Special Needs Teacher – Sutton/Surrey
MPS/UPS - £36,413 - £53,944 (£186.73 - £276.64) - (dependent on experience)
Monday to Friday, 08:30 AM to 04:00 PM
Full-time, long-term to permanent contract (term-time only)
Easter/September Start
If you have worked with children who have Autism, SLD, PMLD, complex needs, or experienced trauma, you will know that every milestone is an achievement. Progress grows from a sense of safety, consistent support, and adults who can stay calm and regulated when a child cannot.
As soon as you walk into the setting, it is clear how much the team genuinely love working with young people and children with neurodiversity. There is a strong sense of collaboration, positivity, and shared purpose across the staff team.
The School
This is a SEND provision supporting children and young people with a diagnosis of Autism, SLD, and complex needs, many of whom have high presenting needs.
Many pupils are working at an early developmental level, with one class supporting students learning within a 6–18 month developmental range. Because of this, approaches rooted in early child development and play-based learning are essential to how students engage and make progress.
Key features of the setting include:
- Small class sizes with sensory and holistic-based teaching
- High staffing ratios to prioritise consistency and strong relationships
- A focus on regulation before learning
- An incredibly supportive staff team who work closely together
- A culture where staff are encouraged to reset each day with a positive mindset, leaving difficult moments behind and returning ready to support students again
The Role
As a Special Needs Teacher, you will play a key role in creating a safe, engaging, and developmentally appropriate learning environment for students with Autism, SLD, and complex needs.
You will lead a small class team, working closely with Teaching Assistants and therapists to support students whose learning journeys look very different from a traditional classroom pathway.
Many students in this setting learn through curiosity-based and play-based approaches, and some may not engage in what would typically be considered conventional learning. Because of this, levels of engagement and adapting teaching approaches are central to the role.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Planning and delivering highly individualised learning experiences
- Leading and supporting a team of Teaching Assistants, modelling best practice and guiding classroom support
- Building strong, trusting relationships with students
- Supporting pupils with high and low presenting needs
- Adapting learning for students working at early developmental stages
- Using curiosity-based learning and play-based approaches to support engagement
- Understanding when learning needs to pause so a child can regulate
- Supporting students who communicate and interact in non-traditional ways
- Working collaboratively with therapeutic teams, and external agencies and the Deputy Head and Provision Lead
This role requires someone who is confident, leading by example, supporting their team, and creating a classroom culture built on patience, curiosity, and positivity.
Approaches to Learning
Many students in this setting learn best through early developmental and curiosity-based approaches.
Experience or strong understanding of the following would be highly valuable:
- Early child development
- Play-based learning
- Curiosity-based learning
- Attention Autism approaches
- Supporting pupils who engage and communicate in non-typical ways
This role would suit someone who:
- Has experience teaching pupils with Autism, SLD, and complex needs
- Has a strong understanding of early developmental learning
- Is confident using curiosity-based and play-based approaches
- Is passionate about championing SEND education
- Can lead and inspire a team of support staff, modelling best practice
- Is reflective, resilient, and emotionally intelligent
- Brings positivity, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of purpose to their work
- Wants to drive meaningful change and create the best possible outcomes for students with additional needs
- QTS or QTLS is desirable, however, the school will also consider unqualified teachers who have extensive experience working with Autistic pupils and complex needs within specialist settings.
This role could be particularly appealing to someone who is passionate about specialist education and wants to work in an environment where values, practice, and support for staff truly align.
This is a role for someone looking for more than a job. It is for someone who wants to inspire change, champion inclusive education, and work in a setting where every small step forward for a student is recognised as a huge achievement.
If this opportunity aligns with where you are in your career and what you value in SEND education, I would welcome a conversation. Whether it is this role or another SEND opportunity, I can support you in carefully considering your next step and whether the setting is the right fit for you.
If you are interested in this Special Needs Teacher position, apply today or contact Jamie at Parker Smith Inclusion.