Student Support Role - SEND Officer

Student Support Role SEND Officer - Outwood Academy Shafton

Salary -Grade 8 SCP 18-.97 - 28378.54

37 Hours per week Monday to Friday Term Time plus 1 Week (39 weeks)

Start Date - Monday 1 September 2025

Outwood Academy Shafton places students at the centre of everything it does with a focus on creating a culture of success a positive climate for learning and increased student attainment achievement and social and emotional development. You must possess the skills and determination to make a significant difference to the lives of our students and share our single goal of Students First raising standards and transforming lives. As a key figure in our family you will be expected to contribute to the daily support of the school and ensure all our pupils are catered for during their time in our setting. Your team will consist of a SENDCO Inclusion Coordinator and 17 TAs at varying grades. We are seeking to appoint a SEND Officer with the drive to contribute to an atmosphere of respect recognition and mutual support within the academy. Promoting equality and supporting the values and diversity of the school community is essential to our ethos. Our SEND Officer will support our SENDCo to ensure the Academy identifies and addresses the needs of our students who may be in receipt of an EHCP or on the pathway to explore the needs for additional high needs funding.

About our Academy

Outwood Academy Shafton is an academy bursting with potential for excellence. The students and staff are passionate about their school and there is a strong sense of belonging within the academy. The Academy is a large 11-16 school with just over 1400 students on roll. It sits at the heart of its community. The academy is full annually with first choice preferences and we have a large number of families who are waiting for a place for their child. The academy is a new-build academy opening almost a decade ago. As a learning community it is a vast space covering 4 floors with excellent suites of classrooms labs and specialist learning facilities.

We are proud that Outwood Academy Shafton is a welcoming and supportive academy with a relentless determination to provide the very best education for every child. We place students at the centre of everything we do with a focus on creating a culture of success and a positive climate for learning. In 2023 the academy was recognised by the Inclusion Quality Mark as a National Inclusion Champion placing in the top 6 schools nationally for our work on creating a place where all young people feel that they belong and can succeed.

The Academy became part of the Outwood Family of Schools in 2015 and as a member of the Outwood Family we believe in putting Students First raising standards and transforming lives.

Our key aim is to create a positive happy ethos and culture where our students behave well have good manners develop age appropriate self-discipline engage positively with their learning and show integrity in their words and actions.

Student Voice is a huge strength of the academy serving to raise student engagement encouraging participation in charity community learning and peer support. We strongly believe our student voice makes students feel valued and included in their schooling.

Praise culture for staff and students sits at the heart of our vision of belonging. Our system of praise values and celebrates the achievement of all students and staff both within and outside the classroom. This culture of praise is visually represented in each classroom with teachers encouraged to praise students for going above and beyond. Students receive a Praising Stars report every 6 weeks which reviews and praises their effort in their classes. The academy calendar is built upon a number of regular weekly termly and annual praise events such as our weekly PROUD Thursday which we welcome you to come and view when you visit us.

At Outwood Academy Shafton we pride ourselves on inclusivity. The inclusion team is an integral part of the academy and ensuring the needs of our SEND students are met. The SEND Officer holds a vital role within the inclusion team they line manage the teaching assistants ensuring that high quality provision and support is in place for the students they are supporting. We currently have 17 teaching assistants with the team growing and adapting to the needs of the students.

The SEND Officer will hold their own case load of SEND students and liaise closely with the Inclusion Co-Ordinator and SENDCo to ensure support is put in at the right time to ensure progress for all students. Outwood Academy Shafton have and will continue to grow the provisions that they offer and this forms part of the role with attending professional meetings training and CPD to continue to improve practice with the students at the heart of the focus.

As an inclusion team we pride ourselves on the relationships we hold and maintain with students parents/carers and professionals. A well rounded approach to listening to the voice opinions and thoughts of all involved will ensure the best outcomes are at the heart of the support for our students.

The successful candidate needs to be extremely well organised have the ability to prioritise workload ensure strict deadlines are met and adhere to the SEND Code of Practice. Working with the most vulnerable children in society it is fundamental that you can deal with challenges that students present with and work with parents and external agencies in a professional prompt and confidential manner. The ability to work on your own initiative be a role model to others and effectively manage others are essential. You will have a good understanding of the SEND Code of Practice. Experience of working with students with SEND is essential as is the ability to produce strategies and interventions to assist our more vulnerable students achieve their full potential.

Outwood Grange Academies Trust provides a high-quality learning and cultural environment that inspires and motivates children.

Closing date for applications Tuesday 24 June at 12:00 noon.

To view the job description please clickhere.

To view the person specification please clickhere.

If you would like to discuss this role please contact Leanne Burgin SENDCo at