Leicestershire County Council
Specialist Teacher - Cognition and Learning
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Job Description
Organisation
Leicestershire County Council
Work Location
County Hall, Glenfield LE3 8RA
Salary
Main Pay Scale 5 - UPS3 + 2SEN (dependent on experience)
Working Hours
Full Time
Contract Type
Permanent
Closing Date
16th August 2026
Interview Date(s)
31st August 2026
About The Role
An exciting opportunity has arisen for highly skilled and experienced Specialist Teachers of Cognition and Learning to join Leicestershire’s Specialist Teaching Service. These new posts within the expanding Learning Support Team will play a central role in supporting the delivery of SEND reforms and the Experts at Hand programme, helping schools build capacity and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND across Leicestershire.
We are looking for qualified teachers with strong expertise in Cognition and Learning and a secure understanding of how cognition and learning needs may interact with other areas of SEND, including communication and interaction, SEMH and sensory needs.
The Learning Support Team is a well-regarded and welcoming team, consisting of Specialist Teachers with a wealth of knowledge and experience and a passion for inclusion. As part of the Specialist Teaching Service, the team’s aim is to improve opportunities, outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND in partnership with families, educational settings and organisations.
Successful applicants will use their knowledge, skills and experience to support children and young people's cognition and learning needs across the 5–19 age range. Working within an evolving Experts at Hand model, you will support schools and post-16 settings to strengthen inclusive practice and improve outcomes for learners with SEND.
At a whole-school and targeted level, you will work collaboratively with leaders, SENCos and staff teams to develop inclusive practice, implement evidence-informed teaching and learning approaches, and build capacity to meet a diverse range of cognition and learning needs. You will provide consultation, advice, training and professional development that supports both strategic improvement and effective provision for groups of learners requiring additional support, including supporting settings to implement, monitor and evaluate interventions and approaches.
At an individual level, you will have caseload responsibility and provide specialist assessment, advice and support for children and young people with cognition and learning needs. You will work alongside families, educational settings and other professionals to identify strengths, barriers and support needs and assist with monitoring and reviewing progress. This will include completing Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments, contributing to annual reviews and other statutory processes. We are therefore seeking teachers with strong knowledge of the National Curriculum, evidence-informed interventions and the barriers to learning experienced by this cohort of learners.
The role requires collaborative working with schools, families, Specialist Teachers, Educational Psychologists and a wide range of other agencies. We therefore welcome applications from highly motivated, creative practitioners who enjoy working in a collaborative, solution-focused way and are confident in supporting schools to develop effective provision for learners with SEND.
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The role also involves maintaining accurate records, contributing to service development, engaging in ongoing professional development and developing resources that promote curriculum access for learners with a range of cognition and learning needs.
An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post.
For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.
About You
To apply for this post, you must:
- Degree level qualification and Qualified Teacher Status, with evidence of further professional development in Cognition and Learning. It is highly desirable that you will hold a Level 7 qualification related to Cognition and Learning.
- Substantial experience of working directly with school-age children and young people with cognition and learning needs, including specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia
- Strong knowledge of effective assessment, teaching and learning strategies, interventions and resources that support progress, attainment and inclusion of pupils with cognition and learning needs across a range of educational settings.
- Experience of delivering training, consultation and professional development to educational settings and other partners, supporting inclusive practice and effective provision for children and young people with cognition and learning needs.
- Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively, manage a varied caseload, and build effective working relationships with children, young people, families, colleagues, educational settings and partner agencies.
- Knowledge of the National Curriculum, statutory SEND legislation and guidance, local policies, and the ability to carry out duties in accordance with safeguarding responsibilities and procedures.
- Commitment to safeguarding, and the ability to actively demonstrate the values of the authority: Positivity, Trust and Respect, Flexibility, and Openness and Transparency.
Must be able to perform all duties and tasks with reasonable adjustment, where appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. This will include requirements to work flexibly around holiday periods in line with the service requirements and access to a vehicle with the ability to travel to temporary bases such as schools, touch-down bases etc
In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.
Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.
Interested in Flexible Working?
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We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.
For More Information Or An Informal Discussion, Please Contact
If you are interested in this role, we are holding a recruitment fair on the 19th August at County Hall, Leicestershire 10am-3pm. Please pop by on the day to find out more and speak to the recruiting manager.
Vanessa Foulds, Specialist Teaching Service Manager
Email: Vanessa.foulds@leics.go.uk
How To Apply
At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.
If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.
By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.
About Us
About Leicestershire County Council
At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.
Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.
Benefits
For further information on what it’s like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:
- Our Recruitment Process
- Our Organisational Values
- Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us
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