Join the Roedean Team

Head of Learning Support (SENCo)

Girls First: Empowered, Encouraged, Engaged

FOUNDED

ON SITE
1885
FARM
4 OFFERS FOR
OXBRIDGE
45
125

ACRES

50%

BOARDING
BEST EVER
GCSE &
A LEVEL
GRADES IN THE
LAST 2 YEARS

355
-SEAT
THEATRE
125

YEARS ON
CURRENT SITE

525

STUDENTS
ON ROLL

CO-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES

£11m
BOARDING
REFURBISHMENT

ON THE
CLIFFS

OVERLOOKING
THE ENGLISH
CHANNEL

ACADEMIC
MENTORING
PROJECTS
FLOOD-LIT
ALL-WEATHER
PITCH
ON SITE
OVER 35
ISI

COUNTRIES

(NOVEMBER 2021)
EXCELLENT
IN ALL AREAS

GIRLS
FROM

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

WELCOME TO ROEDEAN

Welcome to Roedean

Roedean is an extraordinary school on an extraordinary
site – the girls play cricket and hockey with the sea’s
blue in front of them and the green of the South Downs
behind them, the Maths and Humanities classrooms have
perhaps the best views of any in the country, and which
other boarding houses have been likened to a boutique
hotel? But it is not just the location, but the strong
academic focus with a genuine belief in the importance of
creativity and an all-round education that makes Roedean
unique.

This is an exciting time for Roedean which is marking
the 140th anniversary of the foundation of the School,
although it moved to its current site in 1898. Ever
since its foundation, Roedean has been renowned for
providing girls with an exceptional holistic education,
and this certainly remains the case today: the girls excel
in many fields, achieving excellent academic results,
while also playing music beyond diploma level, debating
in the Oxford Union finals, playing Netball in Sri Lanka,
and throwing themselves into partnership work in the
community and beyond. Students achieve Advanced 1 in
Ballet, design and race their F24 electric car, exceptional
artists can finish A Level Art in a year and then complete
a certificated foundation year before applying for direct-

entry Art degrees, and a team of 6 students successfully
swam across the Channel to France in June 2022, after
which a student in Year 12 made the crossing solo in July
2025.

The School numbers around 525 students, and about half
of that number are day girls, joined by boarders from over
35 countries.

Roedean is clearly thriving and, in addition to the evident
success in the Arts and particularly STEM subjects, as well
as in many areas of school life beyond the curriculum, it is
wonderful that the findings of our last three ISI Inspection
reports in 2016, 2021, and 2025 all highlighted the
excellence in Roedean provision and outcomes for
students. Despite current pressures, it is clear that the
School is in fine fettle, and where it will be in the coming
years is an exciting prospect.

Roedean really is a great place to work – we hope that you
would like to join us.

Niamh Green
Head

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

THE ROLE, THE DEPARTMENT, MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

The Role

Reporting to the Deputy Head: Academic, a well-qualified, dynamic and enthusiastic teacher and leader is required to
drive forward and co-ordinate innovative and effective support for girls with special educational needs, helping them to
develop learning strategies which will enable them to make the most of their individual abilities.

The Head of Learning Support (SENCo) is a co-ordinator and must ensure that academic departments and class
teachers recognise their responsibilities towards pupils with identified learning needs and provide high-quality
information to enable teachers to be in a position to help in the identification of such children. The Head of Learning
Support will have strategic oversight of special educational needs provision across the school and will be responsible
for ensuring that this is a visible and effective area of school life. In addition, the Head of Learning Support will line-
manage all members of the Learning Support department and undertake an agreed teaching commitment within the
School.

The Department

At present Roedean provides individual and small-group learning support across the whole school from Year 7 to Upper
Sixth, as well as in-class support. This support is delivered by the Head of Learning Support, the Assistant SENCo and a
team of Learning Support Assistants.

Members of the Learning Support department liaise closely with the EAL (English as an Additional Language)
Department and teachers across the school to ensure that provision is high-quality and co-ordinated.
Learning support also includes assessment for examination access arrangements from trained assessors within the
school. The SENCo is a trained Level 7 access arrangements assessor. Individual education profiles are kept for each
student on the Learning Support register, on the central database. This is jointly managed by the SENCo and the
Assistant SENCo.

Main Duties

The applicant will be expected to fulfil the usual professional responsibilities of a teacher at Roedean (see statement of
professional duties document) including:
•  Attend staff and departmental meetings.
•  Maintain up-to-date records of attendance, assessment, planning, reports and communication with parents.
•  Participate in ongoing professional development related to new developments

Responsibilities of Head of Department

Please refer to the Head of Department Job Description.

