Education and Curriculum Advisor (Special School)

Section 1: Overview of the NCSE

Background

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent statutory body, established to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs arising from disabilities with particular emphasis on children and young people.

Currently NCSE supports are delivered via our regional teams comprising of:

• Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) who interact with parents and schools to support children and young people with special education needs.

• Advisors who provide Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) and support to schools in the area of special educational needs.

• Visiting teachers (VTs) who support children and young people who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing or Blind/Visually Impaired, their families and their teachers; ISL Advisors and ISL Specialist Classroom Support.

• The NCSE have Occupational Therapists, Speech, Language Therapists and Behaviour and Wellbeing Facilitators who provide professional learning and in-school support to schools to build schools’ capacity to support children and young people with special education needs.

• Head office and other personnel.

The NCSE is now recruiting for the position of Education and Curriculum Advisor to support special schools. Panels will be formed from which existing and future vacancies will be filled.

The role of the Education and Curriculum Advisor (Special School) will primarily be to support the national rollout and enactment of the Primary School Curriculum in all special schools, as requested by the Department of Education and Youth. The role will also include facilitating Teacher Professional Learning and providing support to schools in the areas of learning, teaching and assessment for children and young people with special educational needs. This Advisor will be assigned to a team and should have specific expertise and relevant experience of teaching children and young people in the special school sector.

The NCSE has undergone a significant organisational expansion which has enhanced the delivery of services it provides. It has developed a service delivery strategy based on three fundamental values: community, inclusion, and excellence. The NCSE is determined to encourage all stakeholders to practice conscious inclusion and equity-mindedness. Working for the NCSE entails actively contributing to the advancement of inclusive education, ensuring that all children and young people, regardless of their needs, receive the individualised support they require to participate in their day to day school activities. In the role of Advisor, your role is directly related to building teacher capacity in schools to support the inclusion of children and young people. You will collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders, including educators, children and young people and policymakers, to drive positive change in the education sector.

This Advisor will also be required to support the broader remit of the Education and Curriculum team which may include the following areas:

• Facilitating Teacher Professional Learning for school leaders and teachers

• Building teacher capacity to support children and young people with diverse learning needs

• Providing support to schools in special education learning, teaching and assessment

• Enhancing inclusive curriculum access, learner experiences and outcomes

• Facilitating the delivery of Child Protection Procedures training for special schools

• Supporting the Special School Teacher Allocation Review Process

• Supporting educational transitions including the Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) and Towards Inclusion pilots

• Supporting schools to implement and embed the Special Education Teaching Guidelines and Indicators of Effective Practice

• Supporting the completion of the NCSE Report of Education Needs as part of the HSE Assessment of Need process

Please note that the above is not an exhaustive list and that the emerging needs of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will determine the Programme of Work for the Education and Curriculum team.

It is the intention that a number of Advisors on the Education and Curriculum Team will be filled by candidates with the required level of Irish to provide supports to Irish medium schools. Please note that where a candidate wishes to apply for one of these posts, the candidate will be interviewed in the usual manner and if they are placed on the panel will be assessed on their level of competence through Irish as part of a separate assessment.

Regional Structure

NCSE Operations is currently comprised of the Eastern and Western regions which are led by a National Co-Ordinator in each region.

The Eastern region includes counties Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Louth, Meath, Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Laois, Carlow, Wexford, Kilkenny and Waterford.

The Western region includes counties Donegal, Sligo, Roscommon, Longford, Westmeath, Mayo, Galway, Offaly, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork and Kerry.

Currently, each region has teams in the respective counties comprising of Advisors, SENOs and Visiting Teachers who are led by a Team Manager.

As an NCSE employee, you will have numerous opportunities for career advancement. The NCSE prioritises employee development, by providing a supportive work environment and professional development opportunities. We offer many opportunities for you to improve your skills and knowledge, which is not only beneficial for employees but also helps the organisation succeed. In addition to recognising the need to support staff wellbeing through dedicated interventions, the NCSE is known for being an open and inclusive employer, where employees have the ability to influence workplace decisions through their feedback, thereby ensuring excellent service for children and young people, their families, and the school community as a whole.

Section 2: Job Specification

The Role

The NCSE provides services through regionally based, inter-disciplinary teams, which provide a comprehensive support service for children and young people, schools and families, with a strong emphasis on quality service delivery, evidence-based practice, development of expertise and capacity building.

The Council currently employs Advisors who work with schools nationwide to develop schools’ capacity to support children and young people with special educational needs and to promote a continuum of educational provision which is inclusive and responsive.

Advisors provide:

• Support for Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) in the area of special educational needs to enhance the quality of learning and teaching in relation to special educational needs provision

• Support and guidance to build the capacity of schools to embed practices into teaching and learning, that support all children and young people including those with special educational needs in line with the continuum of support

• Support to promote and facilitate the development and dissemination of inclusive approaches, strategies, resources and systems in schools

• Support in the area of behaviour for learning and well-being which addresses the multifaceted and holistic needs of children and young people

Duties and Job Description

The Education and Curriculum Advisor (Special School) provides assistance to the NCSE in the delivery of relevant and effective support to school communities in the area of special education.

