Primary SENCO | August 2026

The School

Deira International School (DIS) is an Outstanding BSO- and KHDA-rated, award-winning school located on a beautiful campus in Festival City, Dubai. In 2023, DIS was awarded the Education Excellence Award for ‘School Team of the Year’ and is also a Platinum Award holder for ‘Best Place to Work’, reflecting our strong commitment to staff wellbeing and a thriving school community.

With students aged 3–18, DIS is a not-for-profit school and part of the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation. Founded in 2005, the school is renowned for providing an outstanding, inclusive, and holistic education. Our most recent inspection highlighted the following strengths:

• Staff are overwhelmingly proud of the school and believe it is well led, safe, and inclusive
• The quality of teaching, learning, and assessment across the school is outstanding
• Teachers have high expectations and consistently challenge pupils to do their best
• Staff feel respected, valued, and treated fairly
• The curriculum is precisely planned, well sequenced, and builds effectively on prior learning
• There is a strong focus on academic progress and achievement

DIS is home to a diverse student body representing over 90 nationalities, which is fundamental to the school’s community ethos. Our exceptional facilities support a holistic approach to education, with rich opportunities across sport, performing arts, technology, leadership, creativity, and academic enrichment.

Although non-selective at admission, our students achieve exceptional examination results, comparable to top UK schools, and progress to leading universities worldwide. Digital literacy is embedded across the curriculum as we prepare students for the demands of a rapidly changing world.

In the Early Years, our personalised, play-based continuous provision ensures students are rigorously assessed against the EYFS framework, developing strong foundations for future learning. In Primary, pupils benefit from a broad and enriching curriculum, including a range of non-core subjects. In Secondary, students complete IGCSEs in Year 11 before progressing to the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) or IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) in Years 12 and 13.

DIS is governed by the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation (AFEF), a not-for-profit initiative of the Al-Futtaim family, supporting the vision of the Government of Dubai and KHDA to deliver future-ready education while maximising positive social impact.

The Post: Primary SENCO

We seek a passionate and experienced Primary SENCO to join our international school community. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual committed to authentic inclusion within a nurturing environment where high expectations are held for every child. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong understanding of Special Educational Needs and the Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework, alongside a genuine belief that every child can thrive when provided with the right support.

Our Primary SENCO will lead and coordinate provision for students of determination across the primary phase, working closely with class teachers, LSA, external agencies and leaders to ensure high-quality, inclusive practice in every classroom. They will oversee identification, assessment and intervention processes, ensuring that support plans are purposeful, impactful and regularly reviewed. The role requires close collaboration with parents, therapists and external agencies to ensure each child’s needs are understood and met holistically.

The successful candidate will be instrumental in developing and embedding our inclusive vision, supporting staff through coaching and professional development, and ensuring that inclusive practice remains at the heart of our curriculum design and pastoral care. As a large and thriving community, we place equal importance on academic achievement and wellbeing; therefore, all staff contribute fully to our pastoral and co-curricular programmes.

If you have a positive, focused mindset and are keen to contribute to a dynamic and forward-thinking school, we would welcome your application.

The Successful Applicant Will Have:

• A B.Ed. or degree in a related subject, plus PGCE/PGDE or equivalent
• SENCO qualification (or working towards)
• Previous experience working as a SENCO or Inclusion Teacher in a Primary school setting
• Exceptional subject knowledge and a track record of outstanding teaching
• Strong knowledge of early identification, intervention strategies and inclusive classroom practice
• Working knowledge of the English National Curriculum
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to support partnerships with families and external professionals
• A mind-set which understands that all children deserve access to high-quality learning regardless of their starting point
• The ability to contribute to the wider curriculum and enrichment opportunities