Job Title: SEN Teacher - Complex Needs

Contract type: 12-month Cover

Location: Trafford, Manchester

Start Date: January 2026

A specialist SEN school in Trafford requires an experienced SEN Teacher for a full-time, 12-month cover, starting in January 2026. This position involves leading a Key Stage 2 class. You will be responsible for creating and delivering a tailored curriculum for pupils who have complex sensory needs, and complex behaviours. Your focus will be on sensory engagement, communication development, and positive behaviour management. This position requires an experienced teacher and is not suitable for an Early Career Teacher. You must be confident in leading a classroom team and managing a dynamic, complex environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience and qualification.
• Comprehensive professional development and training opportunities, including specialist SEN interventions and strategies.
• Dedicated Randstad consultant support for career guidance and opportunities.

Your Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver a highly sensory-based curriculum focused on developing pre-verbal communication, social interaction, and engagement.
• Implement robust positive behaviour management strategies tailored to pupils with complex sensory and communication needs.
• Create, manage, and review developmentally-appropriate IEPs (or equivalent), tracking small steps of progress in communication, cognition, and sensory processing.
• Lead, manage, and deploy a team of Teaching Assistants, ensuring they are effectively supporting pupil learning and well-being.
• Foster a nurturing, safe, and low-arousal classroom environment that supports the pupils' complex sensory needs.
• Adapt the early years framework and engagement models to create a meaningful curriculum for pupils working at early developmental levels.
• Work collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team, including Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, parents/carers, and external professionals.
• Uphold the school's commitment to safeguarding, ensuring the welfare of all pupils is paramount.

Your Requirements

• Must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or QTLS.
• This role is not suitable for an Early Career Teacher (ECT).
• Proven experience teaching pupils with complex needs, particularly those with significant social communication difficulties and associated challenging behaviours.
• Direct experience working with pupils who are pre-verbal and working at very early developmental levels (e.g., P-Levels or Engagement Model).
• Strong skills in sensory curriculum planning and creating low-arousal learning environments.
• A strong understanding of assessment methods for pupils working significantly below age-related expectations.
• Confidence in leading a classroom team of support staff.
• A patient, resilient, and compassionate approach to teaching and supporting vulnerable learners.
• An enhanced DBS Children and Adult on the update service, or the willingness to apply for a new one through Randstad.

Next Steps

If you are passionate about creating positive learning experiences for pupils with profound and complex needs and meet the requirements outlined above, please click 'Apply Now'. A Randstad consultant will review your application and be in touch to discuss the next steps, which will include a registration and pre-screening process.