Special needs teaching

Hours - What hours are SEND teachers expected to work?

A normal school day is usually Monday to Friday 9am to 3:30pm although this varies from school to school. Typically, teachers work for 39 weeks of the year and are allocated half a day per week for planning, preparation and assessment time.

Many teachers work outside school hours on preparing lessons, creating individual education plans, marking, attending meetings, preparing for parents evening and attending trips and sporting events.

Pay - What do SEND teachers get paid?

A SEND teacher’s starting salary depends on the employer, qualifications and the level of responsibility of the role.  Newly Qualified Teachers begin on the main National pay scale, depending on the area. After gaining experience teachers who reach the top of the main scale can apply to be assessed to progress up to the upper pay scale.

Progression - What career development is there for SEND teachers?

A SEND teacher in a mainstream school can become a special education needs co-coordinator (SENCO). This role usually requires two or more years’ experience and is sometimes filled by the school’s deputy head or headteacher.

This role has many different aspects and includes gathering appropriate information about children with SEND and ensuring that the individual education plans are in place.  There are other ways that a SEND teacher can progress their career, including undertaking lecturing posts in further education, applying to become a special needs officer or a special needs assessment officer.

Qualifications – What special qualifications are required?

Qualified teacher status is a requirement for SEND teachers. Experience of working with special needs children is a bonus and can include volunteering as a support worker in a school, summer scheme or youth club.

Some universities offer postgraduate certificates, diplomas or Masters Degrees for SEND teaching. Different special needs require appropriate training, such as basic sign language or Braille.

As with any teaching job, a SEN teacher in the UK will need to have a DBS check to work with children unsupervised.

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