Special Needs Shadow Tutor at Palm Spring Preparatory School

Palm Springs Prep School is a Private owned Educational Institution aimed at giving every Nigerian the best educationJob Purpose

The Special Needs Shadow Tutor provides dedicated one-to-one support to a primary school pupil with additional learning, developmental, behavioural, communication, or social needs. The role is to help the pupil access the curriculum, participate meaningfully in classroom activities, develop independence, and successfully integrate into the school environment.

The Shadow Tutor works closely with the class teacher, parents/guardians, Learning Support/SEN team, and relevant professionals to implement appropriate strategies and monitor the pupil\'s progress.

Key Responsibilities

Provide one-to-one support to the assigned pupil during lessons, activities, transitions, break times, and other school routines as required.
Support the pupil to understand and participate in classroom instruction without unnecessarily creating dependence.
Reinforce instructions given by the class teacher and adapt activities or learning materials where appropriate.
Assist the pupil with reading, writing, numeracy, communication, organisation, and other areas of learning where required.
Use appropriate strategies to support attention, concentration, emotional regulation, social interaction, and positive behaviour.
Help the pupil develop independence, confidence, self-management, and appropriate classroom behaviours.
Support the pupil during transitions between activities, classrooms, assemblies, lunch, playtime, and other school routines.
Observe and document the pupil\'s academic, behavioural, social, and emotional progress.
Maintain appropriate records of interventions, observations, incidents, achievements, and areas requiring further support.
Work collaboratively with the class teacher to ensure that support provided is consistent with classroom teaching and the pupil\'s Individual Education Plan (IEP), where applicable.
Implement agreed learning and behavioural strategies recommended by the school\'s SEN/Learning Support team or external professionals.
Encourage positive peer interaction and inclusion rather than isolating the pupil from classmates.
Support the pupil in developing appropriate communication and social skills.
Identify and communicate concerns about the pupil\'s wellbeing, learning, behaviour, or development to the appropriate member of staff.
Attend meetings, training sessions, case conferences, and parent meetings when required.
Maintain strict confidentiality regarding the pupil and family.
Follow the school\'s safeguarding, child protection, health and safety, behaviour management, and other relevant policies.
Carry out other reasonable duties related to pupil support as assigned by the school.

Required Skills and Competencies

Strong understanding of or willingness to learn about special educational needs and inclusive education.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Patience, empathy, warmth, and emotional maturity.
Ability to build a trusting and respectful relationship with children.
Good observation and listening skills.
Ability to remain calm and professional when managing challenging behaviour or emotionally difficult situations.
Ability to follow individual support plans and implement recommended strategies consistently.
Good classroom management and behaviour-support skills.
Ability to differentiate or simplify learning activities to meet individual needs.
Strong organisational and record-keeping skills.
Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, parents, school management, and external professionals.
Good understanding of professional boundaries and confidentiality.
Ability to encourage independence rather than doing tasks for the pupil.
Good digital literacy and ability to use basic educational technology.
Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Educational Qualifications

Minimum Requirement:

Bachelor\'s Degree, Higher National Diploma (HND), or National Diploma (ND) in Education, Special Education, Psychology, Child Development, Early Childhood Education, Guidance and Counselling, Social Work, or a related field.

Desirable Qualifications/Training:

Qualification or training in Special Educational Needs (SEN/SEND).
Training in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, learning difficulties, speech and language needs, or behavioural support.
Training in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) or other evidence-based behavioural approaches.
Training in child safeguarding/child protection.
First Aid certification is an advantage.

Required Experience

Minimum of 1–2 years\' experience working with children in a school, learning support, special education, therapy, childcare, or related setting.
Previous experience providing one-to-one support to a child with special educational needs is highly desirable.
Experience working with children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, speech and language difficulties, developmental delays, behavioural needs, or other learning challenges will be an advantage.
Experience working collaboratively with classroom teachers and parents is desirable.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate should be:

Patient and compassionate
Calm and emotionally stable
Warm, approachable, and child-friendly
Observant and attentive to detail
Proactive and solution-oriented
Flexible and adaptable
Reliable and responsible
Respectful of confidentiality
Non-judgmental and inclusive
Passionate about helping children achieve their potential

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be assessed based on:

The pupil\'s engagement and participation in classroom activities.
Progress towards agreed academic, behavioural, communication, and social goals.
Improvement in the pupil\'s independence and self-management.
Effective implementation of the pupil\'s support/IEP plan.
Quality and accuracy of observation and progress records.
Positive collaboration with teachers, parents, and the school\'s learning support team.
Consistent compliance with safeguarding and school policies.
The ability to support inclusion without creating unnecessary dependence on the Shadow Tutor.

Important Role Expectation

The Shadow Tutor is not intended to replace the class teacher or become the pupil\'s permanent personal assistant. The primary objective is to provide targeted support that enables the child to participate successfully in the mainstream classroom while progressively developing independence.

Working Relationship

The Shadow Tutor will work closely with:

Class Teacher
Head of Primary
Learning Support/SEN Coordinator
School Counsellor/Pastoral Team, where applicable
Parents/Guardians
Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, or other specialists where applicable

Safeguarding

The successful candidate must demonstrate a strong commitment to child safeguarding and must comply fully with the school\'s child protection and safeguarding procedures. Employment will be subject to the school\'s required background and reference checks.