The benefits of teaching in SEND schools

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools are instrumental in shaping the future of students with diverse learning needs. While the challenges may seem daunting, the rewards of teaching in SEND schools can be transformative. This blog explores the multifaceted benefits for SEND teachers.

3 mins read
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7 months ago

​How many times in your teaching career have you considered breaking from routine to try a new challenge? Over time, in any job, we can benefit from doing things differently and getting out of our comfort zone. Ambitious teachers often climb the career ladder in a traditional fashion – but there are other ways to stretch your talents.

Just imagine the rewards of working with SEND children. The knowledge of making a difference to the lives of those experiencing educational challenges – and seeing them shine – could result in professional and personal growth you could not have anticipated.

Teaching in SEND schools offers a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth. Educators are constantly challenged to adapt their teaching methods to meet the individual needs of each student, driving creativity, innovation, and resilience in their teaching methods. The diverse spectrum of abilities and disabilities present in SEND schools cultivates a rich learning environment, where teachers continually refine their skills and deepen their understanding of inclusive education practices. This immersive experience enhances pedagogical expertise and nurtures empathy and compassion, essential qualities for effective teaching in any setting.

Working in SEND schools enables teachers to make a tangible difference in the lives of their students. Every milestone achieved, no matter how small, represents perseverance and dedication, and seeing the impact of tailored interventions and personalised support on students' academic progress and emotional wellbeing is hugely rewarding.

In SEND schools, educators have the privilege of empowering students to overcome obstacles, unlock their potential, and pursue their dreams, instilling a sense of confidence and self-belief.

Will SEND teaching be right for you?

SEND schools provide a strong sense of community and collaboration among educators, support staff, parents, and stakeholders. The collaborative nature of multidisciplinary teams allows for holistic approaches to student development, where everyone works together towards common goals. There’s a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose within the SEND school community, and a positive work environment where everyone is valued and empowered to thrive.

SEND teachers also benefit from a wealth of professional development opportunities. From specialised training in areas such as autism spectrum disorders, speech and language therapy, and assistive technology to opportunities for advanced qualifications and leadership roles, SEND schools invest in their staff's continuous growth and advancement. This commitment to professional development heightens career prospects as well as equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the evolving needs of their students.

Teaching in SEND schools offers greater autonomy and flexibility in curriculum delivery and teaching methodologies. Educators have the freedom to tailor their lessons to suit the individual learning styles and preferences of their students, building a more inclusive learning experience. This flexibility empowers teachers to experiment with new approaches, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Additionally, the smaller class sizes typically found in SEND schools allow for more personalised attention and support.

Rewards of SEND teaching: supporting vulnerable children

Beyond the classroom, teaching in SEND schools is highly rewarding for many reasons, namely making a difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of society. Whether it's celebrating academic achievements, supporting students through emotional challenges, or simply being a source of encouragement and inspiration, SEND teachers can have a lasting impact on young lives.

SEND school teaching benefits at a glance

  • Specialised training: SEND schools offer training and support for teachers to effectively work with SEND students

  • Fulfilling work: SEND schools provide the opportunity for teachers to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students who require additional support

  • Smaller class sizes: SEND schools often have smaller classes, allowing teachers to provide more personalised attention and support to each student

  • Collaborative environment: teachers at SEND schools often work closely with other professionals such as therapists, counsellors, and special education coordinators

  • Career development: working at SEND schools can provide valuable experience and professional development opportunities

Teaching is a noble profession and SEND teaching takes this concept further – drawing on personal and professional attributes including patience, empathy, and compassion. If this sounds like you, we can help you take the next step.

Looking to build a career as a SEND school teacher? Or wanting to find compassionate and inspiring teachers for your SEND school? Get in touch today to find out how we can help.

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Coaching for intersectional inclusion
9 mins read
  1. Article

Coaching for intersectional inclusion

​​Everyone has multiple layers to their identity, and no one is one label. There are other aspects of their identities to consider, and no one should be put in a box. Many businesses, which celebrate Pride Month, for example, are perceived as not doing enough for people who are underrepresented in more than one way.

Recent research by Culture Amp in ‘The Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Report 2024’ found disabled women and black women are more doubtful of their employers’ equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDI&B) efforts than any other group.

This is likely because women might feel their entire identity and additional barriers aren’t being considered, if they are part of more than one underrepresented group. Some employers’ initiatives provide a base-level overview of inclusion for women, but they might only explore the perspectives of white women, for example, or women in general, with no specific solutions explored for LGBTQ+, disabled or black women, for instance. Each may have very different experiences of what it means to be a woman.

