SEND Information Assistant

Contract Type Permanent 

Working Pattern Term-time only (39 weeks per year)

Hours per Week 37 hours per week

The Role

Due to a significant expansion of our in-house SEND provision: Athena, we are looking for inspirational colleagues to join us on the next stage of our adventure. Every day is different and this role presents you with the exciting opportunity you have been looking for! 

You will be relentless in your commitment and belief in all young people and will ensure only the highest level of academic success and personal fulfilment for all: they deserve nothing less. It is our vision to create outstanding young people who are courageous champions of diversity, equality and mutual respect and who are proud of their community and are enthusiastic advocates of learning. It goes without saying that we will support you, develop you and above all welcome you into our aspirational school. 

Athena: Primary Approach, Secondary Expectation 

Named after the Goddess of wisdom and power. 

Athena is a bespoke alternative provision, initially, for students who join the school who have a SEND need (either K or E) who are not yet Key Stage 3 ready. Through an intensive bespoke curriculum that centres around literacy and numeracy, the provision aims for students to accelerate their progress so they can graduate into the mainstream school. 

The setting offers a primary environment but still ensures that students experience the full secondary curriculum. The provision is staffed by a mixture of primary and secondary colleagues who merge their strengths and experiences to offer a bespoke and personalised offer. The provision continues into year 9 for a small number of students who may still not be mainstream ready after the two-year intervention. In this year, students embark on Entry Level and Step Up qualifications in the core subjects to ascertain whether they can access GCSE in mainstream school from year 10. 

This is again supported by the full secondary curriculum and the addition of Wonderful Wednesday where students get to experience a wide variety of alternative crafts and wider opportunities. 

We recognise that mainstream school is not suited to all our SEND learners, and therefore the provision spans into years 10 and 11, here students access a range of alternative qualifications at level 1 and 2 with GCSE, where applicable, aimed to provide students with success and a readiness for the world.  

As SEND Information Assistant you will: 

• Undertake various administrative tasks including data input, record keeping and timely, professional communication with all stakeholders

• Assist the Director of SEND in designing, co-ordinating, monitoring and evaluating the impact of the provision for students on the SEND Register

• Coordinate LSA and HLTA timetables; organise cover for colleagues as required

• Manage and administrate the SEN Register, provision maps, one page profiles and other documents relating to SEND students

• Arrange meetings; ensure room bookings and facilities in place for meetings with parents and outside professionals

We are looking for individuals who have: 

• Experience of working with children

• An understanding of SEND in an educational setting

• High level of administrative skills requiring accuracy and diligence

• Strong IT skills including MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint, Teams

About Us

Astrea Academy Dearne is an 11-16 secondary situated in Barnsley and we are a school where our colleagues are all part of #TeamDearne. We have a low staff turnover, high staff morale and are looking positively to the future. We are within commutable distance from Wakefield, Leeds, Doncaster and Sheffield and are a proud member of the Astrea Academy Trust family of schools. 

We are an inclusive school and are oversubscribed in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9. Being oversubscribed means we are looking to expand our excellent team of teaching professionals. We have the highest aspiration for our students to achieve their very best and grow both as individuals and as members of their community. The development of the whole child forms an integral part of our vision: we want the best for every student at Astrea Academy Dearne irrespective of their background.  

Our Principal, Joanne Wilson would love to meet you for an informal conversation. To arrange a meeting and for further details please contact Hannah Peace at hannah.peace@astreadearne.org  or call 01709 892211.

Astrea Academy Trust are fully committed to being diverse and inclusive workforce where together we can embrace each other’s unique individuality, background and heritage. We are a ‘Disability Confident Employer’ and all our application forms hide your personal information so we can focus solely on your experience, skills and qualities.

We believe that by reflecting and representing the communities and people we serve, we will better and further the life chances of our pupils.

In return, we can offer you:

• Access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme

• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

• Continued professional development and training opportunities

• Free on-site parking

Closing Date Sunday 3 April 2022

Interview Date Week commencing 4 April 2022

Interested in applying?

If this is something you’re interested in, looking for a new challenge, have a passion for education or maybe all of the above, take a look at the Applicant Brief to find out more about the role to apply or go to our website