Primary Department Lead – Leadership Team
RACHEL MADOCKS SCHOOL – Waterlooville, Hampshire PO8 9XP
Permanent Position
Salary: UPR depending on experience + SEN allowance + TLR
“Valued for Being Me” – Join a School Where Every Voice Matters
Are you an experienced SEND practitioner ready for the next step in your career?
Do you thrive in a nurturing, trauma‑informed environment where individuality, wellbeing and relational practice sit at the heart of everything we do?
We are seeking a compassionate, skilled and motivated Primary Department Lead to join our vibrant and specialist all‑through setting, where pupils and staff are truly valued for being themselves. Our long‑standing governing body provides stability and vision, while our whole‑school trauma‑informed approach ensures emotional safety, co‑regulation and wellbeing are prioritised every day.
What We Offer:
- A deeply supportive, trauma‑informed environment for pupils and staff
- A well‑established leadership and governance team who champion professional growth
- Opportunities for high‑quality CPD, coaching and reflective practice
- A collaborative, neurodivergent‑friendly ethos
- A curriculum designed to engage, empower and respond to complex needs
- Dedicated leadership time to fulfil TLR responsibilities
- Pupils who bring joy, curiosity and purpose to every day
What We’re Looking For:
- Proven experience in special education, ideally with ASC, SLD, PMLD or complex needs
- A practitioner committed to inclusive, relational and strengths‑based leadership
- Confidence in adapting curriculum design, assessment and communication systems
- An organised, reflective leader able to support, guide and develop colleagues
- Someone who values sensory‑based learning, emotional literacy and co‑regulation
- A collaborative team member willing to contribute to whole‑school wellbeing and improvement
- Strong understanding of tools such as the Engagement Model and Evidence for Learning
- A warm, resilient and optimistic leader who aligns with our ethos
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic leadership for a core curriculum area across the school
- Model high‑quality, trauma‑informed teaching and SEND pedagogy
- Support staff through coaching, mentoring and collaborative planning
- Co Lead subject scrutiny across the whole school
- Work closely with families, therapists and external agencies
- Maintain high standards of safeguarding, behaviour support and professional practice
- High level of knowledge and experience of EYFS in SEND and able to take a lead role in school and the wider community
- To take on the role of Designated Teacher within main school
- To be a Team Teach trainer for the school
How to Apply:
We strongly encourage you to visit the school when applying.
To arrange a visit, please contact Clare Smy via email at c.smy@rachelmadocks.hants.sch.uk or call 023 92 241 818.
Completed applications should be sent electronically to Clare Smy at
c.smy@rachelmadocks.hants.sch.uk or posted to the school.
Safer Recruitment
Rachel Madocks School and Hampshire County Council 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.
Application Deadline: 1st May 2026
Primary Department Lead Job Description
Learning Support Assistant
Permanent Position
Salary: £17,874–£18,667 (Grade B/C, dependent on qualifications and experience)
Location: Rachel Madocks School
Rachel Madocks School is seeking a dedicated and passionate Learning Support Assistant to join our supportive and dynamic team. This permanent role involves working with students aged 2–19 who have diverse learning, communication, and health needs. If you’re enthusiastic about supporting young people with SEND and making a meaningful difference in their lives, we’d love to hear from you.
Why Join Us?
- A welcoming and inclusive school environment
- Opportunities for professional development and growth
- Rated Good by Ofsted (February 2023) – “School staff go above and beyond for the children.”
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential wellbeing support
- Increase in paid weeks from 45.62 to 46.22 after 5 years’ service
About the Role
- Hours: 30 per week, term-time only
- Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:45am–3:15pm (including a 30-minute lunch break)
- Work across the breadth of the school, supporting pupils with complex needs
- Be a valued member of a committed and friendly team
Requirements
- A strong desire to work with children and support their development is essential
- Experience in SEND is welcomed but not required
- Ability to attend after-school meetings and essential training sessions
How to Apply
We strongly encourage you to visit the school when applying. To arrange a visit or submit your completed application, please contact Clare Smy via email at c.smy@rachelmadocks.hants.sch.uk.
Important Information
Rachel Madocks School and Hampshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. Successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks and other relevant employment checks.
Support Staff application form
Vacancy for two Co-Opted Governors’
Rachel Madocks School – Waterlooville, Hampshire (PO8 9XP)
Join our Governing Body, and help move our school forward, from Good to Outstanding!
Rachel Madocks Special School is a co-educational day school for 104 pupils aged 2 -19 with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex medical needs, near to Waterlooville.
We have:-
• Wonderful pupils who enjoy coming to school
• A well supported and trained Governing Body
• A high staffing to pupil ratio
• Dedicated, professional staff and a huge commitment to continuous development
“Rachel Madocks continues to be a Good school. Pupils are taught by well-trained teachers and support staff”. Ofsted February 2023
We are currently recruiting for a Co-opted Governor to join our friendly governing body, drawn from members of the local community. Their important
role is to support the excellent work of the school, be a critical friend and ensure we become ‘outstanding’. We usually meet at school at 5pm. There is now the opportunity for Governors to attend a meeting virtually, if they are unable to attend a particular meeting in person. You would be expected to attend approximately 8 meetings annually.
Job/Person Summary
• Governing bodies have a strong focus of three core strategic functions: Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and direction
• Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of the staff
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
• Each individual governor is a member of a governing body and all decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing body
• No one governor is not expected to know it all. The strength of a governing body lies in its ability to attract and rely upon members from a wide variety of backgrounds, sharing out the duties amongst its members, and be able to take decisions as a group
• Team work and ability to offer professional discussion
If you would like further information please contact the clerk to governors on governors@rachelmadocks.hants.sch.uk Or, contact the school on 02392241818, or complete the application form below naming Rachel Madocks School
https://www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/governors/volunteer