Practical advice on securing a SEN Teaching job

If you are a qualified and trained teacher seeking a new career direction, you may be considering working with children with SEN. This is an extremely rewarding career path, well-suited to those who are creative, intuitive, and compassionate. If this sounds like you, working with SEN could be something you excel at and a worthwhile route to pursue.

So, where should you start your SEN journey? Securing any teaching position can be a challenging endeavour, but we hope the information and advice detailed below will point you in the right direction.

1. Read up on the entry requirements for a career in special educational needs and learn as much as you can about the job role. It is worth noting that there is more than one route into a SEN career, so do familiarise yourself with the National Career Services website and research articles about career advice.

2. To develop your understanding of SEN, it’s a good idea to talk to a practitioner! Try networking with current SEN teachers. and read articles around starting in a new career. They will be able to provide you with detailed information on the role, and they will probably have their finger on the pulse and know what the local job market is like too. If you have limited teaching experience, they may suggest that you do some voluntary work in a school working alongside a SEN teacher/TA. Or they may be aware of local schools that are currently recruiting SEN staff. It’s important to cast your net as wide as you can. Senploy is the UK’s number one site for special educational needs vacancies, so consider registering on the site to make your profile visible to potential employers.

3. As well as searching for teaching positions online, you may find that attending job fairs and teacher conferences opens doors and provides opportunities to meet and impress potential employers face-to-face. Often job fairs have a section specifically for SEN Teachers so be sure to look out for these events in your local area.

4. It is vital that you have a strong SEN CV and cover letter to supplement your job application. Employers are looking for candidates who can demonstrate experience working with children and young people with SEN, so make sure you include all relevant experience in your CV. You should also draw attention to any training you have undertaken, specifically in safeguarding, equal opportunities and inclusion.

5. If you are shortlisted and invited to attend an interview, this is your moment to shine. It’s your opportunity to clearly demonstrate your enthusiasm and suitability for the SEN teaching role. But it’s essential that you prepare thoroughly for job interviews so that you stand out from the crowd and make the best possible impression. Do your research so that you can demonstrate a reasonable knowledge of the school’s SEN-related policies, the local authority’s educational strategies on SEN and the SEND code of practice.

6. Following the interview, it is good practice to send a ‘thank you email’ to the school. What’s more, you can use this opportunity to outline the key points you made during the interview.

We hope you find this information helpful. You can find more advice on our other blogs.

Good luck with your job search.