Coaching people within your organisation can help leaders and employees gain a deeper understanding of intersectionality and why it’s important. We interviewed Mary-Clare Race, CEO of Talking Talent, for her insight and best-practice tips on all things coaching and inclusion.

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Q: What's the difference between coaching, mentoring, and other types of training, especially when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging?

A: These terms are often used interchangeably in the world of talent development, but we see a clear distinction between them that is especially important when it comes to EDI&B.

In a training situation, the primary goal is typically to transfer knowledge from the facilitator to the participant, to raise their awareness and understanding of a particular topic or skill and provide them with practical tips on how to put that skill into action for themselves.

In a mentoring situation, there is also an element of knowledge transfer, but in a more personalised, relationship based, one-to-one situation where the mentee is paired up with a more experienced mentor who is there to provide them with support, advice and guidance.

Coaching takes the relationship-based approach one step further and focuses on supporting and facilitating the coachee to actively step in and facilitate their own outcomes. It is not about giving them the answer but rather supporting them to find their own answer, their own way forward.

At Talking Talent, we favour a coaching-led approach because it enables a deeper level of behavioural change. The coachee must be actively engaged and motivated to do the inner work on themselves and the coach is there to hold them to account. However, there is a role for all three approaches when it comes to solving EDI&B challenges and real power in combining all three.

Q: How can coaching help businesses become more inclusive and diverse?

A: If you look at what it takes to really move an organisation forward with their EDI&B strategy, we believe you've got to take a systemic approach and build inclusion into your culture and in how people behave every day.

There are several ways coaching can help with this:

Leadership behaviours: by working with a coach, leaders become more aware of their own biases, preferences and how their own identity shapes how they show up as a leader. The coach can help them develop the skills needed to foster a culture of inclusion and hold themselves and others accountable.

Developing talent: in many organisations there are pockets of talent who have been overlooked because of some aspect of their identity. Coaching-led programmes can support under-represented talent to thrive and overcome what may be holding them back so they can fulfil their true potential. And by offering coaching-led programmes that address the unique needs of underrepresented individuals, organisations demonstrate their commitment to supporting the needs of all their employees - thus driving retention and engagement levels up.

Improving culture: at the heart of culture change is the need to move behaviours forward at an organisational level. We believe coaching is the most powerful way to do this for an organisation - by helping individuals and groups develop the self-awareness, emotional intelligence and relational competency to work effectively in diverse teams and build inclusion into the culture.

Q: In your experience, why are diversity and inclusion initiatives so important to organisations and their talent attraction and retention?

A: In our industry, there's been significant backlash against EDI&B efforts, particularly in North America, and this sentiment seems to be growing globally. The issue often lies in viewing EDI&B initiatives as separate from core organisational culture. For me, EDI&B is about creating an environment where every individual, regardless of identity, can thrive and contribute fully. This isn't just about ticking boxes – it's critical for attracting and retaining talent, and crucial for overall business performance.

Ultimately, EDI&B isn't merely an add-on; it's integral to effective leadership and to building success at all levels of your organisation. It's about fostering authenticity, encouraging diverse perspectives, and empowering individuals to contribute their best work. These principles are essential for any business striving to maximise performance and leverage a diverse talent pool, regardless of their specific commitments or strategies. It's about creating a workplace culture where everyone can succeed and where the organisation benefits from the full potential of its people.

Q: Who should be coached in inclusion and diversity within an organisation? And why?

A: When considering who should be coached in inclusion and diversity within an organisation, it's crucial to view these efforts as integral to successful business practice. While not everyone needs individual coaching, it's essential to ensure all members of the organisation are engaged in the journey towards inclusivity.

For leadership teams, coaching can be particularly impactful in fostering a culture where inclusion is actively cultivated and practiced. Leaders can learn to demonstrate inclusive behaviours and set the tone for the entire organisation.

Additionally, focusing coaching efforts on groups that have historically faced barriers – such as women, marginalised ethnicities, or neurodivergent individuals – can be highly beneficial. By addressing systemic challenges these groups face, organisations can promote fairness and unlock their full potential.

Ultimately, the decision on who to coach should be informed by the organisation's current state and readiness for change. A tailored approach ensures that coaching initiatives align with strategic goals and create meaningful impact across the entire workforce.

Q: To what extent is intersectionality considered in your coaching and why is it important?

