SEND Support Assistant

SEND at St Bede’s

St Bede’s school has a good track record of ensuring the academic and pastoral development of all individuals.  Our work with students with special educational needs has gone from strength to strength in recent years.  

Our SENDCo manages the SEND support team which consists of four Senior SEND Support Assistants (SSAs), twelve SSAs and an administrative assistant who coordinates exam access arrangements.

Our Senior SSAs are responsible for interventions for different groups of students. The SSAs provide in class support as well as 1:1 support to our SEND students. Our SEND administrator coordinates access arrangements and provides effective administration and high quality support to the SEND team.

We believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to identify, plan and make provision to meet the needs of students with special educational needs. The SEND support team strives to support all staff in this work, by providing guidance, working to support identified students in the main curriculum, assessing students and by making specialist plans.

In March 2023 Ofsted carried out an inspection of St Bede’s and judged the school outstanding.  The report acknowledged that teachers put in place well targeted adaptations to support pupils with SEND. The report highlights that these pupils are then able to achieve the same ambitious goals as their peers. The inspection highlighted that teachers are able to do this because of the work they do with leaders to identify the specific needs that pupils have. The report also acknowledged the monitoring of action plans for pupils with SEND by leaders is exemplary, with the excellent support for pupils with SEND continuing into the sixth form. 

St Bede’s supports the professional development of its staff and takes staff wellbeing very seriously. Support staff are valued members of the school community and fill vital roles.  They are respected for the expertise they bring to their area of work.   

This role is offered as part-time or full-time and working hours will be discussed at interview.  Full-time SEND support staff are employed to work 36 hours per week for the 39 term time weeks of the academic year (including inset days). Normal working hours are Monday to Friday 08:30 to 16:10 with a half hour unpaid lunch break.

The annual gross salary for full-time SEND Support Assistants is £19,417. Annual salary reflects the contractual hours and weeks per year and is calculated using a Surrey Pay formula which includes payment in respect of statutory annual leave allowances. Salary is paid in 12 equal monthly instalments.   

There is no entitlement to take leave during term time.  All holidays must be taken during school breaks. 

Why work for us?

• St Bede's is a good place to work. Staff are friendly and supportive of one another: relationships between staff and pupils were recognised by Ofsted as 'exceptionally strong'.
• ECTs benefit from a well developed and comprehensive induction period programme. More experienced teachers are given the opportunity to participate in training which will help them to develop skills needed for middle and senior management roles.
• There are good on-site catering facilities. Staff are able to use the fitness facilities free of charge and to participate in sports activities.
• Music is a big part of school life and staff are welcome to join our senior choir and instrumental groups.
• We have a social event at the end of each term as well as occasional staff trips to the theatre.
• The school is situated in Redhill, a commuter belt town in the Surrey Fringe area. We are close to the M25 and there are good transport links to London and the South Coast from Redhill station which is about 15 minutes walk from the school. We also benefit from being within walking distance of beautiful countryside . Many staff live locally, others commute from Guildford, South London, Kent and East & West Sussex.