The Education and Curriculum Advisor (Special School) acts on behalf of the NCSE and is obliged to perform their duties as per the NCSE and Department of Education and Youth regulations, procedures, policies and circulars. All Education and Curriculum Advisors report to a Team Manager.

The Education and Curriculum Advisors work under the direction of a Specialist Lead for Education and Curriculum and a National Development Lead.

Duties of the post will include, but are not limited to:

• Primarily supporting the national rollout and enactment of the Primary School Curriculum in all special schools, as requested by the Department of Education and Youth

• Facilitating Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) for school leaders and teachers

• Building teacher capacity to support children and young people with diverse learning needs

• Providing support to schools in special education learning, teaching and assessment

• Enhancing inclusive curriculum access, learner experiences and outcomes

• Supporting all schools in their capacity to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs through the development and dissemination of inclusive approaches, strategies, resources and systems

• Delivering relevant and effective in-school support to school management, teachers, school staff as required

• Facilitating the delivery of Child Protection Procedures training for special schools

• Supporting the Special School Teacher Allocation Review Process

• Supporting educational transitions including the Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) and Towards Inclusion pilots

• Supporting the development and delivery of relevant and effective TPL in line with the relevant NCSE and Department of Education and Youth publications, guidelines and circulars (including TPL, communities of practice, teacher professional networks, online support, school support)

• Developing resource materials for schools including web-based resources

• Maintaining effective communication with schools and educational partners and professional bodies (including working on collaborative projects and local initiatives)

• Supporting schools in the implementation of planning processes and the deployment of resources relating to children and young people with special educational needs

• Supporting schools to implement and embed the Special Education Teaching Guidelines and Indicators of Effective Practice

• Supporting the completion of the NCSE Report of Education Needs as part of the HSE Assessment of Need process

• Liaising and collaborating with all other NCSE personnel to ensure cohesion and consistency of support to schools

The responsibilities of the Education and Curriculum Advisor (Special School) will vary in accordance with emerging needs and priorities. Flexibility will be required from the successful candidates.

Section 3: Role Specification

Essential Requirements

All applicants for this position must meet the following criteria:

• These posts are open to all qualified teachers who hold a recognised post in a recognised Department of Education and Youth primary, post-primary or special school and are fully registered with the Teaching Council

OR

• Are on a current secondment from a recognised post in a Department of Education and Youth recognised primary, post-primary or special school and are fully registered with the Teaching Council

AND

• Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years teaching experience in a special school during the past 10 years (i.e. between September 2016 to present)

• Evidence of delivery of professional development to teachers or school leaders, either internally in-school or externally

• Extensive experience of teaching children or young people with special educational needs

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, facilitation and presentation skills

• Have a full Irish Drivers licence, access to a mode of transport that enables you to fulfil the requirements of the post, and willing to travel nationally as part of your work

Desirable Requirement

• Have obtained a level 9 qualification in Special Educational Needs or Inclusive Education or related areas in Educational Leadership

• Either hold or have been working in a leadership role or capacity in an educational setting

• Experience of designing and delivering seminars, workshops, including evidence of a capacity to mobilise and support teacher reflection, enquiry and school-based research

• Knowledge or experience of using assistive technology or digital technology to support access to the curriculum and enhance learning outcomes and experiences for all learners

Location

• Successful candidates will be contracted on a secondment basis to NCSE. The work base of an Advisor will be a local Education Centre or NCSE office in the area which they are appointed to

• The candidate will be required to travel as necessary, and public service travel and subsistence rates will apply and will be calculated from the candidate’s local designated Education Centre or NCSE office, or home whichever is the nearer

Secondment Regulations

• Successful candidates are fully subject to the regulations and procedures specified in Circular 29/18

• Successful candidates will be appointed on a secondment basis for one school year, subject to satisfactory completion of a three-month probationary period

• Appointments may be extended in accordance with DE secondment arrangements (Circular 0029/18) up to a maximum of five consecutive years and subject to organisational needs and satisfactory ongoing performance review

• The secondment is subject to annual review and renewal and to annual school authority or Board of Management and NCSE approval

• If the successful candidate is a teacher who is already on secondment, their current service on secondment will be included as part of the maximum five-year term

• A teacher who was on secondment and returned to school after 1 September 2013 following a secondment must have served for a period equal to the duration of the previous secondment arrangement before being eligible to apply for this post

• A secondment shall commence at the start of a school year and a return to duty in the school or ETB which granted the secondment shall not be permitted other than at the start of a succeeding school year

• The duration of a secondment may not extend beyond the date of compulsory retirement age

Candidates should also note the following:

• The appointment is subject to the sanction of the NCSE

• Health, sick leave and general work record must be satisfactory

• The successful candidate will be required to work exclusively for the NCSE and may not take on other employments for the period of their contract without the appropriate approval

• Each successful candidate will be required to sign a secondment contract, which will provide for an ongoing performance review process

Release from Present Post

• It is a matter for successful candidates to secure the agreement of their school authorities for release to take up a post for the period concerned

• Successful candidates will be expected to be available to take up appointment at the start of the 2026 to 2027 school year

• Commitment of release from your employer will be required