SEN Administration Assistant

Are you an experienced and efficient Administrator within a Special Education Needs environment?  We have a great opportunity and brand new position available; we are looking for a motivated and organised SEN Administrative Assistant to work alongside our highly experienced SENCo at Strood Academy.  Our successful candidate will work calmly to ensure all of our EHCPs Annual Reviews, Children Looked After PEPs and statutory paperwork are co-ordinated and implemented within the statutory timescale. 

The successful candidate will need to work calmly amidst frequent interruptions whilst priding themselves on making an excellent first impression to external visitors. You will need to have had previous experience of working in an educational environment, along with the following skills and experience;

• The ability to show maturity, tact and discretion bearing in mind the confidential and often sensitive nature of the work undertaken
• Excellent IT skills and proficient user of various Microsoft Office applications
• The ability to be flexible in your approach, able to work effectively adjusting to the daily demands of a busy school while still delivering a first-rate customer service experience
• The ability to be able to process and manage information accurately and in a variety of formats
• You must be able to work accurately under pressure whilst still maintaining high standards of performance levels
• You will need to have strong interpersonal skills, be a confident communicator able to convey information clearly, with proven experience in establishing positive working relationships
• You will need to be able to liaise with staff, pupils, parents/carers and external agencies
• You will need to have a professional approach to your work and be able to deal calmly with matters face to face, over the telephone and via email
• Your positive attitude and ‘can do’ approach will help you to effectively prioritise and deal with a possible demanding workload.
• An understanding of relevant child protection policies which keep children safe in a school setting would be beneficial but is not essential as full training would be provided

The working basis of this role is 28 hours per week during Term Time only.  The actual salary, dependent on experience, is between £10,646 - £12,734 which is prorated down from £17,173 - £20,541.  Please consult the Job Description and Selection Criteria by clicking here for a detailed overview of the duties and responsibilities of this role.  The position is offered on a fixed term basis initially with the intention to extend or make permanent. 

Working for Strood Academy:  Since opening in 2009, our academy has transformed the educational opportunities and outcomes for girls and boys in Strood. The improvement in academic performance has been driven by a talented and committed workforce, the hard work of our students, and support from parents and our community.  Our new buildings, at an investment cost of £26m, in Carnation Road opened in September 2012 and have outstanding learning environments and outside play areas as well as fantastic sports facilities. The buildings reflect our education vision of creating a mature and purposeful educational environment where children of all abilities can learn and thrive.

Our core values are creativity, collaboration, distinctiveness, respect and sustainability which are embedded and evident in all of our activities.  We have a growing roll call of 1400 children, including 200 in Sixth Form. Working in our Academy takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but for the right individuals it can be an incredibly rewarding experience and contribute significantly to personal and professional development.  Leigh Academies Trust invites those with the relevant expertise and ambition to join them in supporting a learning institution capable of preparing students for the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust:  Strood Academy joined Leigh Academies Trust in January 2017 and as part of this move, we are able to provide our employees in every remit with the opportunity to collaborate with peers and share best practice at academy level and across the whole Trust - we know through experience that we perform better when we work together.  Our staff-force are expected to undertake regular self-development to continue professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Diversity at our core:  As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals we all bring something unique to the role regardless of age, gender, race, beliefs or disabilities which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. 

The academy is committed to safeguarding children and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check.  Our commitment to safeguarding is underpinned by robust processes and checks which are in place across the Trust.