Any Primary Special Needs Teacher's around?

[CompleteMug]

One of my local schools has a Special Needs unit (Primary) and I'm considering applying for a post there. I have experience of Special Needs, but that was years ago and now I teach in a busy Comprehensive. Should I be successful, then I would be helping to run a unit for approx 18 infants.

Could you tell me what your responsibilities would be? What kind of planning is involved and what would you plan?

Thanks.

It really does depend on what sort of special needs the unit specialises in. Some units would require you to have additional qualifications (HI/VI for example.)

I know units that run on a mainly management model with little teaching involved (loads of meetings and paperwork, organising class support from LSAs etc.) and others where there is a heavier emphasis on teaching in small groups involving a combination of lesson planning, monitoring and management of other staff who support the child in mainstream. You would have to ask the school exactly how the unit currently runs.

Depending on the speciality of the Unit there may well be regular liaison with other specialists who might be involved with the child (e.g. SALT, Physio, OT, doctors.)

Moving from Secondary to infants may be an issue for the school though-I would imagine the school would be looking for a primary specialist. A knowledge of the primary curriculum would be fairly crucial I would have thought.

18 infants is a lot so I'm assuming it is PMLD?

I would think there will be a continuum amongst those children of how much time they spend in mainstream classes.

I would think (you need to ask the school all this on a visit btw) your responsibilities would include:

Planning/ teaching/ assessing during the time children spend in the unit.
Organising support in mainstream classes, liaising with class staff and Unit TAs.
Timetabling therapy, liaising with therapists.
Ensuring children's personal care needs are met.
Liaising with and supporting parents.
Contributing to the annual review process.

Is there not a job spec that says what will be involved?

Good luck!