Teaching Assistant

We are looking to appoint a Teaching Assistant to join our team. This role will work with a range of students with a variety of special educational needs including social and communication difficulties. The ideal Teaching Assistant will have had previous experience of working in a school environment, providing support to vulnerable children/young people.

As part of the Tarka Learning Partnership we are a Safe Employer and thorough checks will be carried out as part of our commitment to Safer Recruitment. We do not accept Curriculum Vitae. All successful applicants will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Work Pattern: 1140 hours per annum, approximately 30 hours per week, term time only. Hours may vary but will generally be between 08:30 – 15:30 Monday to Friday.

Principal Accountabilities:

• To provide support for learning activities and the social/emotional development of students on an individual or group basis, under the general direction of the teacher or HLTA.
• To focus specifically on the student needs identified by the teacher/HLTA and/or within the Plan /EHCP as required.
• To promote good behaviour, dealing promptly with incidents in line with established policy, encouraging students to take responsibility for their own behaviour. 
• To promote self-esteem and independence.

Shared Responsibilities with other Leadership Team members:

• Work to strengthen and enhance The Park Community School’s values and culture.
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people.

Main Duties:

Key Function 1: Support for students’ learning 

• Following work plans approved by the teaching staff, provide direct support for the learning of individual students or groups of students, including those with special needs, to achieve defined progression targets in a student’s individual education plan and in class plans through activities, interventions, empathetic and sympathetic listening, direct guidance and the provision of appropriate positive feedback to behaviour and higher order questioning.
• Developing the physical, emotional and educational development of students.
• Supervising and encouraging safe behaviour of individuals and groups.
• Provide feedback on student progress and work collaboratively to help reinforce structured learning habits which meets defined targets for accessing the curriculum as set by the line manager.
• Provide information and input for the SENDCo and SEND team and contribute to annual review of EHCPs and inform and attend TAF meetings.
• Support and accompany alternative provision and support enrichment opportunities as required.

Key Function 2: Support for the learning environment 

• Follow guidance from the teaching staff  to provide an effective learning environment as determined by the teacher to promote the required standards of achievement and performance, including feedback to inform structured assessment, for individuals and groups within the classroom.
• Support the development of continuous improvement in both personal performance in the job and the work of the team.
• Assist in the development, monitoring, reviewing and progression of students’ learning plans.
• Support invigilation and assessment processes, recording, keeping and retrieving accurate records and following defined procedures.
• Liaise effectively with support staff colleagues/placement students, as required and defined by the line manager, to develop continuity and consistency in the work of the support team which achieves the attainment of standards in learning progress by the school, required by the Head and Governors, the TLP and the Office for Standards in Education [OFSTED]

Key Function 3: Care and support for students

• Act as a key worker for dedicated students being first point of liaison for parents, carers and agencies for those students;
• Attend to the day to day needs of students, inside and outside the classroom, by building trusting relationships to support their welfare and behaviour support.
• Support interventions to help promote the progress of individual students in attaining defined goals.
• Promoting effective pastoral care for individual students and groups, following defined procedures, and liaising with colleagues to inform parents of the key work you are doing.
• Assisting educational and therapeutic professionals in their delivery of specialist support programs.
• Carrying out specified medical care procedures following direct specific training by a qualified practitioner.
• Support students personal emergency evacuation plan and procedures.
• Be vigilant for unresolved barriers to learning and report promptly on this and any students concerns observed.
• Promote the social, emotional and behavioural standards defined by school and TLP policies and procedures.
• To promote the social, emotional and behavioural standards defined by school and the TLP policies and procedures.

Key Function 4: Administration

• To ensure accurate and timely record keeping into the school’s MIS systems and student logs.
• Comply with the school’s record retention policy.
• Help with development and differentiation of resources.