Specialist Teaching Assistant

Specialist Teaching Assistant

Start Date: January 2024

Salary: Grade 9 £25,409 - £27,852 (Pro rata salary £19,197.00 - £21,042.84)

Contract: Fixed Term Contract until 31st August 2024 when it will be subject to staffing review.

Hours: 32.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday 8.30am-4.00pm, Term Time only including five Inset days (there may be flexibility on number of working hours).

Thank you for your interest in working at Blackhorse Primary School.

Blackhorse Primary School is a part of The Leaf Trust which opened on 1 September 2023 and is made up of thirteen primary schools. We are proud to be a leading Primary and Early Years Trust in the South West and a leading voice in Primary and Early Years education.

We are looking to appoint a Specialist Teaching Assistant to join our Resource Base team. This is a very exciting opportunity for a committed and versatile practitioner to work within our outstanding 22 place Resource Base within a thriving and inclusive mainstream primary school.

We are extremely proud to have South Gloucestershire’s only Primary Resource Base for autistic children and children with social communication difficulties. Our Resource Base comprises of 2 small classes led by qualified teachers with a high adult pupil ratio with our RB children fully including within mainstream classes, some including part-time whilst others remain in the Resource Base; with a view to including for at least some of the time by their first annual review.

The role of the Specialist Teaching Assistant in the Resource Base reflects this versatile approach to teaching and learning. The role provides opportunities for working with children within the base and through ‘inclusion’, supporting children on a 1:1 basis or in small groups.

The successful candidate will also lead targeted interventions to support all areas of need including speech and language, occupational therapy and social communication. A good understanding of strategies to support emotional regulation will also be essential to the role with the candidate demonstrating a passion for outdoor learning and a flexible and adaptable approach.

We are looking for a candidate who:

• Champions our school values of ‘Respect, Pride, Bravery, Success’

• Has experience of supporting children with SEND in a primary school setting

• Demonstrates a good understanding of the 4 areas of need: Communication and interaction cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health and physical and sensory needs

• is flexible, creative and versatile

• has high expectations of all pupils and can motivate, inspire confidence and encourage independence

• has experience of adapting and differentiating the primary national curriculum and supporting children through accessible learning approaches and opportunities;

• has good IT skills and understands how IT can be used to support learning;

• is keen to undertake further training to support your role and professional development;

• has proven experience of working as part of a successful team;

• thrives being part of the whole School Development process and seeks continuous professional development

In return we can offer:

• An ambitious and well-motivated team

• A broad, stimulating and ambitious enquiry-based curriculum

• Access to an experienced mentor/coach (including experienced candidates) to help you further develop your practice.

• The opportunity to work within a specialist and mainstream provision

• Continuous training opportunities and career progression

• The opportunity to work with colleagues from other schools through partnership work

• Free child care through our Afterschool club and Breakfast club

• The chance to be part of an amazing skilled team of professionals across the school ;

• An exceptionally well-resourced and well-maintained environment;

• Additional “Wellbeing Day” each year and the opportunity to be a voice on our Staff Wellbeing Group;

• The Local Government Pension Scheme;

• South Gloucestershire Council’s Cycle to Work Scheme;

• Access through our medical insurance to physiotherapy, Nurse Support Services, Surgical Assistant Programme, Mental Health Services, Mental Health First Aid Training, Stress Coaching and Counselling

The person appointed will need to have 3 or more GCSEs (including Mathematics and English) at Grade 5/C or above or other equivalents. A relevant qualification in education of pupils ie NNEB, NVQ3 in Childcare and Education or a BTEC National Diploma in Childhood studies is essential together with experience of working with both primary aged pupils in an educational context and pupils with SEN/D.

This is a fixed term contract until 31st August 2024 when it will be subject to staffing review and the needs of the resource base.

The closing date for applications is: 9am, Wednesday 3rd January 2024

Interviews are scheduled to take place on: Interviews 11th January 2024

Short-listed applicants will be contacted by email (preferably) or telephone with details of the interview process.

The Leaf Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of our safer recruitment practices, suitability to work with children and young people will be assessed during the selection process. All appointments are subject to comprehensive vetting, including an enhanced DBS check, employment and reference checks, and an online search.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly those from underrepresented groups, as we strive to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.