A: This is one of the reasons why coaching is so effective, because intersectionality is really about the need to recognise we are all more than a set of labels. We have a lot of different aspects of our identity that intersect. Our gender, race, age, sexuality, social background, neurodiversity etc. are all important elements to consider. And it's important to consider the unique experiences individuals have, particularly when they have one or more identities intersecting, and where there might have been barriers against people with those identities.

That's key in our coaching approach, because coaching allows you to meet the individual where they are. It's not so much that we are coaching people about intersectionality, but we're really considering the unique person that comes into the coaching experience.

And the risk of not doing that is you put people in a box, and it can be further disenfranchising for them because they're thinking, "Well, actually, I'm being given this opportunity as a woman, but it's not taking into account all of these other aspects of my identity that are intersecting with it and I am being required to leave that part behind."

By failing to consider intersectionality in a coaching situation you can, in fact, make the situation more difficult for the coachee.

Q: You’re teaching others to be inclusive, but how does your organisation ensure it's walking the walk, not just talking the talk?

A: It's something we're very passionate about obviously, we have our own DE&I council, which is chaired by myself as a CEO, in partnership with our Head of People, and HR.

We are actively looking at all aspects of our culture in terms of how we build inclusion, and how effective our leaders, policies and processes are. Do we feel that they're fair? Is there any way in which we're discriminating against certain groups? Whether that's in our recruitment processes or in how promotions happen or how opportunities are given within the business – and we make that very much a managerial responsibility.

We're also constantly looking at our own metrics and where we need to be rebalancing our employee profile. So, across all aspects of diversity, it's a big focus for us.

And we have a DE&I strategy and plan that we're working to with the support of a council which is made up of different members of our workforce.

Q: What advice would you give to those companies that maybe can't afford coaching services in EDI&B? What can they do themselves to make improvements?

A: For companies facing budget constraints and unable to invest in external coaching services for EDI&B, there are practical steps they can take to drive improvement internally.

Exploring alternative coaching methodologies can be effective; options like group coaching sessions or coaching circles, facilitated by peers, harness collective insights and promote shared learning.

Additionally, companies should leverage existing coaching resources and talent internally. Assess whether there are individuals within the organisation who possess coaching skills or can be trained in coaching as part of leadership development initiatives.

Talking Talent, for instance, has digital offerings that are coaching-led and digitally enabled, making them accessible and scalable for organisations looking to expand their impact globally.

By exploring these approaches, organisations can foster a culture of continuous improvement in inclusion and diversity without incurring significant external costs. These steps not only enhance organisational effectiveness but also contribute to a more inclusive workplace environment.

If you’re looking for a talented employee or a new opportunity, contact your nearest Reed office.

Graduate Technology CV Template
3 mins read
  1. Article

Graduate Technology CV Template

Before you start populating your CV - do you research. We've analysed over 600 data points from Google and the O*NET Skills Database to find out the key skills required to be successful in a host of technology roles. Explore the data now to upgrade your CV

Visit state of skills

[Full Name]
[Home address]
[Contact Number] • [Email Address]
[Social Media]
Driving Licence • Own Car

Add as many vehicles for communication as possible here. This will show that you are open to new products and communication methods. If you are a member of a development forum such as GitHub, Stack Overflow etc. then add your details - making sure that all details/names you provide are business appropriate.

Personal Statement

Keep this section of your CV short, factual and snappy. This is the equivalent of your ‘blurb’ that makes the employer read on. It’s your opportunity to highlight ‘who you are’ and ‘what you want’, but remember balance is key. There’s a danger in both underselling and overselling yourself.

I graduated from the University of [university name] in [year] with a [degree class] degree in [subject]. Since then I have undertaken a [work placement/internship/graduate scheme] at [organisation name]. This experience allowed me to develop a host of technical skills including [skill] as well as [skill].

Whilst working with [organisation], I worked in the [team name] team contributing to projects including [project name]. I was responsible for/organised [task], and helped to increase [profit/other metric] by [£X/X%].

I am looking for an opportunity within an [business type/industry] organisation, where I can bring real value, and develop my skills further.

Education

This part of your CV is more important when on the first rungs of the ladder career wise, so it’s in your best interest to match your theoretical knowledge and experience to the job you are applying for.

Make sure you add any placements years, dissertations, research papers written, technical skills learnt, and projects completed that are relevant, and again match the salient points to the role. 

[University Name]
[Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

[Degree Class] [Degree Name]