Specialist Advisory Teacher

Job Description

Organisation: London Borough of Waltham Forest

Salary: Soulbury 9-12 £56,357 - £60,8040

Contract Type: Full Time /Term Time Only

Working hours per week: 36

Weeks per year: TTO

Application Deadline: 04/11/2026

Proposed Interview Date(s): TBC

Reference: 2381

About Us:

Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work.

We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents.

London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment.

The Council’s preference is for online application. However, if you have a disability and are unable to complete an online application, please email recruitment@walthamforest.gov.uk so we can arrange an alternative application method.

About the role:

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Specialist Advisory Teacher to join our Experts at Hand SEND Reform Programme. You will provide specialist advice, guidance, training and support to schools, post-16 providers, early years settings, EHE arrangements, families and partner agencies to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Using your specialist expertise, you will strengthen inclusive practice, support early identification of need, and build the confidence of mainstream providers to meet a wide range of SEND effectively. Through consultation, training and collaborative working, you will help remove barriers to learning, promote achievement and improve outcomes for children and young people.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to SEND reform, empower professionals and families, and support lasting improvements in inclusion across Waltham Forest.

As a Specialist Advisory Teacher, you will provide specialist advice, consultation and evidence-based recommendations to schools, post-16 providers, early years settings, Elective Home Education (EHE) families and other education providers. You will support the effective inclusion of children and young people with learning and developmental differences and SEND, using specialist expertise in areas such as Neurodiversity, Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), Cognition and Learning, Autism, Sensory Needs, and Physical and Medical Needs.

Working as part of the Experts at Hand SEND Reform Programme, you will help build the capacity of mainstream educational settings to identify, assess and meet needs effectively through the graduated response. This will include delivering high-quality training, coaching and professional development for teachers, SENCOs, leaders and support staff, enabling sustainable improvements in inclusive practice and outcomes for children and young people.

You will work collaboratively with families, education providers and multi-agency partners to coordinate support, promote joined-up working and ensure children and young people receive the right support at the right time. The role also involves contributing to the ongoing development of the Experts at Hand model, maintaining accurate records, evaluating impact and supporting service improvement in line with local authority priorities and the national SEND reform agenda.

>> Click here to download the Role Profile <<

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice and evidence-based recommendations to schools, early years settings, post-16 providers, EHE families and other educational settings.

• Support children and young people with a range of SEND needs including Neurodiversity, Autism, SEMH, Speech, Language and Communication Needs, Cognition and Learning, Sensory Needs and Physical or Medical Needs.

• Design, deliver and evaluate training, coaching and professional development programmes for teachers, SENCOs, leaders and support staff.

• Strengthen the ability of educational settings to identify, assess and meet SEND needs through the graduated response.

• Contribute to the development and delivery of the Experts at Hand model and SEND reform agenda.

• Work collaboratively with families and multi-agency professionals to coordinate effective support.

• Monitor impact, analyse service data and contribute to quality assurance and service improvement activities.

Job Requirements

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Significant experience teaching children and young people with SEND and learning differences.

• Experience providing advice, support and challenge to schools and educational settings.

• Experience designing and delivering high-quality training, coaching and workforce development initiatives.

• A strong understanding of the Children and Families Act 2014, SEND Code of Practice and current SEND reforms.

• Knowledge of inclusive teaching practices and the graduated response.

• Experience working effectively in multi-agency environments.

• Excellent communication, consultation and relationship-building skills.

• The ability to analyse needs, develop effective support strategies and manage competing priorities.

• Strong report-writing, presentation and organisational skills.

Qualifications and Requirements

Essential Qualifications

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification

• Relevant SEND qualification or substantial specialist expertise in SEND.

• Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Additional Requirements

• Enhanced DBS check, including Children's Barred List check.

• Ability to travel regularly across the borough.

• Flexibility to attend evening and weekend meetings and events when required.

• Commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and improving outcomes for children and young people.

Terms and conditions:

The below terms and conditions apply to this role:

• Satisfactory employment references and CIFAS identity checks;

• Satisfactory declaration of interest;

• This role is subject to safer recruitment practices as it involves work with children and/ or vulnerable adults;

• Satisfactory DBS check;

• Continued professional body registration;

• As a public authority, we must ensure that members of staff in public-facing roles are able to speak fluent English. This means that they must have a command of spoken English, with confidence and accuracy, sufficient for the effective performance of their role. This requirement does not refer to any particular English language qualifications, regional or international accents, dialects, speech impediments or the tone of conversations. It does not require staff to speak only in English.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications online by pressing the ‘Apply’ button below. This includes a supporting statement that outlines to us how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Contact Information:

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact Elisha Wilkinson, Head of inclusion at elisha.wilkinson@walthamforest.gov.uk

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post, please contact our Recruitment Team via email at recruitment@walthamforest.gov.uk.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value.

To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy.

We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below or feel free to discuss this during your interview.

For more information on the benefits of working for the Council, please visit https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/find-jobs-and-other-opportunities/working-us.

Fraud Awareness Notice:
The London Borough of Waltham Forest only advertises vacancies via our official website and approved recruitment platforms (e.g. Jobsgopublic).

We will never ask for payment or request sensitive personal or financial information as part of our recruitment process.

If you are contacted by a third party claiming to represent the Council, please verify the vacancy via our official careers website before sharing any information.

If you have concerns about a job advert or communication, please report it to: fraud@walthamforest.gov.uk

Click here for further information on the Human Resources recruitment privacy notice.