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

Tasks Specific to Head of Learning Support

TASKS SPECIFIC TO HEAD OF LEARNING SUPPORT

•

Identify and co-ordinate support for girls with special educational needs, helping them to develop learning strategies
which will enable them to make the most of their individual abilities.
Lead and manage a team of full and part-time staff and teaching assistants.

•
•  Regularly liaise with the Heads of Year, the Boarding Team and Director of Admissions in order to assess and meet

•

the needs of pupils across the school.
Liaise with relevant staff to prepare timetables for all teaching assistants and EAL teaching staff for the beginning of
the academic year.

•  Offer a range of support through group and one to one lessons, support or academic counselling sessions.
•

Liaise with Heads of Year at the beginning of the year, to ensure that all new entrants receive 1:1 support if this has
been recommended on their entry letter.

•  Carry out individual screening and literacy attainment assessments arising from internal referrals
•  Analyse results from the annual standardised ability tests for all year groups and maintain liaison with Heads of Year,

Deputy Head: Pastoral and Deputy Head: Academic to ensure support and tracking is in place.

•  Produce the Learning Support Register and update as required.
•

Liaise with the Head of Data Management and Data Protection and other colleagues to ensure that the school’s
Management Information System is updated with necessary information and to alert staff when it is available.
•  Provide training (via departmental and whole staff CPD) and information to teaching staff, in general, on the specific
student difficulties they may encounter, for example written information on supporting students with ADHD, Autism,
dyslexia etc., along with guidance on differentiation, QFT, adaptive learning and strategies for support.

•  Check that all IEPs are written by colleagues, available on the intranet and updated regularly.
•  Have overall responsibility for updating the list of candidates with Access Arrangements and liaise regularly with the

Examinations Officer.

•  Ascertain whether any other specialist assessment is needed for an individual pupil and liaise with external assessors

accordingly.

•  Co-ordinate provision for all SEN students and manage the budget for testing and assessment materials as well as

computer software and other aids for learning.

•  Have responsibility for the implementation of SENDA (Special Educational Needs Disability Act) with regard to

students and to encourage regular updating of knowledge available on special educational needs and disability by
sharing expertise and by attendance at CPD courses

•  Ensure that all departmental documentation meets statutory and ISI requirements
•  Act as an advocate at staff meetings for students on the Learning Support Register.
•  Attend weekly Academic Committee Meetings and Departmental meetings to ensure staff across the School is up to

date with current SEND pupil needs and appropriate strategies to meet these needs.

•  Follow up issues raised about students at staff meetings and by colleagues throughout the year to see whether

assessment and extra support are required.

•  Offer support for individuals who come to seek advice about learning issues and follow up with Heads of Year,

Housemistresses and parents as necessary.

•  Attend all Parents’ Evenings, Staff briefings, staff CPD and other meetings.
•  Organise and chair weekly departmental meetings.
•  Chair regular meetings for teachers of girls with special educational needs.
•  Seek pre-emptive information for new entrants with established SEN and EAL.
•  Provide cover arrangements within the Department when necessary using existing staff
•  Manage the regular updating of staff timetables as new students come in and liaise with the various parties to

communicate those changes.

•  Monitor the writing of reports within the Department
•  Have overall responsibility for the departmental budget.
•  Dissemination of information on differentiation, classroom teaching and extended curriculum to all staff via faculty

based INSET and database.

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

OTHER INFORMATION, PERSON SPECIFICATION AND THE PACKAGE

Other Information

The Head of Learning Support is required to carry out the normal duties of a Head of Department which includes a
teaching load of 20, 50-minute periods per week and undertaking a significant contribution to school life as agreed
with the Senior Deputy Head.

Person Specification

•  Qualified, specialist teacher (SEND) with a good honours degree.
•  Must be a Level 7 qualified specialist assessor.
•  An NPQ in SEND is an advantage and the willingness to pursue this qualification if it is not already held is a

necessity.

•  A good level of ICT is necessary.  All school reports are written onto the School’s database throughout the year,

iPads are available for use in lessons and effective use of this and other digital learning technology is an important
feature of classroom practice.

•  An awareness of the needs of EAL pupils joining an English boarding school community.
•  Experience of teaching a wide range of ages and abilities in the EAL field.
•  A commitment to enabling all students to achieve at the highest possible levels.
•  An enthusiastic, committed and motivated contributor to the wider activities of the department and school.
•  Good organisational skills and flexibility
•  An individual who is able to work independently as well as in a supportive team.
•  Statutory induction is provided.

