SEN Teaching Assistant

Sunfield Specialist School and Children’s Home is located in the beautiful Clent Hills, West Midlands. Sunfield provides innovative and experiential education, inspired by Rudolf Steiner, William Morris and John Ruskin, and supports young people (6 – 19 years) with complex learning needs, including autism and pathological demand avoidance (PDA).

For over 30 years, Ruskin Mill Trust has provided Specialist Independent Education to children and adults with complex needs including learning difficulties, autistic spectrum conditions and disabilities. Our provisions offers day placements and applications. Inspired by Aonghus Gordon using the insights of Rudolf Steiner, John Ruskin and William Morris, Ruskin Mill Trust works with hand, head, heart and place to provide students with the tools to transform material and in doing so transform themselves.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Level Disclosure

SEN Teaching Assistant (Outdoor, Land and Craft Curriculum)

40 Hours per week, 40 weeks per year

Full Time Equivalent Salary - £19,742 Under 23 Years of Age, Over 23 Years of Age £20,431

Actual Salary for Under 23 Years of Age - £17,321 per annum

Actual Salary for Over 23 Years of Age - £17,926 per annum

This role includes an additional Responsibility Allowance of Up to £1,500

Sunfield Specialist School is an exciting and innovative provision which offers full time education to children who have significant/complex social, emotional or educational difficulties.

At Sunfield Specialist School students will learn through a dynamic outdoor land and craft-based curriculum, which includes practical skills; textiles, green woodwork, pottery, cooking and blacksmithing with a significant period of time involved in growing biodynamic produce in the school gardens and looking after the farm animals.

You will need to be:

• Honest, reliable, an excellent communicator, resilient, hard-working, versatile, and a great team player.
• You must be keen to improve your own knowledge and skills in a genuinely unique educational environment.
• Experienced in, or willing to develops skills in, supporting the delivery of our unique curriculum

 You must have:

• Experience of working with children in an educational setting.
• Knowledge of how children learn and an interest in developing the whole child.
• Good levels of literacy and numeracy skills. (e.g. GCSE Maths and English, or equivalent).
• An interest in / or skills in working in the outdoor environment.
• A desire to learn and a passion for working with children and young people with additional needs.
• A patient, caring, compassionate and child-centred approach
• Excellent observation skills and the ability to problem solve and think creatively to enable our children and young people to reimagine their potential
• Emotional intelligence and resilience with the ability to react calmly in challenging situations

The key duties of this role will include:

• To provide one to one support to learners with learning difficulties and/ or learning disabilities and challenging behaviour.
• To help students adjust to their new settings, recognise signs of distress and offer reassurance, and to promote and encourage the acceptance and inclusion of all pupils within the classroom and school; thereby, developing and reinforcing students’ self esteem.
• To encourage students to interact with others and engage in activities led by the Teacher.
• To supervise and support students to ensure their safety and access to learning and facilitate students’ physical, emotional and educational development.
• To establish and promote supportive and productive relationships with students: acting as a role model and being aware of, and responding appropriately to, individual needs.

Working at Sunfield Specialist School is rewarding and in return, we offer competitive salaries with progression in pay once qualified. In addition, staff receive:

• A comprehensive induction, an excellent personal development plan and extensive training to include Autism, Attachment, Emotional Resilience, Holistic Support, Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE), CPI Safety Intervention training and more
• A beautiful location
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free employee assistance programme with BHSF

In return, we offer significant personal development opportunities to work within a holistic organisation that is complex and growing.

The post is subject to satisfactory references, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for both Adults and Children, a medical check, evidence of qualifications, plus verification of the right to work in the UK. Sunfield Specialist School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.