How to Hire the Best Teachers Possible for SEND Students

It’s high time for the UK to revitalise SEND education. In 2023, England’s local government ombudsman received over 60% more complaints over special needs education compared to the previous year, many of which highlighted the huge deficits of councils’ SEND budgets amid lengthy delays in issuing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). This has left more children with requirements that are often not met.

Competent and dedicated teachers to support SEND students are needed today, more than ever, to combat this growing crisis. To that end, school leaders must exhaust their strategies to employ staff that can ensure the success of inclusive education. So, this article explores four effective strategies that can be quickly employed to hire the best teachers possible for our young learners.

Leveraging AI tools for recruitment

Addressing the specialized needs of SEND students demands a specific skill set from educators. To navigate this, school leaders can harness the power of AI tools in recruitment. For example, you can leverage AI recruitment software to scour the internet for potential job candidates using keywords like “special education” or “SEND”. You can also train the software to look for candidates with specific skills, like qualifications to teach students with specific disabilities. AI can also be used to conduct background checks on a candidate’s previous teaching experience. This provides a proactive approach to finding suitable teachers for SEND roles.

Another way to use AI in recruitment is to leverage writing platforms to write job adverts with more inclusive language, ensuring that your offers reach the broadest range of candidates possible. Just be careful to not fall into the trap of “inclusive” AI hiring software, which can accidentally promote bias in its algorithms.

Investing in professional recruitment solutions

The shortage of special needs teachers in the UK is a well-documented challenge, exacerbated by a 9.9% increase in the number of pupils with Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plans in 2021 alone. As a result, many schools may be considering more creative hires, with counsellors and even Americorp members employed to develop competencies post-recruitment via in-class experiences and mentorship.

Sschool leaders must thus remain critical when discerning the skills of potential candidates. That’s especially true if they are hiring teachers without experiences specifically dedicated to SEND education. This is where professional recruitment solutions can help. These services offer a qualified talent pool and market expertise in direct hire services. They also provide assessment offerings with objective and actionable insights on candidates. Investing in these solutions ensure that your school is making the most informed hiring decision, while simultaneously nurturing the growth of current staff and overlooking everyday operations.

Providing a conducive interview environment

Recognizing the unique demands of teaching SEND students, school leaders must orchestrate interviews that can best reveal a candidate’s practical experience and adaptability. Structuring questions to elicit past experiences in SEND education, including challenges overcome and innovative solutions applied, can help assess a teacher’s preparedness for this specialized role.

Additionally, clear communication about expectations sets the stage for a transparent and inclusive interview, allowing candidates to evidence and prepare their answers. This offers them the opportunity to showcase their understanding of inclusive practices and how they can use them in the specific context of your educational setting.

Including teaching demos

Beyond experience or professional qualifications, various factors from class size to curriculum design can influence the performance of trained special needs education teachers. Here, incorporating teaching demos becomes imperative, providing candidates with a chance to adapt to the classroom environment, resources and implementation of policies on education.

Once again, make sure to brief your candidates in advance on your expectations and provide ample time to prepare. Candidates can be asked to present a lesson plan tailored for a SEND classroom, demonstrating their adaptability and creativity. This practical approach helps school leaders gauge whether a teacher is well-suited for the specific needs of their school.

With a multifaceted approach, school leaders can identify and secure teachers who are not only competent but also deeply committed to the success of students with special educational needs and disabilities.