The School does not have a licence to sponsor migrants under the worker or temporary worker routes. Individuals
who wish to work at the School will therefore need to hold or establish immigration status that allows them to work
in the UK. The School is legally required to check that all successful job applicants hold the right to work in the UK
before work can commence.

The Package

Salary:            An appropriate point on the Roedean Teacher’s pay scale according to qualifications and experience.

     This post carries a Management 2 Allowance (£5,048 per annum).

Other Benefits include:

•  Pension – Contributory pension scheme

•  Sports and Leisure – use of the swimming pool,

•  Remission of fees for a daughter attending the

school, in line with the current policy of the School
Council, subject to the usual standards and procedures
for admission (currently 40% - pro rata for part time
staff)

fitness suite and tennis courts (subject to availability).
Weekly yoga classes are available after work

•  Wellbeing – Staff have access to a confidential

advice and telephone support service. Regular staff
social events

•  Death in service benefit

•

‘Cycle to Work’ scheme

•  Dining and refreshment facilities throughout the

•  Free parking on site

school day whilst on duty

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

 SAFEGUARDING AND HOW TO APPLY

Safeguarding

The post holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom s/
he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s
Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy Statement at all times.  If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post
the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School s/he
must report any concerns to the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or, if he/she is the School’s DSL, to the Head
and relevant agencies.

Roedean is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all
staff and volunteers to share this commitment.   Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening
appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), a
Prohibition Order Check and a Prohibition from Management Check.

Roedean is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome the unique contributions that everyone can bring to
Roedean in terms of education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expressions, nation of origin,
age, languages spoken, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

How to Apply

Applicants must complete the application pack and return it to vacancies@roedean.co.uk or via post to Louisa Butler,
Recruitment Manager, Roedean School, Roedean Way, Brighton, BN2 5RQ.

If you have any questions about the role, please email vacancies@roedean.co.uk

Closing date for applications is 9am, 30 September 2025.

Due to the need to appoint quickly, we reserve the right to interview and appoint at any stage of the process.

This job description may be reviewed from time to time in light of changing circumstances and if it is necessary to
amend/alter this, those concerned will be consulted.

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

WHY TEACH AT ROEDEAN?

Why Teach at Roedean?

At Roedean, we are seeking talented and dedicated
members of staff with a passion for their subject and for
education per se; they will be teachers who are experts
in their subjects and will challenge the girls to think for
themselves and become independent in their learning.
The enthusiasm of our teachers is complemented by
regular opportunities for the girls to meet and hear
from successful female role-models, such as at our
annual International Women’s Day Festival, when over
twenty speakers come to Roedean, and Baroness Floella
Benjamin, who addressed the entire School at a recent
Black History Month Lecture, was a true inspiration.

It is a genuine pleasure to teach the girls – they are
engaged and motivated, and this is clear from their
academic achievements.  In 2025, the students achieved
outstanding A Level results, with 22% of all grades at
A* and 50% at A*-A. At GCSE level, the 2025 results
were the best ever, with 37% of 1178 entries awarded
Grade 9, and this was by far the most common grade.
We are delighted that the girls consistently achieve
excellent academic results, and this provides a strong
springboard to success in Higher Education and beyond.
It is noteworthy that 43% of last year’s leavers went on
to study STEM subjects at university, highlighting that

the School bucks the ‘girls can’t do Science’ stereotype.
Furthermore, Roedean had 100% success rate for those
holding offers for Oxbridge, Law, and Medicine, while
others took up places to read Fashion at Kingston and a
Sports Scholarship to Bucknell University in USA.

In our teachers, we are looking for quality and enthusiasm,
and a desire to spark the girls’ intellectual curiosity and
watch them grab whatever they discover and run with it.
Our aim is for the students to become life-long learners
and leaders, always keen to undertake new challenges and
learn from their experiences, and Roedean has the same
wish for its staff; the School is happy to provide support
and training to facilitate professional development if
needed.

Teachers at Roedean work excellently as part of a team,
prioritising the girls’ interests, and giving them support
and space to develop their talents and interests. The
staff enjoy strong and meaningful relationships with the
girls, characterised by mutual trust and respect. If you
are passionate about getting the best out of every single
girl, and watching them grow into independent and
resourceful young women, a job at Roedean is for you.

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

WHY TEACH AT ROEDEAN?

