Job Introduction
Class Teacher – Secondary KS3/4
Do you want to make a difference to the learning and progress of young people? At Hollywater School we aim to live our core values of "Inspire, Believe and Achieve" to enable our students and their families to have aspirational life long ambitions and experiences...Can you be part of this vision?
Hollywater School is a school for pupils aged 4-19 with complex learning needs. We set high but realistic expectations for all and encourage everyone to discover the joy of learning so that they may thrive and achieve their full potential to be as independent as possible in their adult life. We recognise that the personal development of pupils spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to achieve and learn and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experience of adult life.
Overview
Class (11 Pupils) | Trauma-Informed Practice | Collaborative Environment
This post is for a co-teaching model where the class has an equal balance of needs across Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), and Communication and Interaction challenges. The pupils are verbal but require equal parts emotional regulation, cognitive scaffolding, and social communication support to access daily life and learning.
The Role
You will partner with another teacher to lead a highly structured, predictable classroom environment. Because the pupils have complex learning difficulties, their needs are balanced across different domains. Working as a dual-teacher team ensures that neither the communication needs nor the cognitive-learning needs are compromised, allowing for highly individualized attention.
Key Responsibilities
Dual-Focus Curriculum: Jointly plan a semi-formal, practical curriculum that balances functional life skills and cognitive development with robust communication and social interaction goals.
Structured & Predictable Environment: Implement consistent ASD-friendly structures to reduce anxiety and promote independent SLD task completion.
Total Communication Environment (Verbal Focus): Support verbal communication by using visual aids, symbols, and social scripts to help pupils process spoken instructions, make choices, and express abstract feelings.
Emotional Regulation: Co-manage individual emotional regulation plans. You will work together to spot early signs of cognitive frustration, applying proactive de-escalation strategies.
What We’re Looking For
Balanced ASD & SLD Expertise: A deep understanding of how autism interacts with severe learning difficulties, specifically how sensory issues and processing delays may impact a verbal child's behaviour.
Visual & Verbal Scaffolding Skills: Proven ability to use visual structures to anchor spoken language, ensuring instructions are concrete and accessible for slow processing speeds.
Co-Teaching Collaboration: The ability to communicate instantly and flexibly with your teaching partner, sharing the lead and pooling observations to track complex EHCP targets.
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.
