Is it hard to move from SEN to mainstream?

[Horcrux]

Currently doing my NQT in a private SEN school (SEMH/ASD/ADHD) I love it!! Behaviour’s really tough but there’s a real team ethos. Classes are tiny, so I am building meaningful relationships with students, the pace is slow which can be frustrating but there very little marking to be done.

Although I hope to stay here for a while I do worry whether I have disadvantaged myself by not doing my nqt in mainstream?

Will I be employable in the future?

Will I be able to cope with the typical demands of higher level subject content, marking, planning etc.

Blimey. Most folk I know are escaping from mainstream to the SEN sector- I know a few people who'd bite your arm off for a job in a private SEN school!

In the current climate, I think you'd definitely get a job. It would be a huge adjustment for you to make though.

I am sure you would get a job as the skills you will gain will be very valuable in mainstream. It would however be a huge change in workload terms and it would perhaps be challenging initially

Don’t get me wrong @gesundheitdear, I love my job and where I am with no intention of leaving any time soon. But I do wonder whether I should in a few yrs time think about moving in to mainstream for the experience.

I guess I’m worrying about nothing as it’s not even am issue atm.

Maybe in a few years you could become a mainstream senco? Your experience would be invaluable and if you weren't fully class based you would be able to do the SEN stuff as well as experience mainstream teaching.

That would be amazing @HairyMaclary I do love working within SEN

There's no denying our workload is less in SEN. I know I'd massively struggle jumping over to mainstream now.

true Be1atrix

I dont work now but am a former mainstream teacher and my son is at a special school. As the OP says classes are small (even in a state special school), and the pace is slower. Some of the younger teachers spend a couple of years there and then move to mainstream, but there are some long term teachers there who I suspect would never cope with the change!!

I am sure you would get a job as the skills you will gain will be very valuable in mainstream.

I'm not sure the mainstream Head appointing would agree with that.

In special SEMH/AS/ADHD etc you gain a huge amount of experience of managing challenging behaviour and securing progress for difficult-to-reach learners. However, it is all based on making optimal adjustments for each individual. It doesn't transfer well into a class of 30. Some of the stuff we do in Special would be actively frowned on in MS (Movement break anyone? Lord no, give those kids an extension task).

In the rarefied, specialist environment you don't gain experience of the 'en masse' mindset necessary in mainstream. The mainstream Head at your interview will be thinking about whether you have any strategies to cope with having 90 books to mark every night, experience of assessment against NC year group expectations and moderation of that assessment, talking about percentages in pupil progress meetings instead of actual pupils, making it through 30 8 minute parents' evening slots to schedule etc etc.

They are VERY different skill sets (I have a foot in both camps and see this very starkly).

Which do you prefer @reefedsail

No way on this planet for a million pounds a day would I work in mainstream . Most SEN teachers I know would say the same.

I just work near them, poor buggers!