Senior Teacher

Job Title: Senior Teacher
Starting Salary: £47,472 progressing to £51,048 + TRL & SEN Points per annum (pro rata for part time) + TLR & SEN Points
Hours: 32.5
Location: Hemel Hempstead
Base Contract Type: Apsley, Hemel Hempstead with regular travel required.
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

The Hertfordshire Inclusion Teaching Service (HITS) is a newly created, countywide service delivering high quality, well sequenced education for children and young people who are unable to attend school and are therefore classed as Children Missing Education (CME). All HITS pupils have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and many present with complex SEND needs, and vulnerabilities.

HITS is part of Hertfordshire County Council’s Education Directorate, sitting within Access, Inclusion and Alternative Provision. Our vision is to deliver an inclusive, flexible and ambitious teaching offer that fulfils Hertfordshire’s Section 19 duties. We are committed to reducing the time children remain out of school, improving reintegration outcomes, and supporting long term progress, wellbeing and preparation for adulthood.

As Senior Teacher (second-in-charge), you will work closely with the HITS Lead Teacher and Interim Provision Manager to embed an ambitious, inclusive offer and ensure consistent standards across the service.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and committed Senior Teacher to support the development and delivery of HITS. You will deputise for the Lead Teacher when required, line‑manage and coach teachers, lead functional areas (e.g., curriculum sequencing, assessment, digital pedagogy or reintegration pathways) and maintain a teaching commitment focused on our most complex students. You will contribute to service‑wide quality assurance, oversee timetabling and deployment, and support multi‑agency planning so that personalised programmes align with EHCP outcomes, Section 19 duties and clear reintegration objectives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Deliver high‑quality teaching (online and face‑to‑face) for CME pupils, and lead key functional areas such as curriculum, assessment, digital pedagogy or reintegration.
• Design, quality‑assure and review personalised education and reintegration plans aligned with EHCP outcomes, using data to track progress, engagement and readiness for return.
• Line‑manage and coach HITS Teachers, providing observation, feedback and performance management to maintain consistently strong practice.
• Coordinate timetables, student groupings and staff deployment, ensuring efficient use of resources and coherent multi‑agency planning, including preparation for IPP evidence.
• Support service leadership by ensuring Section 19 duties are met and deputising for the Lead Teacher in operational oversight, risk management and decision‑making.

This post offers a unique opportunity to shape a new service, influence countywide inclusion practice and contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children who are out of school.

About you

Essential:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with strong knowledge of English and Maths up to KS4.
• Proven ability to lead and support a multidisciplinary teaching team, including quality assurance and staff development.
• Experience working with pupils with a range of SEND needs and those educated outside mainstream settings, using inclusive and restorative approaches.
• Skilled in managing complaints, sensitive situations and multi‑agency relationships with professionalism, clarity and sound judgement.
• Strong understanding of statutory duties, including EHCP implementation, Section 19 responsibilities and panel‑ready evidence preparation.
• Highly organised, resilient and able to manage complex caseloads, safeguarding demands, timetabling and service coordination.

Desirable:

• Experience in service development, quality assurance and staff training, including use of pupil data to drive improvement.
• Skilled in chairing or supporting decision‑making panels and multi‑agency collaboration across SEND, health, CAMHS and social care.
• Training or accreditation in trauma‑informed, restorative or therapeutic approaches.
• Relevant SEND qualifications (e.g., SENCo, ASD, SEMH, SpLD) and experience in Alternative Provision or outreach settings.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This is an exceptional opportunity to play a pivotal role in a developing service, acting as second‑in‑charge and helping to shape its direction and impact. You will lead high‑value functional areas, drive consistency and raise the quality of education countywide, improving outcomes for some of Hertfordshire’s most vulnerable learners. Working at the forefront of inclusion and alternative provision, you will contribute directly to strengthening the Local Authority’s SEND and Section 19 offer, ensuring that every child receives the ambitious, personalised education they deserve.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Silvia Hundal (silvia.hundal@hertfordshire.gov.uk) for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 25th February 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job outline, to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employerand guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.