Special Needs
Salary: Grade 10 – PG6730 – JWC 30 £36,363 to £37,280 FTE (Pro Rata)
Hours: 32.5 hours per week – Term Time Only (39 WEEKS)
Contract: Permanent (subject to satisfactory checks)
About the Role
Mayfield Special School is seeking a compassionate, proactive and committed Family Support Worker to join our pastoral support team. This important role will work closely with pupils, families, school staff and external agencies to provide early intervention and targeted family support, helping to remove barriers to learning and improve outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
You will support families facing a range of challenges, promote positive engagement with school and help coordinate effective multi-agency support where required.
Key Responsibilities
• Provide practical and emotional support to pupils and families.
• Work closely with parents and carers to improve engagement with school.
• Coordinate early help and multi-agency support for vulnerable pupils.
• Support attendance, wellbeing and inclusion across the school.
• Work collaboratively with school staff and external professionals.
About You
We are looking for someone who has experience working with children, young people or families in a support role, strong communication and relationship-building skills, and a commitment to safeguarding and inclusion. You would be expected to hold a relevant Level 3 qualification and ideally have experience working within a school or SEND setting.
Why Join Mayfield Special School?
At Mayfield, we are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment where every child can thrive. You will join a dedicated team passionate about improving outcomes for our pupils and their families.
Safeguarding
Mayfield Special School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and appropriate pre-employment checks. Please submit applications to: recruitment@mayfield.cumbria.sch.uk
Shortlisting: Tuesday 14th April, 2026
Other Information
Mayfield is a new build and unique special school located on the West Coast of the Lake District close to the historical Georgian town of Whitehaven.
The school has been transformed as part of the new development, Campus Whitehaven which represents a 32-million-pound investment in the future of Education and Community facilities for West Cumbria.
The new school offers amazing learning spaces and is purpose built to the needs of the wide range of pupils. The bespoke design has created the best possible learning environment with spacious classrooms and a wide range of specialist facilities.
The design was developed around the best examples from schools around the country and the result is amazing. Careful preparation and involvement ensured that pupils have made the transition exceptionally well and are responding to the new opportunities for learning. They are very proud of their new school.
Spacious classrooms have been created with small group rooms, mobility equipment bays, storage, cloakrooms and toilet access.
Each room has a full coverage hoist system linking directly into the assisted changing rooms. This means that staff time can be focused on learning.
The specialist facilities are state of the art and the school is everything that was hoped for and more, including:
- Hydrotherapy Pool – excellent changing facilities (hoist access into the water)
- Rebound Therapy Room
- Low Impact Gym
- Library – a home for sensory stories, fiction and non-fiction promoting a love of reading.
- Food Technology Room
- Sound Beam Learning Room
- Eye gaze room
- Therapists Room
- Medical Room
- Family Room
- Life Skills Flat
- Relaxation room with acoustic water bed
- Project Spaces
- Soft play
- Traditional Sensory room and Immersive Room
The campus wide facilities are open to the community outside school hours and will increase participation in sport and accessibility for all.
The school also aspires to be a venue and training centre for SEND and host events and training by bringing the experts to West Cumbria and enhancing capacity to meet the needs of the area.
Mayfield is one of 6 special schools in Cumbria and meets the needs of pupils aged 3 – 19 years. The school population has risen from 87 to 218 in the last 7 years and there is a constant demand for places at the new school.
All pupils have an Educational Health Care Plan reflecting either severe or profound learning needs and additional needs. Co-existing conditions are typical and 54% of the pupils have a diagnosis of ASD.
The school was deemed outstanding by Ofsted in November 2023 recognising the high aspirations and achievement of the pupils.
There is a positive culture of reflection and development throughout the school following the “Everyone Thinking, Everyone Learning” vision.
Mayfield staff and governors are relentless in the pursuit of excellence for all and use the latest research information technologies and strategies available to unlock the potential of every learner.
The school strives to lead the way in learning for pupils with special educational needs. Mayfield is a school with close links to the Local Authority and works in partnership with many organisations to improve outcomes for pupils across the locality.
The school has an established team of highly skills staff and a good balance of ECT / more experienced teachers. The school is strongly committed to the MOVE (Movement Opportunities via Education) programme with 2 staff trainers.
Team Teach is the approach used for behaviour management and all staff are trained as priority. There are 5 trainers in school. Mayfield is well supported and has high profile in the local community.
In September 2023, 6th form and year 11 pupils will move to a new site in Cockermouth
Please read our latest Overarching Safeguarding Statement