Job Title: SENDCo (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Co-ordinator)
Location: York Steiner School, Fulford, York
Salary: £33,000 - £36,000 FTE (Pro-rata, dependent on agreed hours/days)
Contract: Full time or Part-Time (0.6 to 1FTE, flexible working patterns considered)
Start Date: Autumn Term 2026
Are you an experienced SENDCo tired of ticking compliance boxes, managing endless spreadsheets, and chasing rigid data targets at the expense of the children in your care? Do you want to bring imagination, playfulness, and deeply therapeutic, creative approaches back into your daily practice?
Welcome to York Steiner School. Nestled in a supportive, community-led environment in York, we offer a truly holistic, unhurried, and child-led rhythm of education. Here, progress is measured by the development of the whole child-emotionally, socially, and physically-not just by test scores. We treat less competition as an opportunity for greater acceptance of human differences.
Following our recent March 2026 monitoring inspection, we are on an active, transparent journey to make our SEND provision exceptionally robust. We are looking for an inspiring, strategic Inclusion Leader who sees the new Ofsted framework not as a burden, but as a scaffold to protect and elevate our unique pedagogy.
You won't be expected to fit a square peg into a round hole. Your mandate is to build a beautiful "language bridge" between mainstream SEND compliance (SMART targets, precise APDR tracking) and Waldorf child development theory (the 12 senses, constitutional temperaments, and class-readiness rhythms).
Our faculty recently held a collaborative roundtable to define what a successful working relationship with our next SENDCo looks like. We have committed to a culture where you are fully integrated, valued, and supported.
In this role, you will:
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Step into the Classroom: Move away from isolated desk work. You will actively observe children "in the moment," helping teachers anticipate dysregulation proactively through a shared practice of observation.
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Empower the Faculty: Collaborate directly with class teachers to develop a shared "Teacher Toolbox" of creative, localised classroom interventions, ensuring SEND pupils access the core of the Main Lesson without losing its vital rhythm.
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Streamline the Paperwork: Overhaul and standardize our Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycles, ensuring targets are sharp, precise, and genuinely useful to teachers, parents, and inspectors alike.
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Champion the Agenda: Hold a permanent, dedicated slot in our monthly faculty meetings and lead our new "SEND Question of the Week" to build collective expertise across the school.
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Partner with Parents: Build empathetic, highly communicative, and reassuring relationships with families navigating the complex world of additional needs.
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You hold a recognised teaching qualification and the National Award for SEN Co-ordination (NASENCO / NPQSENCO), or have equivalent verified experience managing UK statutory SEND frameworks.
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You are an expert in the legalities of the SEND Code of Practice and EHCP processes.
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You possess a deep curiosity about, or an existing background in, Steiner Waldorf pedagogy and alternative education.
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You bring a playful, imaginative, and resourceful mindset, capable of maximising classroom environments and utilising local university student placements to expand support.
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A warm, deeply relational, low-tech, and nature-centric working environment.
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A highly supportive induction process, including early dedicated mentoring sessions with our senior Steiner teachers to ground you in our ways of working.
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Small class sizes where you can truly get to know the "lived reality" of every child.
Want to know more? email Headteacher@yorksteinerschool to arrange an informal, confidential discussion about the role.
York Steiner School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.
Key Responsibilities
General
- Deliver learning support to a range of children.
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Ensure each child has the right environment to learn, depending on their own needs.
- Support teachers to develop and implement effective and inclusive teaching and behaviour management approaches in the classroom, including supporting children in the class, as needed.
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Understand and support Steiner Waldorf pedagogy and work within this approach to ensure all children have access to learning.
- Develop learning resources to help with pupils' development.
- In collaboration with the class teachers, carry out four-part cycle assessments of pupils with SEND - Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) to identify needs and monitor progress - including observations in the classroom and meetings with teachers and parents.
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In collaboration with class teachers, work with pupils, learning support assistants (LSAs), the school leadership team, parents and relevant external agencies to develop, implement and monitor individual support/learning plans.
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Meet with teachers, parents and external agencies to develop and review support plans.
- Ensure LSAs are allocated appropriately across the school.
- Develop, submit and chair annual reviews for EHCPs, providing parents, the LEA and other relevant agencies with updates on the pupils' progression.
- Make Early Help referrals and monitor the progress of these.
- Make referrals and liaise with professionals outside of the school within local authorities and health care services, including psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.
- Develop and maintain systems for keeping pupil records, ensuring information is accurate and up to date, including an accurate SEND register.
- Work with the admissions officer to gain information about new pupils to ensure we can meet their needs.
- Take on the role of a Deputy Safeguarding Lead, analysing incidents and attending regular safeguarding meetings.
- Monitor exclusions, supporting pupils' reintegration into the school as appropriate.
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Working closely with the school leadership team, evaluate whether our school can meet the needs of a child.
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Periodically review the school's SEND Policy, ensuring that all policies and procedures relating to SEND are in line with the latest national and local mandatory SEND policies and regulations.
- Oversee the implementation of the school's SEND action plan and policy, cascading any changes and relevant information to colleagues.
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Prepare and lead SEND training for Teachers and LSAs, on supporting pupils with SEND and mental health / wellbeing needs.
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Develop and oversee the implementation of the school's mental health action plan and policy.
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Line manage and performance manage the learning support assistant team.
- Manage, review and advise on the school SEND budget and resources for SEND provision, including ensuring the EHCP top-up funding is allocated correctly.
- Implement access arrangements for statutory examinations including relevant assessments and paperwork.
- Report to the Board of Trustees on School SEND data, drawing on local and national data where relevant.
Additional Responsibilities
- Member of the School Leadership Group, which meet weekly after school hours.
- Participate in staff training days/sessions - leading training relating to SEND.
- Comply with all school policies and procedures, especially safeguarding, health & safety and IT policy.
- Participate in break-time supervision and any other reasonable management instructions.
Statutory Requirements
- Responsibility for electronic record keeping to meet both statutory and school requirements e.g school management systems, safeguarding systems.
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Follow the school's behaviour policy when interacting with children.
- Ensure all safeguarding concerns are recorded in accordance with the school's safeguarding policy.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications, Training and Experience
Degree level qualification
Experience of chairing annual reviews for EHCPs
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or at least 5 years teaching experience, preferably in primary schools.
Expertise and experience in adaptive teaching
NASENCO or NPQSENCO
Knowledge of Universal Design for Learning techniques to support in class inclusion.
Experience working with a range of children with SEND
Access arrangement experience
Knowledge and experience of different learning profiles, including learning difficulties and disabilities, which are classified as SEND.
Experience engaging with OFSTED or ISI as part of an inspection of SEND provision
An understanding of Steiner Waldorf education and the ethos of York Steiner School or a willingness to learn
A sound knowledge of phonics. Trained in the Soundswrite phonics programme or equivalent (if not Soundswrite then this training will be provided)
IT skills including Microsoft Office and G suite
Personal Qualities
Professional, positive, friendly and approachable
Ability to relate to and inspire children
Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively as part of a team and on your own
A commitment to inclusive education
A commitment to collaborative working
A commitment to Steiner Waldorf education and to the school and a desire to become part of the school community
Excellent interpersonal skills dealing with children, staff, parents and external agencies Responsible, self-motivated, proactive and adaptable (in the context of a small school)
Demonstrate resilience and a sense of humour in times of pressure
