SEND Learning Support Assistant

The SEND LSA will provide learning and care support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This will involve working with the SENCo and teachers to plan and deliver activities that supporting pupils with routines, transitions and behaviour management.

SEN(D) AT SKINNERS’

As a grammar school, Skinners’ School tends to cater for Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, ASD, physical and sensory impairment and social and mental health issues.

We identify pupils with SEN through information gleaned from parents and primary schools, through educational psychologists’ reports, through CAT and Lucid Exact assessments and through teacher referral.

There are currently 121 pupils on the SEN register, with two pupils with an EHCP (and a further four currently under assessment for an EHCP). The department works with students on a regular basis, in class, in small groups or one to one. The work focuses on their particular need, with study skills incorporated into most sessions.

The Assistant SENCo post is a new role, designed help develop the SEND department to meet the growing demand and need of our students with SEN.

The department occupies the Learning Hub in the main school building, with one classroom and two rooms devoted to admin and small group work and a third office devoted to modifying materials, particularly for a blind student.

Teachers are kept aware of pupils’ difficulties via the Inclusion Register and Pupil Profiles, via weekly staff briefings, a SEN notice board, and by virtue of SEN being a standing item on Heads of Department agendas.

The school’s notional SEN funding is used to help purchase specialist equipment (laptops/ tablets, software, handwriting schemes) and resources for social communication.

On rare occasions, pupils with SEN follow an adapted curriculum. In general, however, given the starting points of our pupils, the curriculum is generally not modified, though lessons are differentiated and scaffolded to support learning difficulties.

In terms of preparing pupils for life, PSHE, Civics (in the Sixth Form) and form tutor time are designed to give all pupils the resources to cope with adulthood. Opportunities for leadership are available to, and taken up by, all groups of pupils: students with SEN are no exception and they become prefects and attain leadership positions in sports, music, outward bound and CCF.

There are also no barriers to SEN pupils accessing every part of the curriculum and every activity offered at school. Full participation is assumed for all pupils and reasonable adjustments are made.

APPOINTMENT PROCESS AND HOW TO APPLY

Candidates should submit a completed application form, including details of key achievements and responsibilities, along with a covering letter which fully addresses the competencies outlined in the job description and person specification.

The Director of Studies can Completed applications should be emailed to the Headmaster’s Secretary, Mrs Wendy Dray at HR@skinnersschool.org.uk

The closing date for applications is 12pm on Monday 2nd January 2023 (early applications very welcome: we reserve the right to appoint before the closing date).

Candidates will be invited for interview shortly after the closing date.