Rowan Avery
Special Educational Needs Teacher | QTS | Autism & Speech, Language and Communication Needs
Oakwood Vale Specialist Academy
Dear Members of the Selection Panel,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic interest in the Special Education Teacher position at Oakwood Vale Specialist Academy. Having supported primary learners with autism spectrum conditions and speech, language, and communication needs across specialist and resourced settings, I am keen to contribute to your academy's commitment to tailored, inclusive education.
In my current role as an SEN Class Teacher at Briarwick Academy Trust, I lead daily instruction and individualised learning plans for a primary nurture group of eight autistic pupils and learners with moderate learning difficulties. To support their communication and self-regulation, I design structured visual timetables, Colourful Semantics sentence strips, and low-stimulus learning zones. In addition, I collaborate regularly with speech and language therapists and educational psychologists to embed targeted developmental objectives into Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), tracking small-step progress and facilitating termly reviews with families and local authority caseworkers.
My background also reflects a sustained focus on accessible curriculum delivery and structured communication aids, reinforced by my PGCE in Special Educational Needs from the UCL Institute of Education. Through my Sensory Literacy Hub Project, I created a sensory-friendly reading area utilising interactive communication cards and colour-coded readability levels, recording sustained independent reading intervals for six non-verbal and minimally verbal pupils over two terms. Combined with my practical background delivering Attention Autism strategies and Makaton signing to reduce transition anxiety, I ensure pupils with varied communication profiles feel secure and ready to learn.
Oakwood Vale Specialist Academy's emphasis on holistic development and multidisciplinary support closely matches my professional approach. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my classroom teaching, assessment tracking, and positive behavioural support can contribute to the success of your learners. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Rowan Avery