Location
London Borough of Hackney

Hours
Fixed-Term / Secondment Opportunity – 12 Months

Salary
£44,235 per annum

About the Role
Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values. Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. Our proactive approach extends to fairness across gender, neurodiversity, and the poverty divide.

We are seeking a creative and passionate early years practitioner committed to inclusive practice to join our long-standing Area SENCo team as part of Hackney’s Integrated SEND Service. This is an exciting opportunity to bring your knowledge and expertise into our service and help shape the future of inclusion for children in Hackney in response to our local area SEND Strategy and the national 2026 SEND reforms.

Our key priority is to improve the life chances of every child, young person, and learner, making Hackney one of the most forward-looking education providers in the UK. We are committed to ensuring that our schools and settings create a sense of belonging for all children, regardless of their special educational needs or disability. We want children and young people to grow, learn, develop, and achieve, while offering one of the best places for colleagues to work and thrive in our education system.

As an Area SENCo, you will work directly with children aged 2-5 years old with SEND, their families and carers, and Early Years settings including Children’s Centres, and private, voluntary, and independent settings. Our child-centred approach supports children with SEND through a graduated approach involving early identification, supporting parents, providing advice and training to setting practitioners, modelling strategies and interventions, and engaging in multi-agency working. Through collaborative work, you will build capacity in nursery settings, remove barriers to inclusion, and ensure the best possible educational outcomes for children with additional needs.

Hackney Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This role involves regulated activity and the successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check and additional pre-employment checks in line with statutory guidance.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Applications require competency-based questions to demonstrate suitability for the role. We encourage candidates to showcase their unique knowledge and skills in their own voice.

Closing date for applications: 05 October 2026 (22.59)
Interview date: To be confirmed

Experience
Experience working with children aged 2-5 years with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in early years settings is essential. Proven ability to work collaboratively with families, practitioners, and multi-agency teams to support inclusive practice and positive outcomes for children with additional needs.

About you
You are a creative, passionate, and skilled early years practitioner committed to inclusive practice. You demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, are a team player, and have a proactive approach to removing barriers to inclusion. You share our values of being proud, ambitious, pioneering, open, proactive, and inclusive. You are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Qualifications
Relevant qualifications in early years education, special educational needs coordination, or related fields are required. You must be eligible to work in regulated activity with children and comply with safeguarding requirements including enhanced DBS clearance.