SEN Class Teacher - Primary Trained
Twickenham, Richmond
Full-time, term-time only, 8am - 4pm
MPS Outer London M1 to M6 (£34,514 - £51,179)
Starting your teaching career is hard enough without being in the wrong place. You are trained to teach, but nobody prepares you for the reality of a school where the children who need the most from you are the hardest to reach within the system you have been given. This school works differently. It was designed around those children and around the teachers who want to understand them properly.
This role is best suited to primary-trained teachers and ECTs. Secondary teachers with substantial primary experience are also welcome to apply.
The Setting
This is a special school in Twickenham that works exclusively with children and young people with SEND. The school supports pupils aged 7 to 19, all of whom hold an EHC Plan. The primary need across the school is Social, Emotional and Mental Health. A significant number of pupils also have a diagnosis of Autism, ADHD, or both.
The school runs on a clear set of priorities. Emotional safety comes first. Relationships are built before anything academic is asked of a young person. Progress is real and measurable, but it starts with a pupil feeling genuinely known by the adults around them.
Many pupils carry histories that mainstream education was not equipped to hold. Some present with complex trauma, high anxiety, or dysregulation. Others have Autism or ADHD alongside their SEMH needs, which means every classroom requires careful, considered adults who can read a room and adapt without losing their footing.
Class sizes are small, with no more than 8 pupils per class, and the school maintains a high adult-to-pupil ratio throughout the school day. The team is cohesive and experienced. Staff look out for each other. Leadership is visible, knows the work from the inside, and takes the development of new teachers seriously.
What the Role Involves
You will teach a small class with strong TA support. The curriculum is adapted to meet pupils at their actual stage of development rather than their chronological age. You will have the freedom to shape your teaching around what your class genuinely needs.
Some days, the focus is academic. Other days, it is about co-regulation, connection, and helping a young person get through the day feeling safe. Both are valued equally here.
ECTs completing their induction will be fully supported with mentoring, CPD, and a team that takes that process seriously. Primary-trained teachers moving into specialist education for the first time, and secondary teachers bringing primary experience across, will be given the time and training to make that transition well.
Who This Role Suits
You do not need a specialist SEMH background to apply. You do need to be genuinely open to it.
The right person for this role:
- Holds QTS, with primary training or substantial primary experience
- Is calm and consistent, particularly when a young person is not
- Understands that behaviour carries meaning and wants to understand what that meaning is
- Is open to trauma-informed and relational approaches, or has already begun developing them
- Wants a permanent role where they can settle, grow, and be developed over time
- Is looking for a school where staff wellbeing is taken as seriously as pupil outcomes
To find out more, respond to this advert or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion.