Career of the Month SEN Teacher  

During October people are invited to share their experiences of living with Dyslexia as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week.  According to the British Dyslexia Association, 1 in 10 people, but many go undiagnosed, and the condition is often poorly understood.  Children in full-time education with Dyslexia may struggle without tailored support.  Special educational needs (SEN) teachers work with children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities, dyslexia being one example. They will patiently work to understand the diverse needs of the children they support and offer educational solutions tailored to their needs.  

Job Description  

Salary Range £30,384- 48,388 

Working as an SEN Teacher can be hugely rewarding as you can help to shape the journey of children and young people, and perhaps offer them life-changing support they may not have previously received. Much like others in the field of teaching, an SEN Teacher will be responsible for putting together lesson plans and helping students to develop in their learning. An SEN Teacher will specialise in working with children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities that may require additional support to enable them to access education. Through offering tailored support they will help young people to unlock their potential.  

SEN Teachers will typically be patient, good at understanding people’s body language and expressions and be able to demonstrate empathy. They will be able to create learning environments sensitive to the needs of their students, and the ability to translate lessons to suit different learning styles. Being able to remain calm in stressful situations is important. An SEN Teacher will be good with other people demonstrating a lot of sensitivity and understanding to the young people they work with.  

Qualifications 

Similarly to other teaching roles, a SEN teacher will need to complete a university degree qualification.  This could be within a subject discipline such as English, History Maths etc. And be followed by a Post Graduate Certificat in Education (PGCE) or you can do an undergraduate degree that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS). Examples might be: 

• Bachelor of Education (BEd) 
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) with QTS 
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) with QTS 

Teaching assistants could also progress into teaching by completing additional qualifications part-time while working.  

What you can be doing now 

If you are wondering whether this career could be right for you, you could attend a Get Into Teaching event before you apply to get advice about teaching, funding and the different training routes available. You can attend events in person and online. 

You can find out more about teaching students with special educational needs from National Association for Special Educational Needs and Get Into Teaching.