Careers

Is working in a special school right for you?

Sarah Sherwood outlines key issues to consider if you’re thinking of applying for a job in a special school

Working with students with SEN can be one of the most rewarding fields in education. However, it is not something to be undertaken lightly. Students with SEN can experience a number of challenges which impact their learning and their ability to access education that can lead, for some, to placement in a specialist setting.

Special schools cater for a range of needs. Some are generic special schools, whilst others will specialise in a particular condition such as autism, visual impairment or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). Often, students may have co-morbid conditions, for example autism and a hearing impairment. In these situations, there will be a decision as to the prevailing need, and the student will be placed in a school which addresses that need, but can also support additional needs.

If you are considering a career working in a special school, here’s a guide to what you should think about, what the school will be looking for and what you should ask at interview.

Differences between special and mainstream settings

Relationships

Not all students at special schools build relationships with their teachers or support staff. Their diagnosis (such as autism) may impair social interaction, while others could have, for example, an underlying attachment disorder. There are often a number of other professionals working in, or contracted to, special schools, such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists and medical staff. Teaching and support staff will be working together with these professionals to meet the outcomes stated in each student’s education, health and care (EHC) plan.

Meetings

Teachers and support staff will be asked to attend a range of meetings, including the annual review of the student’s EHC plan, meeting with visiting professionals, or attending external meetings.

Parents

Contact with parents is generally more frequent in special than mainstream schools. Most special schools will have some form of contact with parents at least weekly, perhaps through home/ school books, emails or telephone conversations.

Contact with parents is generally more frequent in special than mainstream schools

Curriculum

If you are a teacher with a subject specialism, you may be asked to teach additional subjects, as special schools do not always have the numbers of staff required to teach the range of subjects on offer.

Staffing

In each class in a special school, there are usually learning support assistants (LSAs) catering for students who require one-to-one or even two-to-one support. For some teachers, this may be the first time they have been asked to manage other staff.

What will the school be looking for?

While different special schools may well be looking different characteristics and skills, potential candidates should try to demonstrate the qualities described below.

Emotional resilience

Working in a special school can, at times, be emotionally draining. Some students may experience mental health issues, and their way of managing them can include self-harm, which when first experienced can be upsetting for the staff member. Some special schools support students who have life limiting

An interest in the particular special need that the school supports is definitely beneficial

conditions, and candidates should consider what strategies they have for dealing with situations which heighten emotions.

Relentless optimism

The ability to keep repeating an activity or an element of learning until a student has grasped it, and the belief that the student will succeed, are essential. Often, for students with a SEN, this takes much longer than for their peers.

Detective work

The desire to “deep dive” into a student’s behaviour is vital. Unexpected behaviours or behaviours which challenge are a form of communication, and the perseverance to discover the trigger for a behaviour can be rewarding once strategies have been agreed and the student is able to adopt them successfully.

Desire to learn

An interest in the particular special need that the school supports is definitely beneficial, as the candidate will be immersed in this for at least 38 weeks of the year. Often, the school will offer CPD in its specialist area, but a desire to learn more about the specific condition outside of this will support personal development and understanding.

Flexibility

In special schools, timetable changes may happen more frequently than in mainstream settings, as the school may be reluctant to employ agency staff due to the impact on students who do not know them well. This may result in a collapsed timetable and alternative activities taking place. Staff may also be asked to have students in their class who are on assessment visits, as often special schools do not restrict themselves to one intake per year.

What should you ask the school?

Candidates who are invited for interview should consider asking questions about the following issues: • does the school use any specialist approaches to support students in meeting their EHC plan outcomes, such as British Sign Language? • what training does the school offer? • what does the induction look like? • does the school use any physical intervention programmes and, if so, how many interventions have there been in the current term? • how does the debrief process work for staff after a physical intervention or significant event? • if it is a residential school, do teachers support in the residential provision?

About the author

Sarah Sherwood is Director of SEN at LVS Hassocks and LVS Oxford, both specialist schools for young people with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.

lvs-hassocks.org.uk lvs-oxford.org.uk @LVSOxford

Working in an SEN school has many positives, including the close knit, mutually supportive class team and the small class sizes, enabling staff to get to know each student well. It is not unusual to have members of the senior leadership team supporting at break and lunch times and for students and staff to be on first name terms. Success for students can look very different to that in mainstream schools, from the celebration when a student can tie their shoelaces or when they are able to use a strategy for managing their anxiety, to achieving GCSEs and BTECs.