Speech And Language Therapist - Abbey Hill Academy (Horizons Specialist Academy Trust)

Abbey Hill Academy
Ketton Road
Stockton-on-Tees
TS19 8BU

Required as soon as possible

Permanent Post

32.5 hours per week, term time + 1 PL Day (This post may be suitable for Hybrid/Flexible working)

NJC Grade L - M (points 31-36) FTE £44,253 - £48,738 (£33,583 - £36,987 actual salary)

Are you a passionate and experienced Speech and Language Therapist looking for an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of young people with special educational needs?

At Horizons Specialist Academy Trust, we believe that every young person deserves to be heard, understood and supported to reach their full potential.

Our Trust comprises eight specialist academies - Abbey Hill, Westlands, Green Gates, Hollis, Archway, Woodlands, Norman Cornish and Mo Mowlam - supporting more than 1000 students aged 5 to 18 with a wide range of learning difficulties and additional needs.

Abbey Hill Academy & Sixth Form supports approximately 360 young people aged 11 to 18 and is recognized for its innovative approach to special education.

Our students have a range of learning difficulties alongside physical, communication and social needs. We are committed to creating an environment where every student can develop their confidence, independence and ability to communicate.

We are now looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and motivated Speech and Language Therapist to join our team and provide specialist support across the Trust.

Why join us?

You will become an integral part of a highly collaborative multi-disciplinary team, working alongside teachers, teaching assistants, our Educational Psychologist, healthcare professionals and other key stakeholders.

This is an exciting opportunity for a therapist who:

• Is passionate about supporting young people with special educational needs.
• Enjoys working collaboratively and sharing specialist knowledge with others.
• Wants to develop their expertise within a specialist educational environment.
• Is creative, patient, empathetic and solution-focused.
• Is committed to helping every young person communicate, participate and achieve their full potential.
• You will have the opportunity to make a genuine and measurable difference to the communication, learning and wider development of our students.

What will you do?

• Promote understanding and awareness of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) across the academy community.
• Help develop a communication-friendly environment throughout Abbey Hill Academy.
• Work closely with staff to identify students' communication strengths, needs and priorities.
• Provide advice and guidance on personalised communication strategies and approaches.
• Contribute to appropriate target setting and intervention planning.
• Deliver specialist assessment, support and interventions for students with identified speech, language and communication needs.
• Share your expertise with colleagues, helping to build staff confidence and capacity in supporting communication.

What experience are we looking for?

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and communication aids.

Experience or knowledge of approaches such as the following would also be highly advantageous:

• Intensive Interaction
• Colourful Semantics
• Makaton
• Gestalt Language Processing
• SCERTS
• Blanks Levels
• Widgit
• Talking Mats

Don't worry if you don't have experience in all of these areas. Training and professional development can be provided where required. We are more interested in finding someone who shares our passion for helping young people communicate and thrive.

Although staff may occasionally be required to work across the Trust, this role will be primarily based at our Abbey Hill Academy site.

We are also open to discussing flexible working hours/hybrid working with the right candidate.

An application form and further information is available on the Horizons Trust website - or you can request an application form by emailing

Visits to the school are actively encouraged and highly recommended. To arrange this, please email or telephone on .

Completed application forms should be returned by 12 noon on Friday 30th October 2026 to HR Department c/o Abbey Hill Academy, Ketton Road, Stockton-on-Tees. TS19 8BU or by email to

Horizons Specialist Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. As part of our recruitment process, online searches will be conducted. Any offer of employment will be subject to a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check and appropriate references

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