Would you like to work with young people who have special educational needs? This article explores key roles, required skills, and how to find and apply for current SEND Jobs.
SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. A SEN professional works with learners who have special educational needs or disabilities. In the UK Further Education (FE) sector, many organisations employ SEN professionals, including FE and sixth form colleges. Common roles include SEN teaching assistants, teachers, mentors, lecturers, and leadership positions.
SEN teachers support students with learning difficulties, communication disorders, emotional and behavioural challenges, and physical disabilities. They prepare lessons and teaching materials, mark work, and adapt teaching methods. They also work closely with professionals such as social workers, speech and language therapists, and educational psychologists.
How to become a SEN teacher
To work successfully in this field, you will usually need the following:
University degree: Employers often expect an undergraduate degree such as a BEd, BA with QTS, or BSc with QTS.
Postgraduate certificate: If you have a degree without QTS, you may need a teaching qualification such as a PGCE.
Experience in the field: Many professionals start in teaching roles and later specialise in SEN. Additional professional qualifications can help broaden your skills.
Additional qualifications: To work with learners who have hearing, vision, or multi-sensory impairments, further specialist qualifications are required alongside QTS. Mandatory training details are available on the Gov.uk website.
How can I progress further?
With experience, you could become a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and manage SEN strategy within a department. You could also move into management, leadership, or Higher Education roles.
What skills would I need?
Resilience: SEN teaching can be demanding. You may face challenging behaviour, tight deadlines, and performance pressures, so the ability to recover from setbacks is essential.
Creativity: Creative teachers use varied methods and continue learning through training, resources, and collaboration. They bring personal experiences and interests into the classroom.
Problem solving: SEN roles involve managing behaviour, deadlines, and difficult conversations. Effective problem solving requires reflection, discussion, and gathering information.
Relationship management: You will work closely with learners, colleagues, and senior staff from diverse backgrounds. Strong working relationships are essential.
Effective communication: You must explain complex ideas clearly and simply. Some learners may speak English as a second language. You may also deliver presentations when required.
Organisational and technical skills: Confidence with computers, MS Office, diary management, and meeting scheduling is important.
Continuous development: Employers expect ongoing learning and awareness of new developments within the SEN field.
How to apply for roles
You may find it useful to register for job alerts on jobs.ac.uk. Treat your job search as a structured project. An Excel spreadsheet can help track applications, sources, and time spent searching.
Try to spend a few hours each week reviewing new vacancies. Keep a record of where you find suitable roles, as certain platforms may be more effective. Useful starting points include jobs.ac.uk and the Gov.uk teaching vacancies website.
To find FE roles, research local schools and colleges directly. Vacancies often increase before the autumn term and at the start of the New Year. However, monitoring vacancies year-round is recommended. You may also benefit from speaking with friends, colleagues, or family members working in the FE sector.
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