Location: Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 3:30pm
Start Date: Centre reopening after October half term
Salary: Paid to scale + TLR + SEN Allowance
Contract: Full-time | Permanent opportunity available
Are you a compassionate and creative teacher looking for a role where you can make a genuine difference to young people’s lives?
We are currently recruiting for an exciting 50% Teacher / 50% Centre Manager position within a specialist education setting in Haywards Heath, supporting secondary-aged students who are receiving treatment for significant mental health needs.
Students attend the centre to receive specialist treatment and then access education within the school section of the provision. The role involves providing highly personalised, predominantly 1:1 education, helping students reconnect with learning and rebuild their confidence after potentially significant periods away from education.
The students have a range of complex needs, including psychosis and eating disorders, and may be working significantly below their expected academic level because they have missed substantial periods of schooling.
This is a role where patience, nurture, flexibility and genuine understanding are just as important as teaching ability.
You will work closely with individual students to provide engaging, accessible and personalised lessons across the secondary curriculum.
We are looking for someone with a good understanding of the secondary curriculum, with particular strengths in Maths, English and/or Science being highly desirable.
Primary-qualified teachers are also encouraged to apply, provided they have a good knowledge of the secondary curriculum. Ideally, we are looking for someone with experience teaching across both primary and secondary settings/curriculums, although this is not essential.
Lessons may need to be adapted significantly depending on the individual student’s presentation, confidence, academic ability and wellbeing on the day. You will therefore need to be a creative and flexible teacher who can think beyond traditional classroom teaching.
You will:
Deliver personalised 1:1 teaching across the secondary curriculum
Support students who have missed significant periods of education
Assess students’ current academic levels and adapt learning accordingly
Help students rebuild confidence and positive relationships with education
Plan creative, engaging and achievable learning sessions
Work closely with subject leads who can support with curriculum and lesson planning
Build trusting relationships with students through patience, consistency and understanding
Recognise when a student may be becoming distressed and respond calmly and appropriately
Work closely with the wider medical and therapeutic team
Maintain high expectations while recognising each student’s individual circumstances
Support students to make meaningful academic and personal progress
Approximately 50% of the role will involve Centre Manager responsibilities, supporting the smooth running of the education provision and working closely with the wider team.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to take on leadership and management responsibilities within the centre, helping to coordinate the educational offer and ensuring students receive a consistent, supportive experience.
If the Centre Manager element isn’t something you’re looking for, we would still love to hear from you. There is flexibility around the role, and we are happy to speak with experienced teachers who are particularly interested in the teaching element.
This is a unique educational environment where education and specialist mental health treatment work alongside one another.
There is a dedicated medical team based at the centre who are available to provide immediate support if a student becomes distressed or requires additional assistance.
You will also be surrounded by a fabulous wider team, including experienced education staff and subject leads who can provide guidance, support and assistance with session planning.
You will never be expected to manage complex situations alone.
The priority is creating an environment where students feel safe, understood, respected and able to engage with learning at their own pace.
We would love to hear from teachers who have:
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or an equivalent recognised teaching qualification
Experience teaching young people, ideally within a secondary setting
A strong knowledge of the secondary curriculum
Primary-qualified teachers with secondary curriculum knowledge are welcome to apply
Ideally, experience teaching across both primary and secondary curriculums
Ideally, a subject strength or confidence in Maths, English and/or Science
Experience working with students with SEND, SEMH or complex needs
A nurturing, patient and non-judgemental approach
The ability to build strong relationships with young people
Excellent communication and teamwork skills
The creativity to make learning engaging and accessible
The confidence to adapt lessons and expectations to individual needs
An understanding of the impact that poor mental health and disrupted education can have on learning
Experience within alternative provision, specialist education, SEMH schools, CAMHS, hospitals, therapeutic settings or other mental health provisions would be advantageous, but is not essential.
Most importantly, we are looking for someone who genuinely wants to make a difference.
This is an opportunity to step away from a traditional classroom environment and work in a setting where individualised teaching, relationships and wellbeing are at the heart of education.
You will have the time and support to really get to know your students, understand their barriers to learning and find creative ways to help them engage.
The centre is due to reopen after the October half-term, making this an exciting opportunity to join the team as the provision moves into its next stage.
If you’re an experienced teacher looking for something different, have a passion for supporting young people with complex needs, and want to work as part of a genuinely supportive multidisciplinary team, we’d love to hear from you.
Even if the 50% Centre Manager aspect isn’t for you, please still get in touch. There is flexibility within the position for the right person.
At Pink Tile Education, we specialise in connecting exceptional education professionals with schools and specialist settings across Sussex.
As a SEND specialist recruitment consultant, we understand that working in SEND and SEMH requires more than simply matching a CV to a vacancy. It’s about finding the right environment, the right team and the right fit for both the candidate and the setting.
We take the time to understand what you’re looking for and are always happy to have an honest conversation about whether a role is right for you.
Pink Tile Education – Best Fit, Every Time.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply with your up-to-date CV and a member of the Pink Tile Education team will be in touch.
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The advertised daily rate is inclusive of 12.07% PAYE holiday pay.
Pink Tile Education and our partner schools are committed to safeguarding children and young people. All applicants will be subject to appropriate safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check and references. Candidates with a DBS on the Update Service are encouraged to make us aware when applying.
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