Springwell Leeds Classroom Teacher

• Do you want to make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable students in the city?
• Do you want to work at a brand new bespoke SEMH provision?
• Would you like to move away from the restrictions of a mainstream pathway?
• Do you have a passion for creative teaching and to be allowed the space to develop individuals with a more flexible curriculum than mainstream?
• Would you like to teach in classes with a maximum of 9 pupils and with two teaching assistants to support you so you can truly meet the needs of your students?

We require an exceptional teacher who is passionate about providing the best possible education and care for vulnerable students. Our East site is part of a three-site SEMH provision in the city, which together form one 340-place special school, judged GOOD in all areas by Ofsted in 2019.

Our children are grouped by their needs, across key stages 1 to 4. We work with children with SEMH as their primary need – many children have diagnoses or traits of Autism, ADHD, anxiety, hypervigilance, specific learning difficulties and more. Our main goal for each child is to meet their needs through working towards the outcomes in their EHCPs.

All of our sites operate in line with best practice in an SEMH provision; we have a nurturing curriculum model with significant investment in therapeutic and wrap-around support for our students. We benefit from weekly input from a team of experts: a visiting counsellor, occupational therapist and educational psychologist. Our staff are experts, trained in play based therapy and learning, trauma informed and restorative practice.

Being part of a group of schools, and of the Wellspring Academy Trust, there is great potential for support, professional development and  promotion. Opportunity to specialise in intervention such as Catch Up, Lego Therapy or in a specific area of interest (such as ADHD/Autism) means that the career development opportunities are endless and this is a stepping stone to a career that could go in any direction. We support NPQs for our teachers as they start to specialise, and for our ECTs, we are committed to providing a full support package through Exceed.

This position would suit teachers with a proven track record of exceptional practice, who are able to work with vulnerable students with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Equally, for a new teacher keen to make a difference, there is no more rewarding place to learn the craft of teaching than in a specialist school. The ability to be creative and use imaginative flair to engage is essential; no two days are the same, so the ability to be flexible and resilient in planning and approach are vital. Our staff know that having resilience, drive and high expectations to inspire students to achieve can be life changing.

This position would suit individuals who are passionate about making a real difference to students’ life chances and supporting them in achieving their potential in essential life skills and qualification routes, both of which are a high priority here at Springwell.

We make a difference

About us

Springwell Leeds aims to provide the best possible care and education that we can for children and young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Unconditional Positive Regard is at the centre of what we do and we are creating an academy that is welcoming, caring, safe, warm and believes that all its students can be supported and empowered to succeed. We are creating individual and personalised pathways for our students that are built around their varied needs which will help them achieve positive outcomes and prepare them for their onward destinations into continuing education, work or training. In order to achieve this, we have developed a curriculum that provides opportunities for academic progression as well as vocational learning, whilst being engaging, creative, and innovative.

We see strong relationships as the key to our success – with students, parents, carers and the wider community and we ensure that our academies are welcoming safe places for children to learn and prosper. We believe in working closely with our families and carers and  welcome their support, but also realise that at times they will need our support too. We work closely with other agencies and schools to make sure we do all we can to make learning and life the best it possibly can be.

Working in partnership with Leeds City Council, we are building an exciting future and we need like-minded staff to join us in this unique opportunity. Our recent 2019 OFSTED report confirmed the great progress we had made since opening and since then we continue to drive school improvement to provide the best possible education for the children we serve.

Springwell Leeds places a huge emphasis on professional development and invests significantly in staff training at all levels. This means that, although experience of working in an SEMH setting would be an advantage, specialist support and training will be provided for outstanding  teachers wishing to make the career-fulfilling move into special education. Most of our teachers have moved from mainstream education, successfully making this transition with the support and CPD they receive.

To see what our amazing staff and students get up to each day, please follow us on Twitter: @springwell_lds

Please click here to find out what this job entails at Springwell Leeds Academy.

If you would like to discuss or find out more about this post, please contact Emma Dodsworth e.dodsworth@springwellacademyleeds.org (Associate Principal, East Site)
We would strongly encourage visits to our wonderful school.

Wellspring Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils. All posts are offered subject to enhanced DBS checks. As this role involves working with children in regulated activity, please note that it is an offence to apply for the role if barred from engaging in regulated activity with children.

References will be requested and an online search carried out for shortlisted candidates, prior to attendance at interview. Further pre employment checks, including prohibition from teaching, childcare disqualification and section 128 checks, if deemed relevant for the role, will be completed for the successful candidate upon acceptance of the post.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to promoting diversity. We want our people to reflect the diversity of our communities, and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, especially from under-represented groups, including those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

If you are currently living overseas or have lived / worked overseas in the last five years please be aware that you will be required to provide an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in, if you are the preferred candidate for the post.

All applicants need to complete the Equal Opportunities form. Please click link for further details http://bit.ly/WATEqualOpportunities