Lea Hall Academy is a special school for young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH) aged 5 to 14. Lea Hall Academy is part of Forward Education Trust, a growing Multi Academy Trust established in 2017 serving special schools across the West Midland area. We are looking for a teacher who is experienced, enthusiastic, and motivated to share in our school improvement journey.

Our pupils all have an EHCP that identifies their additional needs as SEMH. We recognise that there is a high correlation between identified SEMH and difficulties with communication. This means that our pupils need the very best teaching from someone who is able to respond to their individual needs. We want our pupils to be inspired and challenged, but we also want someone who will care about them as individuals. Sometimes our pupils display challenging behaviour – we know there is always a reason for this.

We are looking to appoint a Teacher who will work alongside us to address the issues beneath the behaviour. We are ambitious for our pupils to be successful in all areas of their life. We are at an exciting point in our development as a school. We were part way through a rapid school improvement process when we were visited by Ofsted in July 2023. We are clear about our school improvement priorities and are confident that we are making progress. Our recently created school leadership team is already demonstrating impact. We are looking for a teacher who will be responsible for a group of up to 12 pupils, supported by several teaching assistants.

Our pupils are grouped according to age and ability and are following either a semi-formal or formal curriculum pathway. We are looking for a teacher with experience of delivering a range of curriculum areas, from either primary or secondary settings. We are particularly interested in candidates with previous experience of working with pupils with SEMH.

There are opportunities to join either our KS2 or our KS3 team. We are looking for someone who can contribute to engaging programmes of study and who can convince pupils that they can be successful learners. We need their individual needs to be addressed, and we want them to be stretched to achieve more – whilst enjoying themselves! Our pupils are supported by regular access to both Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists.

Our staff team includes a Family Support Worker and a Pastoral Team who can offer reactive support throughout the school day. We work closely together as a staff team and take every opportunity to liaise with our pupils’ parents and families. We know that working together increases the chances of success for our pupils. Forward Education Trust provides a wide range of professional development opportunities for all its staff. This includes online learning, school based and Trust wide training, support to access national professional qualifications and individualised advice / mentoring around professional development.

In addition, our staff team at Lea Hall will have opportunities to further their expertise in working with pupils with SEMH, ASD, sensory needs and speech and language support.

Forward Education Trust is committed to recruiting and retaining the highest quality staff. To do this, we have an Employee Value Proposition offering a range of benefits, including:

• Teacher’s Pension Scheme or Support Staff Local Government Pension Scheme employer contribution
• FET HUB – all employee information all in one place
• paid for health cash plan - employee and dependent children benefit, with option to add partner
• employee questionnaire - consultation with staff on a range of issues and ideas
• salary sacrifice scheme
• cycle to work scheme
• access to the NHS approved Thrive app, supporting mental health and wellbeing
• comprehensive induction and probation support and an ongoing performance management and appraisal system
• easy purchase scheme, salary deduction
• Smart Tech in association with Currys
• enhanced Employee Assistance Programme
• free, totally confidential advice with face-to-face consultations
• personal and professional learning and development, including FLICK online learning
• access to discounts and offers from Reward Gateway and MyPerks
• occupational health service to support the needs of individual staff
• staff recognition, e-cards to celebrate success among colleagues, awards throughout the year in line with Trust behaviours and values          
• Mental Health First Aiders
• policies being developed to support positive health and wellbeing, family friendly working, special leave of absence, flexible working and menopause
• a commitment to develop new ideas to show we really value what you do for our children

You will offer us:     

• a Teacher who is motivated and enthusiastic who has experience of working with children with special needs
• your commitment to engaging and inspiring our pupils and the ability to make a real difference to their learning
• your flexibility, commitment and excellent interpersonal skills  

Please apply online

Interview Date: 22nd October 2024   Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and encouraged. Please telephone the school on 0121 594 0890 to make an appointment.    The Trust may review applications upon receipt and may call applicants for interview prior to the advert closing date. Therefore, you are encouraged to make an early application for this role and we reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date.  Please note that only fully completed Forward Education Trust Application forms will be accepted; we will not read accompanying Curriculum Vitae (CV) or accept them in place of an application form.  If you do not hear from the school within 14 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been shortlisted.

This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to necessary pre-employment checks, including: an enhanced DBS; Prohibition check (where applicable) Childcare Disqualification (where applicable); qualifications (where applicable); medical fitness; identity and right to work.  All applicants will be required to provide two suitable references. An online search will also be carried out on all shortlisted candidates. 

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. 

This post is not part of the City Council and the successful candidate will not hold a Birmingham City Council Contract of Employment.