SEN Teaching Assistant with Early Childhood and Primary Experience (1fte)

Empowering our students to thrive is at the core of everything we do. “Here, I can be me.” If this quote of one of our students makes you curious about working at our school, you are in the right place! Amity International School Amsterdam is a family-oriented school, proud of our connections with the wider community and Amity Education Group. We are still growing and are ambitious to be a school at the forefront of impactful teaching and learning. We are looking for a SEN Teaching Assistant to join our team.

If you are a dynamic and inspirational Special Educational Needs (SEN) with IB Primary and Middle Years Programme experience, seeking a new adventure for the next academic year, we would like to hear from you!

The successful applicant will be an experienced Teaching Assistant and have a strong understanding of the theoretical framework for comprehensive  SEN skills teaching. He/she will have the capability to develop and deliver a high-quality SEN programme aligned with the School’s Mission and Vision. We are an accredited PYP school, candidate MYP school and expect the successful candidate to embody the IB philosophy.

What will you do on a day-to-day basis?

The main role is to provide support for pupils who  have been identified as having special educational needs. Under teacher guidance, the Teaching Assistant will ensure that the pupil can integrate as fully as possible in the activities generally undertaken by the other children in the class while ensuring the student's individual learning needs are being met.

The successful candidate will:

Supporting the Pupil:

• Develop a trusting, supportive relationship with the pupil and an understanding of the special educational needs of the pupil.

• Encourage independence and inclusion for the pupil in all areas of school life while supporting all aspects of learning..

• Under the guidance of the SEN teacher, with the class teachers, research and develop materials in alignment with the general curriculum (and IEP goals of the pupil, if applicable).

• Under the guidance of the SEN teacher, record the pupil’s progress.

• Provide support and encourage interaction of the pupil with peers in the classroom and around school.

• Under the guidance of the SEN teacher, complement the therapy(ies) advised by external experts (if applicable).

Supporting the Class Teacher and Learning Support Team:

• Follow established procedures for communication with the class teachers, SEN teacher, parents/carers, and related specialists about the pupil’s progress and areas of need.

• Use the understanding of the language or specific special educational needs of the pupil to contribute to planning and provide feedback to promote inclusion and pupil progress.

• Participate in meetings with the parents/carers, Learning Support Team, and class teacher.

General School Expectations:

• Embody and uphold the inclusive philosophy of Amity in all aspects of school life.

• Maintain an appropriate awareness of and work effectively within the policies and procedures of the Learning Support Programme within Amity.

• Operate safely within the workplace and maintain a high standard of professionalism, including confidentiality of information.

• Participate in in-service trainings and professional development as required.

• Contribute to departmental and school meetings as required.

What will you bring to the table?

The ideal candidate for this role will have the following skills, experience and qualifications:

• Relevant degree focused on inclusive education specialist

• Relevant international experience

• Excellent fluency in English (verbal and written)

• Experience working with children with SEN

• The ability to liaise with a team of professionals to coordinate services in support of students

• Able to demonstrate creativity, compassion and a desire to make a difference in the learning of our children

What’s in it for you?

We are looking for candidates who are willing to go the extra mile for our young school to be successful. In return, we are offering a competitive salary for successful candidates. If you are internationally minded, permitted to work in the European Union and have the desire to help shape the exciting future of our school, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Who are we?

We are a young and vibrant school located in Amstelveen. We pride ourselves in supporting and challenging every student to achieve excellence in their behaviour, academic work, sport, the arts, culture, citizenship, spirituality and relationships. We place emphasis on providing the students with opportunities to develop leadership and collaborative skills, as well as finding ways for them to serve others and contribute to the wider community.

We are a fully international school with students and staff from 39 different countries and we are proud of our diverse and inclusive culture. We welcome new colleagues from different backgrounds and highly encourage people from around the world to apply for this position.

Amity International School Amsterdam is part of the not-for-profit Amity Education Group, home to over 150.000 students worldwide with school campuses across Amsterdam, Dubai, London, Singapore, New York, Delhi, Tashkent and plans to be in every major city of the world.

Why is Safeguarding so important to us?

We take caring for the physical and emotional health of each member of the school community very seriously. As a school, we are committed to safeguarding and expect all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. We will follow safer recruitment practices and pre-employment background checks before any appointment is confirmed.

What should you do next?

If you feel that you are the candidate we are looking for, make sure to share your CV (resume) and supporting statement via the 'Apply now' button.

If you have additional questions, do not hesitate to contact our HR department via recruitment@amityamsterdam.nl.

*We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a suitable candidate is found*