Recruiting now for immediate and September 2026 start.
Are you a qualified teacher, ECT, or an experienced education professional ready to take the next step in your career? You may also be newly qualified, and like to progress your career within a therapeutic setting.
Do you want to work in a setting where relationships come first, class sizes are small, training is valued, and your work can make a lasting difference to young people with significant social, emotional and mental health needs?
Hopespring is currently recruiting for a Therapeutic School Teacher to join our specialist teams in Sunderland and Newcastle. These are live vacancies within our growing therapeutic SEMH school provisions, and we welcome applications from:
- qualified teachers with QTS
- ECTs looking to develop in a highly supportive specialist setting
- candidates with strong teaching or classroom experience who want to progress towards QTS
This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity-led organisation with a strong therapeutic ethos, where staff are supported to develop their practice and grow professionally over time.
About Hopespring
Hopespring is a charity providing specialist education and support for children and young people with complex social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH). Through our therapeutic schools and specialist services, we help young people recover from trauma, re-engage with learning, and build more positive futures.
Our work is relational, reflective and purposeful. We believe that with the right support, structure and understanding, young people can begin to feel safe, succeed in education, and move forward with hope.
About the role
As a Therapeutic School Teacher, you will teach and support young people whose experiences and needs may have created significant barriers to learning in other settings. You will be part of a team that combines education, nurture, structure and therapeutic thinking to help pupils engage, achieve and make progress.
This role would suit someone who is calm, reflective, adaptable and committed to inclusive practice. We are looking for people with the right values, strong potential, and a genuine commitment to supporting vulnerable young people with SEMH needs.
We provide training, induction and ongoing development, including support for those progressing in their teaching career. For the right candidate, this role can offer a meaningful pathway into longer-term professional development, including progression towards QTS where appropriate, and future opportunities to grow within the organisation.
What the role involves
- Planning and delivering engaging lessons and learning activities tailored to pupils’ individual needs
- Teaching and supporting young people in small-group and therapeutic education contexts
- Building safe, consistent and positive relationships with pupils
- Using a therapeutic and trauma-informed approach to support engagement, behaviour and progress
- Working closely with colleagues, families and external professionals around each young person
- Contributing to individual education planning, review processes and pupil targets
- Supporting pupils’ personal development, emotional regulation and confidence alongside academic progress
- Maintaining accurate records and contributing to progress monitoring and review meetings
- Playing a full part in the life of the school, including training, supervision and team development
Who we are looking for
We would welcome applications from candidates who have one or more of the following:
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
- ECT status
- A desire to progress into teaching or further develop within specialist education
- Experience working with children or young people with additional needs, SEMH needs, trauma-related needs, or barriers to education
The most important qualities for this role are:
- A genuine commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable young people
- The ability to build trust, boundaries and positive relationships
- Emotional resilience, self-reflection and willingness to learn
- A calm, flexible and consistent approach
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
What Hopespring offers
- An opportunity for progression
- An opportunity to work in a highly rewarding specialist setting
- A strong and supportive team culture
- Comprehensive induction and ongoing training
- Opportunities for professional development and progression
- Support for ECTs and developing teachers
- The opportunity, for the right candidate, to build towards further teaching qualifications or career advancement over time
- A therapeutic framework that supports reflective and relational practice
- Company pension
- Sick pay
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £30,000.00–£47,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
Pay: £30,000.00-£47,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
