Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) – NEST Provision - Newhaven School

Job Introduction

‘Trust, Restore, Achieve’

VACANCY

Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) – NEST Provision

Salary:  MPS/UPS (Inner London) + SEN 1 + potential TLR for proven experience or additional strategic responsibilities. 

Contract type Permanent

Hours:              Teacher contractual hours

Newhaven School

Newhaven School is a complex organisation working with a range of young people across multiple sites. This role will be based in Newhaven NEST (Newhaven Education Support Team) provision at our Gardens site (Newhaven Gardens, London SE9 6HR). 

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic, motivated, and inspiring SENCO who is committed to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children, particularly those with mental health issues.  NEST is a specialised educational environment supporting secondary-aged students who are unable to attend mainstream school due to severe and enduring mental health difficulties. All students at NEST are under the care of CAMHS, and our mission is to provide a bridge that allows them to overcome their barriers to learning. 

Our focus on social communication and independence, alongside academic success, make Newhaven NEST an exceptionally supportive environment in which young people can overcome barriers to learning. Our highly-professional staff team are committed to enabling students to gain academic success, a keen sense of right and wrong, and to recognise their responsibilities as fully participating members of society. Our overarching aim is for all students to achieve fulfilling and ambitious destinations when they leave. 

The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with the Head of NEST and Pastoral Team, you will lead on raising standards across all four areas of SEND. You will be responsible for the integration of SEN policy into the everyday functioning of our campus, with a specific focus on trauma-informed practice and mental health.  

Key Responsibilities include:

• Providing a clear vision for SEN provision and leading improvement in skills such as social communication and student confidence.  
• Ensuring that all statutory requirements for Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs) and the SEN register are met and regularly reviewed.   
• Monitoring and evaluating learning and teaching strategies, including the deployment of specialist methods for students with Autism.   
• Leading and managing the complex transition of students from prior schools into Newhaven, or back into mainstream and other provisions. 
• Working closely with external agencies, parents, and borough colleagues to ensure a holistic support network for every student.  
•  Building trusting relationships with families in crisis and providing detailed support for SEN applications, including PIPs and transport.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be resilient, empathetic and passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable children. 
• Have an understanding of Trauma-Informed practice.
• Have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a National Award in SEN Co-ordination.  Be able to motivate and regulate students who may display challenging behaviour or school avoidance.
• Expertise in understanding the needs of students with mental health difficulties and social communication difficulties.  Be a highly-professional communicator capable of running a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT).
• Display innovation in developing visual supports and social contracts to enhance social communication and independence.

Closing date:               3rd May 2026   

Shortlisting:                 4th May 2026 onwards

Interviews:                   14th May 2026

Start date:                    ASAP

For further details about Newhaven School and to download our application form please visit: www.newhavenschool.co.uk    (Please note CVs are not acceptable).

If you would like to view the school to get a better idea of us you can arrange a visit by emailing recruitment@newhaven.greenwich.sch.uk. 

Newhaven is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All appointments will be subject to a satisfactory Enhanced with Barred List check through the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) plus additional pre-employment checks. 

Newhaven is committed to the journey of decolonising our school by becoming deeply reflective about our systems, processes and decisions, by sharing our lived experiences in a genuine way that means we have a much better understanding of each other and by developing our staff so that all have equity of opportunity.