Page 59 - SEN106 SEN Magazine May-June 2020

conditions, and candidates should consider what strategies they have for dealing with situations which heighten emotions. Relentless optimism The ability to keep repeating an activity or an element of learning until a student has grasped it, and the belief that the student will succeed, are essential. Often, for students with a SEN, this takes much longer than for their peers. Detective work The desire to “deep dive” into a student’s behaviour is vital. Unexpected behaviours or behaviours which challenge are a form of communication, and the perseverance to discover the trigger for a behaviour can be rewarding once strategies have been agreed and the student is able to adopt them successfully. Desire to learn An interest in the particular special need that the school supports is definitely beneficial, as the candidate will be immersed in this for at least 38 weeks of the year. Often, the school will offer CPD in its specialist area, but a desire to learn more about the specific condition outside of this will support personal development and understanding. Flexibility In special schools, timetable changes may happen more frequently than in mainstream settings, as the school may be reluctant to employ agency staff due to the impact on students who do not know them well. This may result in a collapsed timetable and alternative activities taking place. Staff may also be asked to have students in their class who are on assessment visits, as often special schools do not restrict themselves to one intake per year. What should you ask the school? Candidates who are invited for interview should consider asking questions about the following issues: • does the school use any specialist approaches to support students in meeting their EHC plan outcomes, such as British Sign Language? • what training does the school offer? • what does the induction look like? • does the school use any physical intervention programmes and, if so, how many interventions have there been in the current term? • how does the debrief process work for staff after a physical intervention or significant event? • if it is a residential school, do teachers support in the residential provision? Working in an SEN school has many positives, including the close knit, mutually supportive class team and the small class sizes, enabling staff to get to know each student well. It is not unusual to have members of the senior leadership team supporting at break and lunch times and for students and staff to be on first name terms. Success for students can look very different to that in mainstream schools, from the celebration when a student can tie their shoelaces or when they are able to use a strategy for managing their anxiety, to achieving GCSEs and BTECs. About the author Sarah Sherwood is Director of SEN at LVS Hassocks and LVS Oxford, both specialist schools for young people with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. lvs-hassocks.org.uk lvs-oxford.org.uk @LVSOxford An interest in the particular special need that the school supports is definitely beneficial senmagazine.co.uk SEN 106 59 Recruitment