SENDCo Primary School January 2027 Start

Job Overview

The Arbor School is seeking an exceptional and passionate SENDCo.(Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator) to join our thriving community. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled middle Leadership Team, the Primary SENCO will support the Head of Inclusion in promoting the learning, wellbeing and personal development of Primary-aged pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The Primary SENCO will coordinate SEND provision across the Primary School, ensuring that inclusive practices are embedded throughout teaching and learning and aligned with the Arbor School's Strategic Intent, Mission Statement and Arbor Promise. The role will work closely with teachers, learning support staff, families and external professionals to ensure that every child is supported to thrive.

We are ideally seeking a candidate to join us in Term 2; however, for an exceptional candidate, a start date of January 2027 may be considered.

Enough For All, For Ever

The Arbor School opened in 2018 with a very different vision of what education could and should be – experiential, authentic and inspired by the natural beauty, human ingenuity, and profound ecological and social challenges of the Arabian Peninsula.

The cultivation of a learning community uniquely committed to understanding and restoring the health of ecological and human communities as interconnected parts of a whole requires equal parts optimism, ambition, and humility. A fundamental belief in the inherit goodness of people and their capacity to act with empathy and compassion underscores the sense of hope that is fundamental to learning for a sustainable future. The resilience and determination to tackle challenges that have grown to global proportion is essential to finding sustainable solutions and orchestrating the social changes needed to grow them to scale. The realisation that comes from recognising that we are all students – never a master – drives our commitment to ignite a lifelong love of learning. 

Role

Recognising the interconnected nature of the cognitive, affective, and participative domains, and their roles in shaping learning, we are pursuing a holistic approach to teaching and learning, designed to prepare learners:

• to understand the interconnected concepts of sustainability, individual and collective well-being, and environmental and social justice;
• to find purpose, meaning and joy in their interactions with the natural world and with each other, and to seek to understand people who are different to themselves;
• to experience a sense of accomplishment and self-efficacy through their actions at home, in school and in the wider world.
  
  

 

The Arbor Promise

Arbor teachers are a part of a community which is inclusive, fun-loving, and active. Arbor teachers enjoy authentic friendships with their colleagues, positive relationships with school leaders, who care for their wellbeing, and are a team in the true sense. Arbor teachers are resilient in the face of challenge, are stable and calm in the face of change, and creative and flexible when solving problems. Arbor teachers bring their passions and interests to enrich our school and are clear that there is an expectation to do so. We commit to meeting agreed deadlines, to communicating proactively with an assumption of positive intent and share a passion to provide an education of the highest quality to our students.

Job Summary

As a member of the Middle Leadership Team, you will work in close partnership with the Head of Inclusion to lead and further develop the SEND provision across the school. You will champion the learning and personal development of students with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring high-quality, inclusive practice is embedded consistently across the Primary phase. As SENDCo at the Arbor School, you will play a pivotal role in cultivating a culture of belonging and achievement, aligned to our Strategic Intent, Mission Statement and the Arbor Promise, ensuring that every learner is supported to flourish within our values-driven community.

Key Responsibilities

• Doing all that you can to ensure that you safeguard and promote the welfare of students (in line with Arbor’s Safeguarding framework/policy/Code of Conduct).
• Positively and actively promoting the Arbor vision, mission, and values.
• Ensuring your practice is in line with the Arbor Staff Handbook, the Arbor Teacher: A Framework for Outstanding Teaching and Leading at Arbor: A Framework for Developing Leadership.
• Ensuring a collective approach to maintaining a high standard of positive behaviour management throughout the school, as per the Arbor School Behaviour for Learning policy and procedures.
• Implementing, where appropriate, school policies, procedures and expected practices, as identified by the Senior Leadership Team at the Arbor School.
• To liaise closely with parents to ensure effective home/school partnership, communicating and consulting with the parents of students.
• Contributing significantly to develop and oversee the implementation of the school's Inclusion Improvement Plan, policy, and curriculum
• Responsibility for the appraisal and continuous professional development of identified staff within the school
• Undertake specific operational tasks as agreed upon with the Head of Thrive, including the following areas:
• Attend and contribute to Primary Middle Leadership Team meetings, providing strategic input on inclusion, SEND provision and pupil outcomes
• Collaborate with Early Years and Secondary Inclusion colleagues to ensure continuity of provision and successful transitions between phases.
• Carry out assessments of pupils with SEND to identify needs and monitor progress - including observations in the classroom and meetings with teachers and parents and inform provision
• Work with classroom teachers, parents, and relevant external agencies to develop, implement and monitor individual support/learning plans
• Provide regular updates and analysis of SEND provision, pupil progress and intervention impact across the Primary School
• Provide advice, guidance and training to classroom teachers and learning support assistants on supporting pupils with SEND
• Work collaboratively with BML Inclusion teachers to ensure equitable access to the curriculum for BML learners
• Monitor the progress and wellbeing of BML students, ensuring appropriate interventions and support are in place
• Deliver professional development and training for Primary teachers, learning support assistants and support staff
• Coordinate Primary intervention timetables and deployment of support staff to maximise inclusion and pupil outcomes
• Managing elements of the timetable and schedule to optimise the use of space and resources – including human resources.
• Work directly with students to:
• Deliver targeted interventions based on identified need
• Motivate and encourage by providing different levels of individual attention,
• Maintain systems for keeping pupil records, ensuring information is accurate and up to date
• Performing any reasonable cover and duties as requested by the Head of Inclusion.
• Contribute to Primary admissions, transition and induction process for pupils with additional needs
  

Required Candidate Profile

• Native-level English language skills
• NASENCO or equivalent
• Additional qualifications, including the National Award for SEN Coordination is desired.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience working with SEN or inclusion-focused roles in the UK or a reputable British school
• A track record of outstanding teaching and learning, and an ability to create a caring and nurturing classroom environment.
  
  

Remuneration: A competitive tax-free compensation package will be provided in accordance with the School's policy and UAE labour law regulations.

Application: To apply for this position, please complete the application on TES and upload:

• An up-to-date CV with a recent photograph to be included.
• A letter of application, no longer than two pages in length, which outlines your educational philosophy and suitability for the Arbor School.
  
  

The Arbor School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all the students in our care and expects all applicants to share this commitment. We hold ourselves to a high standard of effective, safer recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. All appointments are subject to CV and qualification checks, interview, identity checks, criminal record checks, and successful references.

All appointments are subject to the approval of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

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