Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) – Bishop’s Stortford

Job Description

We are looking for an innovative, inspirational Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) who puts the welfare and progress of children at the centre of everything they do and is able to support our students in reaching their full potential. Part of your role will be to ensure that our pupils catch up to age related expectations through high quality teaching, intervention groups and when needed online teaching.

Avanti Meadows is the first of three brand-new schools planned for the new all-through Learning Village in Bishop’s Stortford North. The school will be a 3-form entry primary school. Avanti Meadows Primary School will provide parents and pupils with the highest standards of education and pastoral care.

The site for Avanti Meadows will be a brand-new building and the facilities will be bespoke, contemporary and first-class, which will make for a unique learning experience. We are working in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council to ensure that careful planning and preparation is in place to make Avanti Meadows a first-choice school for the children of Bishop’s Stortford North.

Since our first school opened in 2008, Avanti Schools Trust has grown in a considered and gradual way. Now, we are a family of 10 schools across the UK, serving over 4,500 children and young people and 450 staff.

Our high expectations and clarity of vision and purpose means that everyone knows what we need to do to ensure the very best opportunities and experiences for our learners.

This exciting opportunity is for outstanding, inspirational HLTA’s to join the school at the start of its journey and help to create an outstanding learning environment for the children of Bishop’s Stortford. The successful candidate will be committed to excellence, inclusion and the school’s spiritual ethos.

You will be working as part of a team who are passionate about providing the very best experience for our students.

This is a unique opportunity to help develop a new and innovative school, which will be shaped by three key elements for both students and staff: 

• Educational excellence 
• Character formation 
• Spiritual insight

What will you do? 

• To support working relationship with the pupils, acting as role model and setting high expectations 
• To meet the personal needs of pupils whilst encouraging their independence. 
• To support pupils with special educational needs through the delivery of specific learning programmes to contribute to setting individual education plan (IEHCP) targets and to reviews 
• To monitor and evaluate pupils’ responses to learning activities and note their progress towards targets. 
• To advance learning when working with individuals, small groups and whole classes without the presence of the assigned Teacher 
• To provide feedback and reports as required on pupil achievement to parents, carers and other professionals and attend parent’s evening 
• Comply and assist with the development of policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting concerns to the named/appropriate person 
• To be responsible for directing, managing and development of other Teaching Assistants including allocating and monitoring of their work and undertaking performance management

For a more comprehensive list of the job responsibilities, please download the Job Description.

We are looking for someone who: 

• will show commitment to working to support and enhance the school’s spiritual ethos 
• will enjoy a challenge and be able to motivate and improve a growing school 
• is aspiring to become, if not already, an excellent classroom practitioner 
• is resourceful, driven and brings a clear understanding of assessment of learning. 
• has experience of all phases of primary school education, including Reception

Please see the Job Description for more information on the essential criteria and skills required for the role.

Why should you apply?

You will be working in a fantastic environment. Avanti exists to help each person become a well-rounded human being through intellectual, moral and spiritual growth, and so make the world a better place. 

• LGPS pension scheme 
• Development opportunities 
• A strong vision of Educational Excellence, Character Formation and Spiritual Insight 
• Enthusiastic, motivated and friendly children 
• A committed and motivated staff team 
• An attractive working environment 
• Supportive parents 
• Great opportunities for professional development.

The successful candidate for this post will require HLTA status or substantial Teaching Assistant experience and would consider undertaking additional training to qualify as an HLTA. The ideal candidate will be committed in working with students with a wide range of special educational needs including ASD, ADHD, hearing impairment, emotional, social and mental health need, together with an interest and considerable expertise in supporting second language learners. A caring, flexible and common-sense approach is vital as well as being pro-active and demonstrating a can-do attitude.

Further information 

• Pre-employment checks
  
  Avanti Services Limited is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates are required to have an Enhanced DBS check unless internally appointed and still within the cycle of DBS re-checks.
  
  
  Any appointment subsequently made will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks. 
• Diversity and Inclusion
  We want to make sure we are attracting the widest possible range of people and ensure that they are accepted, understood and treated equally when they work here. This means we will work hard to understand that each employee is unique and ensuring that individuals or groups are not treated differently or less favourably on the basis of specific characteristics.
  
  
  Such characteristics include (but are not limited to) age, disability, gender including transgender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, and how the school supports pregnant women and new parents.

How to apply:

Application forms can be downloaded at www.avanti.org.uk/careers  and must be submitted by the closing date above to careers@avanti.org.uk  once fully completed. The successful candidate will be required to sign the application declaration on appointment.