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

THE SCHOOL TODAY

The School Today

Roedean numbers around 525 girls, bringing together
students from over thirty-five countries around the world
and those who live very locally; these different cultures
and experiences add a great deal to the girls’ experience,
particularly in our increasingly globalised society, and
ISI Inspectors remarked that ‘the cultural development
of pupils is excellent’, and commented on the ‘mutual
tolerance and respect’ which came from the integration
between pupils from different countries, and between the
day girls and those who board.

beyond Grade 8 level – all such activities have their own
intrinsic value, but they also have huge benefits for the
girls’ academic endeavours. Our ‘Wild Fridays’ programme
sees all of Year 7 and 8 spending every Friday afternoon
outside, learning bushcraft skills and orienteering, looking
after the animals on the Farm, and outdoor adventure
– and they love it!  All girls in Years 9 and 10 undertake
Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, and some
also have the opportunity to join the CCF contingent at
Lancing College.

Founded in 1885 by three sisters to provide ‘a thorough,
physical, intellectual and moral’ education with ‘as much
liberty as is consistent with safety’, the School has always
broken the mould. Today, Roedean is determined to
empower the girls to challenge themselves to realise their
considerable potential; they are given the opportunity
to grow up at their own pace, not constrained by finite
expectations, and they have the freedom to develop their
talents and passions.

Roedean’s ethos is clearly focused on the remarkable
benefits of a holistic approach to education, in which
academic pursuits are complemented by a wide range of
co-curricular activities, and the founding Lawrence sisters
would be delighted with their legacy today. With over 125
activities on offer every week, the girls enjoy international
travel opportunities, a Farm on the school site, the annual
House Drama Festival, and our flood-lit all-weather pitch
at the heart of the School. Roedean girls excel in a range
of sports, and many musicians and dancers perform

Our partnership with St Mark’s Primary, in the Whitehawk
estate, is hugely rewarding for the pupils at both schools –
there are a range of joint weekly activities, we fund-raised
and built a Library on their site from scratch, and one
year-group comes to Roedean each week for a morning
of academic and sporting enrichment. Furthermore,
the Roedean Academy, a programme of academic
enrichment for Year 10 students, brings together
academically gifted and engaged students from six local
schools in the maintained sector with those at Roedean,
to challenge their academic expectations and broaden
their horizons.

Philanthropy is also central to what we do. 100 hot meals
are sent each week into the community to feed the
homeless in Brighton, 12 girls travel to Moldova each year
to teach English to Ukrainian refugees and Moldovan
orphans, and the  community raised over £48,000 for a
range of charities last year.

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

THE SCHOOL TODAY

ROEDEAN’S ETHOS

At Roedean, there can be no doubt that the girls’ rounded
education ‘makes a considerable contribution to their
personal development’ (ISI Inspection), and it is precisely
this which produces independent and creative young
women who will make their mark in the world. In the
same way that Roedean encourages the girls to pursue a

variety of interests, we expect the staff to be committed
to the busy life of this boarding school; it is wonderful
when staff join the orchestra or play in the staff-student
sports fixtures, and the girls love it when members of staff
congratulate them on their role in the previous night’s
play or the goal they scored in the fixture at the weekend.

ROEDEAN’S CAMPUS AND FACILITIES

Roedean is located on a beautiful 45-acre campus, and
owns a further 75 acres of land adjacent to the site. It is
the only school in the UK to be set within a National Park
and on a coastline, as well as being in the boundaries of a
vibrant city. The Grade II listed main building and Keswick
House were designed by the leading Victorian architect
and Roedean parent, Sir John Simpson, who also designed
the original Wembley stadium. The main building
incorporates the four main boarding houses, the dining
rooms, the Library, and the teaching and administration
spaces. Later additions include the Chapel, Science
Laboratories, the Theatre and dance studios, the Music
wing, Keswick House, and Lawrence House. We also have

an indoor swimming pool, a Sports Hall, which includes a
multi-gym, and numerous playing fields to the front and
side of the school. With a £1½ million refurbishment of
the Sixth Form facilities in 2019, a small Farm on site with
sheep and pygmy goats, a refurbishment of our 355-seat
Theatre in 2021, and an all-weather flood-lit pitch at the
heart of the School, Roedean certainly has wonderful
facilities and buildings. A transformation of the Library
was completed in April 2024 and delivers an outstanding
study, research, and exhibition space within the School’s
original school hall, further enhancing Roedean’s
academic provision.

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

THE SCHOOL TODAY

www.roedean.co.uk | vacancies@roedean.co.uk | 01273 667657

Roedean School, Roedean Way, Brighton, East Sussex  BN2 5RQ
 +44(0)1273 667657     roedean.co.uk

Charity No: 307063