, when you walk in, you immediately feel the difference. It is calm, not silent. Purposeful, not rushed. The adults are steady. The children feel safe enough to be themselves.
The pupils are autistic children who have struggled elsewhere. Not because they cannot learn, but because the world has not slowed down enough to meet them where they are.
Some children communicate with words. Some do not. Some arrive regulated. Many do not. Progress here does not always look neat, but it is real. And when it happens, it matters.
What teaching looks like here
You are not battling behaviour. You are not firefighting every day. You are not trying to squeeze children into a system that does not fit them.
Teaching here is about understanding why a child is struggling before asking anything of them. It is about routines, visuals, sensory regulation, trust, and patience. It is about knowing when to push and when to pause.
You will teach a small class. You will be supported by experienced support staff who know the children well. You will work alongside therapists who understand that learning is emotional before it is academic.
You will still teach the primary curriculum, but differently. More flexibly. More creatively. More humanly.
This role is not for everyone.
If you need fast results, tidy books, or quiet compliance, this will frustrate you. If you take behaviour personally, this will drain you. If you are “trying SEND out”, this is not the place to experiment.
But if you are the kind of teacher who notices the small wins. The child who finally stays in the room, the first shared attention, the moment regulation clicks, this work will stay with you for life.
The kind of teacher who thrives here
You might already be a SEN teacher. You might be a mainstream primary teacher who knows, quietly, that this is where you belong. You might have personal experience of autism in your family and have always felt drawn to this work.
What matters is not perfection. It is emotional intelligence, resilience, curiosity, and the ability to stay calm when things wobble.
What you will be given
You will be trusted. You will be supported. You will receive ongoing training.
This is a school that wants teachers to stay, not burn out.
If this SEN Teacher position interests you, apply today or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion.