OHCAT Outer London Business Support, Grade: E, SP – 25, Actual Salary: £26,678.00 - £29,099.61 (FTE £31,155.00 - £33,983.00) (Negotiated on appointment, depending on experience and qualifications)
36 hours a week, term time only. Across school with home liaison
Location: Dysart School, 190 Ewell Road, KT6 6HL
Dysart School is an Outstanding special school in Kingston, providing education for pupils aged 4 to 19 with a range of severe and complex learning difficulties.
To help meet the growing demand for high-quality SEN provision in the borough, Dysart also operates three satellite sites located alongside local mainstream schools - creating inclusive opportunities and expanding access to specialist support.
Its main site, located in Surbiton, is bright and well equipped to support the development of its pupils, including Early Years classrooms with outdoor learning spaces, an onsite work-related learning kitchen, an accessible swimming pool, sensory room, soft play and adventure play areas, and clearly defined outside spaces that support pupils’ learning and self-regulation.
Dysart School is a progressive and innovative place to work, and staff are offered opportunities through regular training and support to develop their own practice.
Dysart takes a person-centred, relational approach grounded in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS). Practice across the school focuses on understanding behaviour as communication and creating environments that support engagement, participation, relationships and quality of life, rather than relying on reactive or compliance-based approaches.
A core part of this work is the Connections Team.
The Connections Team works alongside pupils, class teams and families to provide proactive, preventative and relational support, building capacity and consistency across school and home, promoting inclusive, joined-up working that reduces stress and supports positive outcomes.
We are seeking a Family Engagement & Advocacy Practitioner to join our team.
The role aims to:
build and strengthen relationships between home and school, reducing some of the pressures and stressors for parents and carers, knowing that this in turn positively impacts the pupils’ wellbeing, engagement and quality of life.
To ensure a smooth and welcoming transition into Dysart School, and again, out of Dysart when students move on from the school onto possible college placements.
To work with external agencies surrounding the pupils to promote inclusive, joined up working.
Key Responsibilities:
Advocate for parents in meetings and support preparation and follow-up.
Support inclusive communication and access to information through relational drop-ins: supporting and reassuring, offering guidance, and signposting families to appropriate services.
Recognise safeguarding concerns and escalate appropriately.
Assisting the SLT and class team in welcoming new families to the school through open mornings and transition meetings, ensuring a smooth transition into Dysart School.
Class visits, including lunch duties, to see students within their learning environments to inform conversations with families and further understand and experience the school environment.
Essential Experience/Knowledge
GCSE grade 9–4 (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics
Commitment to working alongside families with dignity and respect, understanding that reducing family stress supports positive outcomes for pupils
Proven experience working effectively with children and young people
Understanding of safeguarding, equal opportunities and relevant legislation, aligned with PBS values of dignity and respect
Awareness of barriers families may face in accessing school activities
Essential Skills and abilities
Confident supporting groups, events or workshops
Ability to organise own work, manage time effectively and work with appropriate guidance
Confidence contributing specialist insight to multidisciplinary meetings, reviews and planning
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with families and professionals with the ability to manage sensitive or complex conversations
OHCAT is an exciting, forward-thinking organisation, and we offer many benefits to attract and keep our staff, contributing towards maintaining and improving wellbeing, and encouraging our required behaviours, achievements, values, and skills. Below is just a selection of the benefits available to our employees:
Rewards & Benefits:
Pathways for progression within the trust, ensuring you can grow and thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Pension Scheme - you will be enrolled in either the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), both offering life cover and financial protection for your family.
Salary Sacrifice Schemes (Cycle Scheme, Employee Car Lease Scheme and Home Electronics Scheme)
Employee Wellbeing - We support employee wellbeing with access to counselling, mental health support, generous leave, flexible working, and enhanced parental leave including Employee Assistance Programme, MyGym Discounts, Corporate Eyecare Scheme
Employee Discounts (Blue Light Card, Costco Membership, Discounts for Teachers, and more)
Other (Season Ticket Loan and Employee Referral Scheme)
Find out what makes Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust a truly rewarding place to work – visit our ‘Work for Us’ page to learn more about our values, opportunities and the difference our staff make every day.
Our Trust:
Dysart School is part of Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust. We are a family of specialist education providers from pre-school through to further education across London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire and fully represent all designations of special education needs and disabilities (SEND). To find out more about us, and what makes us a special place to work please visit our website.
We are committed to promoting and advancing equality of opportunity by attracting and retaining the most diverse range of students, staff and partners.
Working together to transform lives is what we do and across the whole organisation we have a range of experts and practitioners who advocate for children and young people with SEND to ensure they receive the best possible opportunities to achieve their full potential.
As a large specialist education provider we employ over 1500 people across our schools, college and central support team. There is a wide range of job roles available, ranging from teaching and therapy to business support roles and significant career progression opportunities.
It is an exciting time to be part of OHCAT and we are keen to recruit talented people who can play a key role in realising our mission and who want to make a difference. In return, we offer training and development, competitive pay and benefits in a positive and inclusive working environment.
If you wish to discuss this opportunity before or after submitting an application form, please get in touch with the School directly. Visits to the School in advance of applications are encouraged.
Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.
How to Apply:
To apply for this role, please click ‘Fast Apply’, you will then be directed to a ‘Login’ page, once signed in, please complete and submit the Application Form.
Please note that CV applications cannot be considered.
To ensure a fair opportunity for all applicants, candidates who have applied for this position in the past 6 months will not be considered.
Closing Date: Sunday 19 April 2026
Interviews will take place on: week commencing Monday 11 May 2026
To help us manage applications effectively, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient suitable applications are received.