Class Teacher at Harbour School

Class Teacher – Harbour School Dorset

Main Pay Scale plus SEN allowance

Full time, Permanent

We are recruiting for two roles – one of which includes additional responsibility for leading our PSHE curriculum. If you have a passion for supporting personal development, wellbeing and life skills, this could be an opportunity to shape and develop this area across the school.

Do you believe that even the most challenging days can hold the most meaningful moments?

At Harbour School Dorset, no two days are ever the same. You may begin the morning with a carefully planned lesson, only to realise that your pupils need something entirely different when they arrive. You’ll adapt, reset, take a breath… and begin again.

And within that unpredictability, you’ll experience moments that stay with you.

These are not always big, visible milestones. They are steady, hard‑earned steps forward - and they matter. That is what teaching here feels like.

If you are a teacher who values connection over perfection, who understands that progress is individual, and who finds purpose in supporting young people to rebuild confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging, you may feel right at home with us.

• A pupil managing their emotions when yesterday they couldn’t.
• A young person taking a step back into learning after weeks of disengagement.
• A small breakthrough in trust, communication or confidence that changes everything.

• Plan and deliver engaging, personalised lessons that meet a wide range of needs.
• Adapt your teaching to meet a wide range of individual needs, including pupils with SEMH and autism, guided by EHCPs and therapeutic approaches.
• Set high yet compassionate expectations, helping pupils to re‑engage with learning and experience success.
• Assess, monitor and record progress carefully, using this to inform your teaching and ensure meaningful outcomes.
• Provide targeted interventions and prepare pupils for external assessments and qualifications.
• Act as a tutor or mentor, building strong, trusting relationships with pupils and working closely with families and carers.
• Create a safe, calm and predictable learning environment where pupils feel secure, understood and ready to learn.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and external professionals to ensure joined‑up support for every young person.

• A qualified teacher (QTS) with successful teaching experience.
• Experience of working with pupils with SEMH and/or autism is valuable (or a strong willingness to learn).
• A calm, resilient and emotionally intelligent practitioner who can remain steady in challenging moments.
• Someone who leads with kindness and puts relationships at the centre of their practice.
• Adaptable and creative, able to respond flexibly when plans need to change.
• A strong team player who communicates openly and works collaboratively with others.

This role will stretch you. It will require patience, resilience, creativity and compassion. Some days will be challenging. Some will be unexpectedly rewarding. Many will be both.

Applicants will need to complete a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check before commencing.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. It expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The Trust is an equal opportunities employer.