Additional Learning Support Tutor (BCIS)

Big Creative Independent School (BCIS) is a small well-established school based in Walthamstow, East London with a long track record of delivering positive outcomes for Alternative Provision learners and sits within the wider Big Creative Training college (BCT). Our mission is to re-engage and improve the lives of young people through high quality training and creative industry experiences. The outcome being to ensure our learners progress to higher level courses on their journey to becoming empowered to lead purposeful lives with integrity.

BCIS specialises in working with young people in year 10 and 11, from disadvantaged backgrounds who are passionate, creative and interested to find out more about the creative industries. These young people have a wide range of issues and experiences that have had a negative impact on their educational experience to date. Consequently, their current personal and social development, behaviour and academic progress may not reflect their true ability. Often mainstream schools were unable to engage them enough in their interest or provide the individual support needed for them to ultimately be successful.

The BCIS curriculum has high expectations for all learners regardless of students starting point; the aim is that by the time students complete the curriculum, they will be better prepared for the challenges to come and will be empowered to lead purposeful lives with integrity.

BCT itself is a well-established and expanding creative industry training provider with a long track record of delivering positive outcomes for learners. We have more than 400 young people per year going through our vocational training programmes including apprenticeships. We have great industry links and work with over 100 creative sector employers and SMEs.

We are looking for an outstanding additional learning support tutor to join our team based in Walthamstow, East London. The successful candidate will have maths and English at GCSE grade “4” or above (or level 2), and will have experience of working within a similar setting with young people. You should be an excellent communicator and understand how to talk to, encourage and support young people who have had difficult experiences in education. You should be calm, patient and assertive with a proven ability and skillset to diffuse potentially confrontational situations prior to them escalating and an ability to do so if they do.

Key tasks

·Support named learner(s) to achieve their personal education plan (PEP) targets

·Support learners' specific behavioural needs both in and out of class as detailed by borough, supporting professionals and by BCIS Course Manager

·Support learners with any barriers to their learning, helping them with comprehension of instructions and work briefs

·Support learners to attend and be punctual and promote independent learning

·Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning and promoting development of self-esteem

·Help learners to proof read written work and revise spelling, punctuation and grammar

·Support the Lead Tutor to ensure learners achieve their qualifications and have an exciting, fully rounded programme of study that enables them to progress

·Feed in to the support plans to ensure learner progress is supported and recorded

·Record academic progress and reinforce positive behaviour

·Ensure learners are retained, and that they achieve their qualifications and progress

·To collaborate with the Lead Tutor in order to refine lesson plans to suit the needs and learning styles of the learners with additional needs

·To plan and deliver personalised learning tailored to learners’ needs

·Proven track record of supporting learners with additional learning needs

·Conscientious team player with a positive outlook and a keen eye for detail

·The ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of young people

·Experience of the creative industries (desired but not essential)

Desired qualities

·Ability to empathise with and understand the many challenges faced by young adults in a demographic with high free school meals rate and poverty levels, many of whom struggled to succeed at school and have barriers to learning

·Passionate about the opportunities afforded by wellbeing education to positively influence the lives of our learners

·Ability to inspire, challenge and lead the learners by developing lessons that they can relate to, be excited by and really stretch and challenge their outlook, beliefs and experiences. 

·Extremely organised and able to manage own work load effectively and flexibly

·Highly motivated and driven to succeed in a competitive and rewarding environment

·Outstanding teaching and communication skills and experience of good / outstanding Ofsted

·Assertive and self-confident in management of the learning environment

·Committed and willing to “go the extra mile” to meet targets

·Ambitious and able to relate to, and develop relationships with young people

·A positive role model, who leads by example and models the organisational values in their everyday life and work

·Great team player and able to work on own initiative as required.

Salary and days of work

•9am to 4pm, 2 days per week (Tuesday and Thursday), term time only.

•Fixed term contract to 30th June 2023

•The pay is £1686 + £151 holiday pay qualified teacher / £1421 + £128 holiday pay unqualified (pro rata £33000 for a qualified teacher and £27810 for unqualified.)