Sixth Form Academic Coach and Study Support

Hatcham College Sixth Form is large and oversubscribed and is well known in South East London for excellent student outcomes and its exceptional co-curricular and work experience programmes. The Sixth Form is proud of its traditions for excellence alongside innovation and its track record in securing outstanding destinations for students year on year. Much of this is down to our outstanding Sixth Form specialist staff who have developed extensive networks and are highly skilled. Although an academic Sixth Form with a significant number of students progressing to the very best universities, the Sixth Form is fully inclusive and we have students following different pathways tailored to their interests and careers goals. Whatever their pathway or prior attainment at various points during their Sixth Form journey all students need support, guidance and occasionally challenge to effectively transition to Sixth Form study and then prepare for their post Sixth Form destinations.

We are significantly investing in our provision and accommodation for independent study and are seeking an inspiring and confident Academic Coach who is as comfortable designing and providing one to one support and academic coaching that makes a difference to individual students, whilst designing and delivering workshops for groups of students. In the Sixth Form, data is used rigorously to track and monitor performance to ensure that all groups of students are making substantial and sustained progress. The successful candidate should be confident using varied sources of data to evaluate the impact of their work on students and to identify additional students who would benefit from targeted group support or 1:1 help and academic support.

Under the guidance of Sixth Form Leaders and within the overall ethos of the Sixth Form and librarian team, the Academic Coach will get to know our Sixth Form students very well developing into a key partner for their Sixth Form journey. They will work to ensure that students complete their independent study effectively and provide tailored support to help accelerate the learning of individuals and groups of students. 

Hatcham College leads ATLAS Teaching School and can offer rapid career progression. The previous Academic Coach and a number of our graduate LSAs have subsequently completed teacher training programmes through our teaching school.  

Key responsibilities and objectives of the job    

Routine Sixth Form Responsibilities 

• Support the learning and independent study of individuals and groups of students, proactively seeking out information necessary to do this under the direction and guidance of Sixth Form and subject leaders, class teachers and the Inclusion Team
• Provide more intensive ongoing support for targeted students employing a range of coaching strategies and drawing on their undergraduate study where appropriate to identify gaps and barriers to learning and empower students to develop effective strategies to improve progress to academic and personal development goals 
• Establish productive working relationships with students, act as a role model, set high expectations recognise how Sixth Form students are both similar and different to younger students
• Promote positive values, attitudes and good student behaviour, identifying when humour or a more assertive approach is needed to deal promptly with conflict and incidents in line with established policy and encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning
• Support students wellbeing and personal development and welfare, following child protection policies to report any concerns 
• Provide regular feedback and liaise effectively with Sixth Form Leaders, teachers, other support staff, health and education specialists, parents, visitors and volunteers
• Use detailed knowledge of Sixth Form specific approaches and specialist skills to support students’ learning, wellbeing and personal development in the Sixth Form
• Competently use Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint to assist in the recording, storing and presentation of data  
• Where necessary complete training to confidently use other software packages such as SIMs, SISRA to access & interrogate student, timetable, attendance and other similar data
• Support Sixth Form administration including but not limited to monitoring and analysis of progress, attendance, punctuality, rewards and sanctions; communication with parents & carers, students and teachers, Sixth Form marketing, UCAS
• Support Sixth Form calendar events including but not limited to open mornings and evenings, A Level results day, UCAS evening, Knowledge day, enrolment, recruitment, taster day