SRP Hub Lead at Sandford St Martin's CE Primary School

Learn – Love – Laugh at Sandford St Martin’s CE VA Primary.

A permanent position has come about for a fantastic Hub Lead to support our expanding Specialist Resourced Provision and the needs of our pupils; it is a great opportunity to lead a team providing the very best possible educational opportunities for our pupils within a flexible, nurturing and supportive (therapeutic) setting. The role would require you to support in both the resourced provision (for 14 pupils across 2 main spaces) and in the mainstream classes. You should be self-motivated and highly organised, with a creative and exemplary approach to supporting teaching, learning and behaviour. This is a new senior leadership role in our school.

We are looking for a proactive, resourceful, and energetic SENDCo/Specialist Teacher to support children in EYFS/key stages 1 and 2 across the curriculum. You should have experience of working with pupils with Autism and other Communication and Interaction needs and be able to evidence what approaches work well and how building and sustaining positive relationships, with a range of agencies/adults in the child’s life, are key.

A passion for school wide inclusion is obviously essential. You will be teaching and supporting up to 14 pupils with ASC challenges as their primary need. You will also be leading on SEND culture for C&I needs with staff, parents and other agencies. This role involves close working with vulnerable children and requires a resilient leader who can support our children, staff, SEND team and TA team in the Hub spaces and wider school.

If you can answer YES to the following questions, please apply!

• Are you ambitious for pupils with SEND, passionate about them achieving their potential and seeing them thrive (both with and without you)?
• Are you a qualified SENDCo and/or Specialist Teacher with experience of teaching and supporting children with SEND in EYFS, Key stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (outside of your own classroom)?
• Do you have the confidence to be our Hub Lead teacher who supportively leads a team of support staff and our teaching staff in and out of our specialist resource provision, influencing and shaping the best inclusive practice?
• Do you have a passion for helping children overcome barriers to learning and experience of teaching and providing exceptional provision for pupils with Communication and Interaction needs?
• Do you desire to balance your SEND teaching, team/CPD leadership, SEND admin and genuine partnership with class teachers/teaching assistants in a child centred, bespoke role?
• Do you build trusting relationships with families and have the skills to hold difficult conversations at times?
• Do you desire leadership autonomy, genuine support, quality provision, compassionate understanding and high ambition for children with SEND - all in equal measure?
• Can you bridge the potential gap between the children’s experience in the hub and their time in the mainstream school so that best practice shines everywhere?

Our Specialist Resource Provision ‘Silver Birch’…

…was newly opened as of September 2025 to provide education for pupils aged 5 to 11 with Communication and Interaction Needs (and associated difficulties) in accessing a mainstream classroom successfully. Pupils on roll have an EHCP with Communication and Interaction listed as their primary need. The Silver Birch Hub team use a therapeutic approach in line with school policy to support pupils with their individual needs and difficulties. Everything we do is based on the formation and maintenance of positive relationships in order to build the skills and resilience needed to successfully access and thrive in their mainstream classroom in our school. The goal is for children to access their mainstream class at least 50% of the time across the week.

As Hub Lead, you will work in an immensely rewarding, although challenging environment. You will lead on the development of communication skills, social and emotional knowledge/ skills; as well as facilitating smooth transitions into class and access of the relevant curriculum. On going planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance will be key to the success of this role.

We believe passionately in supporting and nurturing our pupils as well as aspiring to provide them with outstanding and creative learning opportunities. You will be managing 2 generous hub rooms with bespoke furnishing, a new outside area as well having access to extensive grounds, break away rooms and a new sensory room.

If you are seeking to be at the forefront of adaptive Communication and Interaction /ASC provision in Dorset please complete the application process. If you would like more information about Silver Birch and our provision before applying, then please arrange an appointment with Paul Beveridge (Head teacher). Please call the school office on 01929 552949 or email on [email protected] 

Dorset Council’s description

Provision Overview

A Specialist Resourced Provision for Communication and Interaction offers a comprehensive and inclusive educational environment tailored to meet the individual needs of pupils experiencing difficulties in expressing themselves, understanding others, or engaging socially, which impact their learning. The provision is at the heart of the school and a centre for inclusive practice to blossom, benefitting the wider school community and curriculum. 

Pupils placed in the SRP are on the school roll within a class or tutor group and receive at least 50% of their curriculum in mainstream lessons. This approach should promote an ethos where communication and interaction differences are accepted and understood, encouraging pupils to develop and progress.

Pupils supported by the SRP for C&I access specialist teaching and programmes that support communication and interaction to enable full participation in the school curriculum. Evidence-based small group and one-to-one interventions compliment high-quality teaching. Pupils benefit from daily support provided by appropriately skilled teaching staff, as well as opportunities for meaningful integration within the school community.

Pupils have access to appropriate resources, ongoing review and assessment procedures, and a coordinated approach to multi-agency support involving parents, Health Services, and Children’s Services. There is regular and effective joint working and planning between the SRP and Dorset Council colleagues, including Educational Psychologists and Specialist Teachers. As such, staff across the school have opportunities to build awareness of the needs of children with communication and interaction difficulties, and the accompanying emotional and social impacts.

The provision will ensure access to all curriculum areas and a wide range of extracurricular activities for all pupils. There shall be a focus on developing good and trusting relationships so that staff know their children and young people well and so understand what factors may be driving behaviour and learning needs and what can be done to address them. 

Staffing and Resources Overview (C&I specification)

The SRP for C&I is overseen by a teacher-in-charge (Hub Lead) with appropriate knowledge and skills, supported by teaching assistants with appropriate specialist knowledge and skills. There is consistency of staffing for children and young people.

As a minimum requirement:

• There is a named lead for the provision
• All teaching staff have Qualified Teacher Status
• The school employs suitably qualified and experienced HLTAs and TAs with relevant skills, expertise and training in working with children with special educational needs
• All staff undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for additional skills, experience and training in special educational needs relevant to the specialism, with this training logged and ready for review
• The named lead is focused on SRP/C&I related activities on a full-time basis
• The named lead shares best practice within the wider organisation. There is an expectation that the expertise of all staff in the school should be enhanced by the SRP. Evidence-based training is available for all, and specific professional development is available for individual colleagues linked to the SRP. Learning is shared with the wider staff team, for example through coaching to support a whole school approach to inclusion
• All staff in the school have a basic level of awareness of good inclusion practice, Therapeutic Thinking approaches and how to make reasonable adjustments to meet the specific needs of children and young people with C&I needs. This is supported by Dorset Council through the provision of local training and support
• Targeted specialist teaching is provided to develop key skills
• Staffing and support levels, and personalisation of resources and activities, is planned to encourage independence. Staff throughout the school recognise their joint responsibility for pupils supported by the SRP to be included in wider school life