Job Description

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Due to the retirement of our Headteacher, we are seeking a committed and dynamic new leader from September 2019 for our wonderful Special Needs School. We warmly invite applications from outstanding practitioners who want an opportunity to lead a successful school and build on its strengths to ensure continued success.

Are you ready to be our inspirational leader?

Oak View School is an all-age (3-19) specialist provision for SEND pupils including those with severe and complex needs as well as those from within the autistic spectrum. Situated in Loughton, on the edge of Epping Forest, the school is well-served by public transport and is a short walk from the Central Line underground.

Oak View is about to undertake a big expansion project. This new on-site building will comprise four additional classrooms and ancillary support facilities, including a Sensory Room, and will complement our existing outdoor sports area and indoor hydrotherapy pool.

We have Autism Accreditation and this year achieved Enhanced Practice Commendation. Oak View has recently converted to academy status and joined the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust as the only Special Needs provision among the Trust's 15 member schools.

The successful candidate will:

• Be a motivational leader who will drive the school through its exciting expansion.
• Have a sympathetic understanding of the educational needs of children and young people with severe learning difficulties.
• Have strategies for providing an effective curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Have excellent communication skills with parents, children, staff and the wider community.
• Extend our support of SEND children within the Trust and local mainstream schools.

In return, we offer:

• A friendly, successful school with a dedicated and experienced staff who love working here.
• A well-qualified and forward-thinking Governing Body.
• Happy and endearing children.
• The support of the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust

Potential candidates are strongly encouraged to visit the school. You will be able to meet our delightful pupils and staff in this nurturing environment to see for yourself the exciting opportunities the school has to offer.Contact Denise Cross at the school (denisecross@oakview.essex.sch.uk) or 020 85084293 to arrange.

Information about the School

Oak View is a specialist setting catering for pupils aged 3-19 who have severe and complex Learning Needs (SLD/PMLD). Oak View offers a bespoke curriculum that focuses on a pupil’s immediate learning needs and long-term aspirations and creatively explores ways to remove barriers to engagement and learning. We have a significant focus on the development of functional communication and Emotional Regulation (readiness to learn), including the importance of meeting Sensory Integration needs. We use a wide range of evidence-based strategies to meet the needs of our pupils. We also work collaboratively with a range of therapists to support a holistic approach to our pupil’s development.

We are incredibly proud of our hard-working, highly trained specialist team of staff who work in partnership with all agencies and stakeholders to strive towards the best possible outcomes for all our learners.

We are part of The Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust of fifteen Primary and one Special School all based in the Epping Forest District. Along with our SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training), School Improvement Team, Well-being Service and Resourced Provisions based in three of our schools, we are a leading educational organisation in Epping Forest.

EFSPT was formed in 2018 from a consortium of schools that had worked together for over 20 years and are committed to collaborative working to ensure the best possible outcomes for our children and school communities. The schools maintain their identities but work in a highly collaborative manner supported by a small but very experienced Central Team.

Our Mission is to provide an exceptional education that is inclusive and challenging for all and which provides wider opportunities for the children within the EFSPT to flourish.

EFSPT is committed to Trauma Perceptive Practice; the Essex approach to understanding behaviour and supporting emotional well-being. Being trauma-perceptive means that through our values, policies and practice, we are able to effectively support the children, families and communities in our Trust, creating spaces of belonging and safety that enable everyone to flourish, become resilient and learn.

We are an Equal Opportunities employer and we are committed to safeguarding our schools’ communities. The appointment will therefore be subject to satisfactory references and enhanced DBS checks.

West Essex SCITT is an outstanding provider of Initial Teacher Training. We currently have student finance or self funded postgraduate trainee teacher vacancies available to start in September 2024 across all of our 16 primary schools.

Please visit the below website for further information;;

https://www.westessexscitt.co.uk/