The School

Cardrew Court School is an Independent SEMH special school in Redruth, Cornwall. We are looking for excellent SEN teachers, who want to focus their teaching in a fully inclusive, therapeutic environment, tailored to meet individual needs.

Our school is growing, therefore we are looking for a dynamic, adaptable practitioners, who want to make a difference to the lives and outcomes of pupils with SEMH needs.

Pupils attending the school will have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) outlining their Special Educational Needs – EHCP’s of commissioned places will include needs such as high anxiety, social and emotional mental health needs and autism. Many of these pupils will have found life in a mainstream school very challenging and will have experience of anxiety-based school refusal and/or of short-term placements in a range of alternative provisions.

Cardrew Court School provides these pupils with a permanent placement in a school that is able to personalise the curriculum and wider support offer to ensure that their specific special educational needs (education, health and care) are understood and met, enabling them to learn, apply and develop specific strategies to facilitate them in participating in learning and preparing for life beyond school.

Cardrew Court School offers a pupil centred curriculum that meets pupils at their stage and not simply their age. Curriculum overviews will apply the National Curriculum where at all possible, using this as an aspirational baseline, whilst also offering spiral curriculum pathways that allow for individual, small step success the moment a pupil starts at the school.

Cardrew Court School provides personalised accreditation pathways supporting pupils who may have spiky learning profiles to make academic progress as well as benefit from the therapeutically informed programmes.

Vision Our vision is for a world where every single young person has access to the best education they need - delivered in the best possible environment - so they can thrive, succeed, and flourish, no matter what circumstances they face.

We strive for all of our pupils to be successful learners who reach their potential in all they do; confident learners, who develop resilience and show respect to others, via kindness. Learners who become responsible citizens, well-prepared for life and work via a range of independence skills, that enable them health and happiness in their future lives.

Ethos

At Cardrew Court School we believe that education should take place in a fully inclusive environment that provides equitable opportunities for all. We believe that learning is the process by which pupils gradually acquire knowledge, concepts, skills, and attitudes to enable them to make greater sense of the world. Teaching and learning is central to our work as educators, and it stems from the school’s vision statement based on the principles that every pupil deserves and has the right to:

Belong – We're striving to provide a safe, positive learning environment where everyone feels they belong. Through this sense of belonging, we want to foster every member of our community to build kind and respectful relationships. Honesty, transparency, and authenticity are what all our work is built on. Every single voice matters. Everyone can have ideas, express views, and be heard.

Believe – We prepare young people for the next step, whatever that step may be, through innovation, excitement, and opportunity. Our commitment to them is to give them the education and skills they need to lead rich, active, and fulfilling lives beyond school all while being in a space where they feel safe, supported, and happy.

Achieve – Together we support every learner to ensure they reach their unique potential. This includes supporting pupils to achieve the accreditations for the next steps they have chosen on their journey to adulthood. We aim to support pupils to identify what makes them happy and equip them with the knowledge and skills to lead an independent life in the future. We make SEN exciting. We’re the go-getters and the trend-setters. We’re not bound by convention and infuse our energy and passion through everything we do. We believe in setting new standards and consistently raising them through the quality of our work and approach.

We challenge conventions, we pioneer excellence, and we work tirelessly to create better tomorrows for our young people and their families.

Values

• Health and Happiness
• Respect and Resilience
• Kindness and Independence

Cognition & Learning: The Core Curriculum

Cardrew Court School follows the National Curriculum where possible and adapts it to give learners all the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We offer a curriculum that promotes reading, communication, independence, resilience and self-help skills including ways to support their own positive wellbeing.

The curriculum is organised thematically where appropriate until Key Stage 4 where accreditation pathways are followed which often does not allow flexibility in the same way as in previous years to follow the thematic teaching.

We provide an accreditation pathway for all of our learners. We offer a core curriculum of 5 GCSE’s: English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. This is supplemented where appropriate in relation to learners’ future aspirations. This may include art, ICT, history and geography. We also offer alternative accreditations including Functional Skills, Entry-Level and BTEC’s. Learners may follow a combination of the accreditations to suit their strengths and future aspirations. We also offer a range of ASDAN qualifications. All learners follow BTEC level 1 and 2 Home Cooking.

We recognise that every child is unique and has been on an individual learning journey and our curriculum is personalised to match needs, aspirations and goals for the future. 

All our learners have an EHCP with a range of learning needs, predominantly anxiety, communication and interaction needs, sensory needs and Autism.

Curriculum Intent

At Cardrew Court School we aim to provide a safe, positive learning environment where our learners feel they belong, can believe in themselves, developing confidence and resilience as learners. We support them to achieve the desired outcomes to be successful in their next steps on the path to the world of work and independence, well-prepared for life and adulthood, who are keen to make a difference to the world they live in.

Cardrew Court School curriculum prepares pupils to become confident learners who can access further education, join the world of work and/or actively participate in society and their community.

Cardrew Court School delivers the curriculum in a safe, nurturing, and warm environment to ensure pupils with high anxiety and communication and interaction needs can confidently engage in their learning.

Curriculum Implementation

The Curriculum at Cardrew Court School is implemented through defined accreditation pathways delivered within an enhanced resource provision to pupils with Education Health Care Plans. Personalised accreditation planning ensures pupils can access the appropriate level and number of accredited qualifications.

Curriculum Impact

Cardrew Court School prepares confident learners who are ready and equipped to apply their learning in range of settings beyond school life.

They have the relevant qualifications and personal skills to support them in the next steps in preparing for adulthood.

Therapeutic Offer:

The curriculum offer is supported by therapeutic interventions, therapy informed practice, trauma informed practice – delivered via trained staff as part of quality first teaching and specific group and individual interventions.

The Application

Please see the job description below for more details of this exciting post.

Prospective candidates are very welcome to arrange a telephone conversation with the Headteacher, to do so please email office@cardrewcourt.org or call 01209 912126.

The closing date for applications is midday on Friday 5^th of December 2025. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 16^th of December 2025.

Start date: Summer Term 2026

Please send your completed forms to the school for the attention of Honorata Austin haustin@cardrewcourt.org

Applications should address the items included on the person specification and only candidates who meet the essential criteria will be shortlisted. 

We welcome applications from ECT candidates.

The Interview Process

Candidates who are shortlisted for the position will be contacted by telephone call and this will be followed up with an e-mail.

• In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, as part of the shortlisting process, the school may carry out an online search on shortlisted candidates
• All interviews will be face to face and will explore the candidate’s suitability for the position.
• Applications will be scrutinised and discrepancies or anomalies in work related history, experience and qualifications will be discussed at the interview stage.
• Successful candidates will be required to achieve a full enhanced DBS disclosure and 2 satisfactory references.

Prepared by

• Kerry Towers; Headteacher
• Nicky England; School Business Manager