Trainee Teacher, SEN / High Needs

What skills and experience we're looking for

Are you a dog or a dolphin? Wait, I’ll explain…

We’re looking for people who want to swim alongside our students, challenging them and enabling them to become confident, independent and employable. We’re not looking for people who want to bark instructions and complete tasks on their behalf. You don’t need a teaching qualification for this role, but you do need enthusiasm, resilience and a passion for supporting young people with high needs on their journey to independence and employment.

We’ll give you mentoring, on-the-job training, a reduced timetable and training to become a trained teacher with a much higher earning potential. This trainee role would suit a graduate with a passion for SEN or people experienced in supporting teenagers with mental health, learning or behavioural difficulties. If you’re an outstanding graduate, youth worker, probation officer, or teaching assistant for example, we’d love to hear from you.

We’ll give you plenty of support from a dedicated mentor and an Advanced Teaching Practitioner. In your first year you’ll be on our Development Track, leading to a Level 3 Teaching Award. In year two, we’ll support you to gain your Cert Ed.

What you’ll be doing…

• delivering small group sessions to post 16 students with high needs
• engaging students who may have struggled with confidence in the past
• supporting students to develop independence, communication and employability skills
• creating a positive, inclusive and inspiring classroom environment

What we’re looking for…

• a graduate with a sound academic track record or
• experience of supporting young people to find confidence, independence and work
• a confident communicator who enjoys working with young people with high needs

If your approach is to engage and challenge young people to learn for themselves and become confident, independent and employable, we really should be talking. If your approach is to instruct young people and complete tasks for them, then maybe we shouldn’t…

Are you ready for the challenge? Come and join us in stunning North Devon, a few minutes from gorgeous beaches and picturesque Exmoor.

What the college offers its staff

Benefits

We’ll give you incredibly generous holidays and a superb pension scheme. You’ll also get a package of amazing benefits, including free counselling and discounted supermarket shopping, spa treatments, electric cars and paddleboarding. Read more on our careers page.

Applying for the role

If you’re reading this on our website, click on the apply button, below.

If you’re reading this advert on another site, visit our vacancies page.

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Wednesday 18th November 2026 at midnight.

Interviews will be held in Barnstaple, date TBC.

No CVs or agencies please.

Everyone’s welcome to apply for a role here, regardless of personal characteristics, including race, age, gender, religion, ability, disability, or sexuality.

We’re totally committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all our students, and we expect you to be too. We follow safer recruitment statutory guidance (Keeping Children Safe in Education). If you’re successful, you’ll be required to complete thorough pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. All posts at North Devon College are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (amended 2013 and 2020)) mean that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications, related exceptions and further information.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.