SENCo

Strive for Education (Strive) was founded in 2020, originally set up as an Alternative Provision and subsequently registered as an Independent Specialist School.  In our Ofsted inspection we were graded ‘Good’, with ‘Outstanding’ behaviour and attitudes, see: Strive’s Ofsted Inspection Report 

Strive provides education for those who do not attend mainstream school on a full-time basis or who have a specialist provision named in their Educational Healthcare plan (EHCP). Strive is looking to employ a SENCo who ideally will have worked in a similar setting. This role is in addition to our current SENCo and will be working alongside one another to manage the registered capacity of 66 young people. All young people have an EHCP, and there is an EHCP coordinator who supports the admin and scheduling tasks of the SENCo. 

We are seeking a SENCO who provides strategic leadership, coordination, and oversight of high‑quality provision for all students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. In a special school – where all pupils have complex needs and EHCPs, the SENCO ensures that the curriculum, environment, interventions, and staff expertise enable every learner to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Strive seeks applications from applicants with integrity, imagination and energy for this exciting role. 

The school operates from several sites throughout Harrogate, this includes North Park Road in Harrogate town centre, which was the original hub.  In 2024 Strive opened Hookstone Vocational Centre (HVC) at Hookstone Park, Harrogate to offer practical, vocational qualifications alongside core academic and personal development courses. In 2025 Strive added capacity further by opening an additional site at Bishop Thornton, north of Harrogate. In addition to the core subjects, this site has a focus on outdoor education, natural environment studies, small animals, bushcraft, horticulture, gardening, landscaping and life skills. Strive operates a highly successful Outreach Programme which covers educational provision cross all sites in Harrogate but also covers young people on-roll from the Leeds area.  

All students will have some form of SEND needs. Most will either be categorised as Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) or Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). All will need extra support to access their work and help and guidance to manage emotions is often needed. Some students experience difficulties that regularly interfere with their social and learning development and have been directed to access specialist provision to receive this support. Some students will find it difficult to work in core groups of 6 students with 2 adults. 

1. Strategic Leadership

• Help Lead on the strategic development of SEND policy and provision across the school. 

• Contribute to whole-school improvement planning, data analysis, and quality assurance. 

• Work with senior leaders to ensure statutory compliance with the SEND Code of Practice. 

• Promote an inclusive, aspirational culture for pupils with complex needs. 

2. Coordination of Provision

• Help oversee teaching, learning, and support for pupils with EHCPs. 

• Ensure EHCP outcomes are implemented, monitored, and reviewed. 

• Lead provision mapping and resource allocation. 

• Coordinate specialist support such as SALT and the wider inclusion team. 

• Oversee therapeutic, behavioural, and communication interventions. 

3. EHCP & Statutory Responsibilities

• Manage the full EHCP cycle including annual reviews and new assessments. 

• Ensure legal compliance and timely documentation. 

• Liaise with local authorities about placements and funding. 

• Quality-assure staff contributions to reports and reviews. 

• Support assessments and applications for examination access arrangements 

4. Staff Support & Development

• Help lead CPD for teachers, support staff, and therapists. 

• Provide training on SEND strategies, communication approaches, and sensory regulation. 

• Coach staff in specialist approaches. 

• Support planning, differentiation, and assessment. 

5. Working With Families & Carers

• Develop strong relationships with families of pupils with complex needs. 

• Communicate regularly regarding progress, provision, and wellbeing. 

• Support families with strategies for home use. 

• Help lead parental involvement in EHCP reviews, transitions, and meetings. 

6. Safeguarding, Pastoral & Wellbeing

• Work with safeguarding leads on risk assessment and support plans. 

• Identify vulnerabilities and wellbeing concerns. 

• Ensure intimate care and medical plans are up to date. 

• Promote mental health and emotional regulation strategies. 

7. Transition Management

• Help lead personalised transitions between classes, key stages, and other settings. 

• Coordinate with families, professionals, and receiving settings. 

• Oversee transitions into school and post-16 pathways. 

• Establish good relationships with students, acting as a role model and being aware of and responding appropriately to individual needs. 

• Attend to students’ personal needs including social, health, physical, first aid and welfare matters. 

• Supervise and support students ensuring their safety and access to learning. 

• Use specialist knowledge and experience to support students to learn in line with their individual learning plans or targets. 

• Provide feedback to staff and students in relation to progress, achievement, behaviour and attendance. 

• Encourage students to interact and work cooperatively and employ strategies to recognise and reward achievement of self-reliance. 

• Work with all staff to establish a purposeful orderly and productive learning environments. 

• Work with all staff in supporting lesson planning, evaluating and adjusting lesson plans and resources as appropriate. 

• Monitor, evaluate and evidence students’ progress and provide accurate information and analysis when required. 

• Promote and maintain health and safety through the pro-active management of student behaviour dealing promptly with incidents and issues in line with school policies. 

• Establish constructive relationships with parents and carers, exchanging information sensitively and effectively in a range of matters including progress, behaviour and attendance. 

• Liaise with other professionals and services as appropriate. 

• Administer and assess routine tests and invigilate when required. 

• Support students to access the curriculum including core skills, community and vocational options. 

• Implement agreed learning activities and programmes according to students’ needs. 

• Determine the need for, prepare and maintain equipment and resources. 

