SEN Teaching Assistant

Start date:               As soon as possible

Contract Type:       Full-time

Contract Term:     Permanent

Salary:                      Commensurate with experience

Reports to:              SENCO

Are you passionate about supporting the education of children with special educational needs? Are you looking for a school which is innovative and forward-thinking? Then come and join us at West London Free School.

The West London Free School

The West London Free School is a non-selective school based in Hammersmith, West London. We are suited to teachers at all stages of their careers, priding ourselves on a supportive working environment and valuing the importance of staff wellbeing.

The West London Free School provides all pupils, irrespective of their background, with a Classical Liberal education. By a Classical Liberal education, we mean a rigorous, knowledge-rich education that draws from the best and most important work in both the humanities and the sciences. We believe that knowledge is a good thing in and of itself, empowering pupils to understand and take an interest in the world around them. We believe a secondary education is not just a preparation for work, but a preparation for life. As such, we value the knowledge of our teachers, and the passion for their subject that they bring to the classroom. 

We have a firm but fair approach to behaviour. Senior leaders see it as their core responsibility to ensure all teachers can teach without disruption. School rules are non-negotiable, poor behaviour is met by escalating sanctions, and pupil detentions are centralised and run every day by senior staff. Teachers can therefore prioritise planning and teaching their lessons. Senior leaders at the West London Free School all teach, pay due attention to workload pressures and are highly visible around school.

As well as a knowledge-rich education, the West London Free School runs an extensive co-curricular programme that encourages children to develop outside the classroom. The clubs are central to the ethos of the school and give pupils the opportunity to try new activities and develop new interests. The school specialises in music and offers a range of sporting opportunities as well as general interest clubs. All staff are encouraged to share their co-curricular enthusiasm by committing one hour a week to running a school club.

The Role

Key characteristics of the role include: 

·        Liaising with the SENCO and being an integral part of the SEN department.

·        Providing one-to-one support for pupils with additional needs as well as working within small groups.

·        Working with secondary age pupils with a range of learning needs.

The successful candidate will:

·        have excellent team working skills;

·        have experience of working with children with special educational needs;

·        have effective and efficient communication skills with both pupils and staff;

·        have experience of organising Exam Access Arrangements. This is not a necessity, but would be an advantage;

·        have an understanding and commitment to the ethos of the school.

Rewards & Benefits 

People are at the heart of our success. We look for talented and ambitious individuals who share our vision for creating an exceptional school and are committed to ensuring that every child has access to the best possible education. We have developed a positive and supportive staff culture at the West London Free School, and we invest in our staff with support, coaching and mentoring as well as external training programmes.

We offer:

·        Teachers’ Pension Scheme for teaching staff

·        Cycle to Work Scheme

·        Complimentary drinks

·        Employee counselling

·        Recommend a teacher bonus scheme

·        Staff children have priority admission into the school (after two years’ service)

·        Season ticket travel loan  

The closing date for applications is 9am on Friday 30th September 2022, although candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The School reserves the right to commence or complete the interview process at any time prior to the closing date. 

Interviews: w/c Monday 3rd October 2022.

Equal Opportunities

The Knowledge Schools Trust is an equal opportunities employer. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

West London Free School and the Knowledge Schools Trust is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion. We want to attract and retain the very best staff in all areas of the Trust, ensuring our staff body reflects the diversity of our pupils and local community.