Teaching Assistant

Job Title: Teaching Assistant

Salary: £16,000

Location: Underley Garden School, Kirkby Lonsdale

Hours: 8-4pm/5pm with occasional extra requirements (Term Time only) 

Contract: Permanent

Open Day - Tuesday 6th November at either 10am or 1pm. Please register your interest via our 5 minute application and we will confirm your place. 

About the school

Underley Garden is a school within the Acorn Care and Education and NFA group, the UK’s largest, independent children’s services group. It is categorised as an Ofsted Outstanding school and children’s home, specialising in SEN education and care.

The school cares for children and young adults with a range of complex needs, such as Autism, mental health issues and behavioural or learning difficulties. The aim of the site is to ensure that every young person’s education and care leads to better days and a better future. This is achievable due to a dedicated and supportive team who are passionate, reliable and understanding.

Underley is situated within a beautiful countryside setting, on the edge of the Lake District, near the town of Kirkby Lonsdale.

About the role?

Do you enjoy working within a School? Do you want to make an invaluable difference to young people with special needs? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for an individual to continue your career as a Teaching Assistant, within our family environment at Underley.

As a TA, you will be responsible for safeguarding the young people and making sure they are healthy, safe and as comfortable as possible. You will assist in their learning by offering companionship and support, whilst ensuring their physical, mental and emotional welfare is upheld. You will be required to prepare learning materials under the supervision of the teachers and to participate in learning activities. The TA will also be required to liaise with parents and staff with regards to the wellbeing of the young people.

This role comes with potential challenges such as verbal and physical abuse from the children. You must be willing to deescalate challenging situations and as a last resort, restrain these children.

Who we are looking for?

As a dedicated special needs school, we require a person who has a clear motivation for working with young people with complex needs. We Ideally would like someone with experience but will provide training for the right person. However, you will need to be compassionate, enthusiastic, reliable and resilient. The ideal candidate should work well within a team, be able to organise and plan a workload, communicate effectively and be prepared to work with varying types of difficulties.

A grade A*-C GCSE or equivalent, in core subjects is desirable but again, do not worry if you do not have these qualifications. A driving licence would also be desirable due to the remote location of the site.

For the right candidate, we are fully prepared to support you with training and further qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

·         Safeguard all young people in the estate and support them with their individual needs.

·         Support and develop the mental and physical health and wellbeing of individuals within the school

·         Prepare learning materials under the supervision of the teachers

·         Integrate into the supportive team

·         Provide invaluable support to the young people and assist with the learning needs of the students.

·         Liaise with parents, teachers and other support workers with the best interests of the young people in mind.

·         Enable and support individuals to engage with the education system positively

·         Provide a stimulating and supportive environment with the school

Essential criteria

·         You must have a keen interest in supporting and working with young people

·         You must be available to work the shifts required

·         You must be able to travel to the school with ease

Why work for us?

·         Opportunity to enrich the lives of young people and make a positive difference

·         Be part of a supportive and dedicated team

·         Continuous professional development and training

·         Internal progression

·         Staff meals

·         Use of a Windermere campsite

·         Team building 

Acorn Care and Education are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful applicants will be subject to fully Enhanced DBS. We expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment and strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for everybody in our care. A full application form must be completed with all employment dates accurate and gaps in employment accounted for.