Salary: MPS/UPS depending on experience + a SEN allowance (£2,787)

Hours of work: 32.5 hrs per week             

Contract type: Permanent

Teacher of primary or secondary qualified (ECTs welcome to apply) to teach across a range of academic pathways.

Are you looking for a ‘special’ role and an exciting opportunity? We are actively seeking a talented teacher with a passion for educating boys and girls with additional needs. Our pupils are really well supported and our team operates as a family, all stakeholders work to help our pupils achieve their full potential; come and join us!

Downland School is a co-educational maintained community special school for pupils aged between 11 and 16 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). 

Our pupils have varying aptitudes and abilities; we are extremely proud of all their achievements and progress. Our pupils have a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including Autism (ASC); attachment disorders and Social, Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. We seek to ensure that, by the time they leave us, our pupils emerge as self-confident individuals able to manage their own learning; equipped with the skills and competencies to successfully take the next steps in their lives. 

We are a friendly, happy and caring school, providing a positive, inclusive and enriching educational experience for our young people. We view each of our pupils as unique and shape our provision to meet their individual needs and accelerate their progress in a variety of areas e.g. personal, social, and academic and well-being. Our commitment to supporting the ‘whole’ child and their development is underpinned by our strong pastoral systems and our committed and trained staff. At Downland we promote inclusion and equality and celebrate diversity.

Our mission statement is ‘Aspire, Achieve and Thrive’.

All about the role:

We are now looking to appoint a dynamic and ambitious Teacher of Primary. This is an exciting opportunity to join our enthusiastic, committed and professional team and to teach pupils from year 7 to year 11.

You will have a passion for teaching, be an excellent practitioner and have the ability to teach pupils with SEND. You will be an integral part of a team building an accessible curriculum. You will focus on literacy and numeracy acquisition alongside PSHEE. Our core aims are: to have significant, positive impact on our young people’s lives, securing the very best outcomes.

Can you raise aspirations and rise to the challenge?

Key areas of work will include:

• Developing and teaching the modified curriculum pathways; driving up the outcomes for our pupils
• Positively contributing to the quality of teaching of literacy, numeracy and PSHEE alongside topics which allow for the personalisation of curricula
• Implementation of our whole school literacy and numeracy strategies
• Actively promoting innovation and creativity with a SEN focus across the school
• Being a proactive mentor and delivering tailored personal development as part of this role
• Focusing strongly on raising levels of progress and attainment through accurate assessment of data which is used across the school, using a range of evaluation methods which align with the school’s self-evaluation processes
• Focusing on developing the needs of the whole child and having strong and well established relationships with all stakeholders
• Teaching small mixed ability class groups or 1:1 with pupils with complex SEND
• Participating fully in all aspects of pastoral care and wider school life including promoting the ‘Downland Way’

Enthusiasm and commitment to working with and raising achievement for pupils with SEND is paramount to us; you will be expected to actively demonstrate the school’s core values and embrace ‘The Downland Way’.

Find out more and apply:

To apply, you should submit a letter addressed to Mrs Keily-Theobald (Headteacher) of no more than two sides of A4 with your application form addressing the requirements of the post, as outlined in the Job Description and the Person Specification. We are particularly interested in how you would undertake this role at Downland School and about your relevant skills, qualities and experience to date.  Applications received without a supporting letter will not be considered and CVs will not be accepted. 

Further information about this position and an application form are available to download from the school web site https://www.downlandschool.org.uk/AboutUs/Vacancies/

Please email completed application forms and your covering letter to Tanya Rhodes, Bursar, at [email protected] 

Alternatively, to apply online, please download the application form and click the ‘apply now’ button below to upload your completed application form and covering letter online. Please note: CV's will not be considered. 

We welcome visits to the school. Please contact Tanya Rhodes if you would like to arrange a visit in advance of applying.

Closing date (and time):  9.00am Thursday 12 February 2026

Interview date:  w/b Monday 23 February 2026

Commencement date:  as soon as possible

Downland School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Please note that this appointment is subject to enhanced DBS, medical and reference checks before appointment is confirmed.

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