Title of position: Special Needs Coordinator
Salary: 250k
Location: Lekki Phase 1
Reports to: Learning Director
Our client, a learning institution is looking to fill the position of a Special Coordinator who will support the School Director and Learning Director by taking up responsibility for the day-to-day operation of provision made by the school for children with Learning difficulties or Learning differences and provides guidance in the area of the Bridge program in order to secure high quality teaching and the effective use of resources to bring about improved standards of achievement of all the children.
Core responsibilities:
• Ensure effective systems of communication, including feedback about children’s learning to inform future planning.
• Monitoring the quality of the bridge program by establishing effective systems to identify and meet the needs of children, whilst ensuring that the systems are coordinated, evaluated and regularly reviewed.
• Ensure that the objectives of the Bridge program are reflected in the school improvement plan. Liaise with and coordinate the contribution of external agencies.
• Overseeing and monitoring the quality of IEPs and maintaining detailed information for subsequent meetings with parents.
• Develop systems for Bridge facilitators and directresses to monitor and record progress made by children in the Bridge program towards the achievement of targets set in IEPs.
• Coordinate the Bridge conferences with the Learning Director, directresses and parents as appropriate.
• To lead the team and to be instrumental in planning for continual improvement and to make a contribution to the evaluation of the work of the department.
• To promote an atmosphere of continuing professional development and to share good practice with team members.
• To contribute to the school’s development plan.
• To manage effectively all staff connected with the department.
• Advise the School Director and Learning Director on all staffing matters within the department.
• To appraise all departmental colleagues on an annual basis and as appropriate.
• Develop pro-formas for essential repetitive paperwork, in order to create an administrative infrastructure as part of an effective communications system.
• Identifying the training needs of staff and communicate such to the School Director and Learning Director.
• Ensure that Bridge team members review the needs, progress and targets of children with learning difficulties every month.
• Provide regular information to the School Director and Learning Director on the evaluation of the effectiveness of provision for children in the Bridge program, to inform decision-making and policy review.
Key competencies:
• Knowledge of the stages of human development, mile stones and behavioral norms.
• A working knowledge of the Montessori Philosophy and other theories of development.
• Knowledge of the principles of the Montessori environment.
• Great interest in education and working with children
• Sufficient knowledge of learning differences and developmental delays, in order to understand fully the specific needs of the child.
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language to enable report writing.
• Knowledge on basic interpretation of child’s IEP under team lead supervision.
• Knowledge on methods of observation and measurements.
• Knowledge of the rules of classroom management.
Key skills:
• Self-Regulation – Ability to maintain composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in difficult situations.
• Observant – Ability to pay attention to details.
• Oral Expression – Ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression – Ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension – Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension – Ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
• Speech Clarity – Ability to speak clearly so others will understand (speech is devoid of traditional accents).
• Speech Recognition – Ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Deductive Reasoning – Ability to draw unbiased conclusions from observations, ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce sensible answers.
• Confidentiality_ Ability to keep all personal information concerning the child’s assessment, evaluation and intervention process confidential.
• Stamina – Ability to exert herself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
• Near Vision – Ability to see details at close range.
Personal Attributes:
• Possesses strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Exhibits a genuine interest in children and respect for their individuality.
• Is gentle and soft spoken.
• Is patient, compassionate, energetic, organized and resourceful.
• Is able to establish a rapport with both the children and the parents.
• Possesses strong team work skills.
• Has a clear speaking voice.
• Is confident and adaptable.
• Possesses positive conflict resolution skills and the ability to handle stress well.
• Demonstrates a high level of integrity in interactions within the community.
• Demonstrates a love for learning.
Educational Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Education or Child Psychology
Relevant Experience:
• A minimum of 2 years work experience in related field
Professional memberships/certifications:
• Professional Certification in Special Needs Education
• RBT Certification