• Small class sizes of 6:2, allowing you to build meaningful and effective relationships with young people and make a real difference. 

• The opportunity to deliver/support an individualised curriculum for all students to give them the best chance to learn. 

• You will enjoy high levels of autonomy within a progressive and collaborative culture. 

• You will have the opportunity to be creative and contribute to the broader curriculum, including individual and flexible learning. 

• We aspire to provide every young person with the best possible experience and skills. We provide every learner with the resources they need to progress and overcome their barriers to learning. 

• Staff wellbeing is a priority at Strive. 

• We encourage staff to finish their day during their contracted hours. 

• Staff training and development is supported and encouraged. 

• Contribute to the overall ethos, work and aims of Strive 

• Establish constructive relationships and communicate with other professionals to support the progress of students 

• Be aware of and support difference and ensure all students have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop 

• Recognise own strengths and areas of expertise and use these to advise and support others 

• Attend and participate in relevant meetings and training as required 

• Assist with the supervision of students on off-site activities 

• Supervise students at lunch and break times 

• Be responsible for maintaining and updating records, information and data in line with policies. 

• Strive utilises Arbor as MIS and CPOMS for safeguarding and behaviour. 

Headteacher

E = Essential  D = Desirable  

Experience 

• Relevant experience in a specialist school or similar setting: (E)  

• Experience of working with children and young people with special educational needs and/or ASD and social, emotional and mental health difficulties: (E) 

• Experience of effectively and positively managing small groups and leading learning with groups of students and 1:1, using appropriate strategies to enable them to settle to learn: (E)  

• Experience of using restorative practices: (D)   

Knowledge 

• Understanding of students’ needs to support them effectively by personalised and differentiated learning and appropriate interventions: (E)  

• Knowledge of issues and needs that affect behaviour and strategies to support: (E)  

• Knowledge of the range of ways that students learn and how to motivate them (E)   

• Full understanding of the range of multi-agency support required and available to students: (E)   

• Full working knowledge of relevant safeguarding, equality and health and safety policies, codes of practice and legislation (E)    

Skills 

• Ability to relate well to students and adults and to build positive relationships: (E)   

• Ability to work constructively as part of a team, understanding roles and responsibilities and your own position within these: (E)  

• Ability to develop personalised strategies to support reluctant learners to engage and achieve learning goals/objectives: (E)   

• Ability to respond calmly and use initiative, responding effectively to unexpected or unplanned situations or reactions throughout the day: (E)  

• Ability to use a range of strategies to support positive behaviour and self-regulation: (E)  

• High level literacy and oracy to support communication at all levels and in various formats (E)  

• Ability in the use of IT and other equipment to support learning: (E)  

• Efficiency with the administration and maintenance of student records: (E)

Ideally Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

National Award for SENCo (or working towards)

All staff members must adhere to and promote professional standards including Strive’s code of conduct and values. 

• The post holder will be expected to undertake any other duties, commensurate within the grade, at the discretion of the Senior Leadership Team and develop and promote high standards of professional conduct throughout the school. 

• You will be expected to carry out your duties in line with policies, procedures and relevant legislation. You will be made aware of these in your appointment letter, statement of particulars, induction, ongoing performance management and development through school communications. 

• You will be required to work at any premises which Strive has or subsequently acquires or at which it may, from time to time, provide services. 

• You will be expected to attend and participate in a wide variety of meetings as well as training and development activities to support Strive and your own professional development. 

• All staff, regardless of their position, are expected to undertake TeamTeach de-escalation training and work within “good practice” guidelines using a range of positive handling strategies, gradual and graded, involved in holding, guiding and escorting safely, from least intrusive to more restrictive holds. 

• As part of your wider duties and responsibilities you will be required to promote and actively support the school’s responsibilities towards safeguarding. Safeguarding is about keeping people safe and protecting people from harm, neglect, abuse and injury. It is about creating safe places, being vigilant and doing something about any concerns you might have. It isn’t just about the very old and the very young, it is about everyone who may be vulnerable. 

• The post holder must be willing to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Please note that a conviction may not exclude candidates from appointment but will be considered as part of the recruitment process. 

The pay scale shown is not reduced if working full time (37.5hpw) Included in the pay scale amount is a calculation of 44.6 weeks per academic year (including holidays). This is 39 term weeks inc 1 week (5 days) of training days + 5.6 weeks’ holiday (including bank holidays) Pay is made in equal monthly amounts across the year
Full-time is our preference but Part-time would be considered.
Normal hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30-4pm (37.5 hpw) A daily paid break is provided within the 37.5 hpw. Lunch is paid but taken in supervisory time

For all roles we require a minimum of two references.  References provided must cover the last 3 years and include most recent employment. We will need to request all references from where you have worked with either Children or Vulnerable Adults.  

Strive for Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Recruitment is carried out following safer recruitment principles.  All applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and disclosures with the relevant body at an enhanced level. All staff are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Strive for Education Ltd is a “data controller”. This means we are required under data protection legislation to notify you of how we will, collect process and store your personal data during the application and recruitment process. Please review our Privacy Notice for Prospective Employees Jan 2026

Click on link here to access Information Pack SENCo – Information Pack

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Click on link here for Application Form 4. Strive for Education Application form BLANK

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