Special Support Assistant

Special Support Assistant

Thank you for your interest in the position of Special Support Assistant at The Beacon.

Our friendly and caring Special Support Assistants work with pupils on an individual basis to enable them to fully participate in school life. In this role, you would work under the direction of the Teacher and alongside other Special Support and Teaching Assistants. We have two types of vacancies for September:

Pre-Prep 

The hours would be full-time 08:15 – 15:45, Monday to Friday each week, term time only plus attendance at INSETS.

Upper School (Year 7/8)

This opening could be on a shorter hours basis. This would mean 08:30 start, Monday to Friday each week. The need is for a minimum of 22 hours a week. This post is also term time only.

Please have a look at school’s website www.beaconschool.co.uk for more general information, including the Safeguarding, Recruitment and Equalities policies. 

The Beacon is a remarkable school, and we seek remarkable people. I look forward to hearing from you.

  

Job Description

Role:    Special Support Assistant 

Hours:  As per Headmaster’s introduction letter

Reporting to:  Head of Section (Pre-Prep or Upper School)

Responsibilities 

The successful applicant would be expected to work in a friendly and cohesive manner with colleagues, contributing positively to the progress of the named child/children requiring special support. The main areas of responsibility are:

Academic

• To work individually with the child in the class under the direction of the Teacher;

• To assist the Teacher to ensure that the child works to the best of their ability;

• To assist with daily reading or vocabulary and comprehension as applicable;

• To work closely alongside other Teachers and Teaching Assistants, and the Head of Section; 

• To liaise with the Teacher and the staff in the Learning Support Centre to ensure that the needs of the child is met;

• To encourage and stimulate the child to progress in all their endeavours at whatever level;

• To assist with the organisation and running of trips and events and supervising the child at these when necessary;

• To work closely with Specialist Teachers and Therapists 

• To attend specialist sessions with the supported children during contractual hours

Pastoral

• To assist the Teacher in looking after the well-being and pastoral needs of the child;

• To monitor closely the behaviour of the child in class and deal with any inappropriate behaviour, in consultation with the Teacher and Head of Section if necessary, using various coping strategies that have been developed;

• To encourage and reward the child for good behaviour, using a variety of different and appropriate methods;

• To communicate effectively and regularly with the Teacher, other staff and the parents of the child, with regard to the child’s behaviour and performance;

• To liaise with the Teacher, the Head of Section, the School Counsellor, and the Sectional Learning Support (LSC) Coordinator where necessary;

• To maintain notes on pastoral issues in the electronic profiling system.

Departmental

• To keep the Teacher informed of any issues arising concerning the child in the class;

• To attend staff meetings, INSET sessions and other occasional training sessions that are relevant to the role and Section;

• To liaise with other Teaching Assistants and Teachers across year groups and Sections in order to ensure effective continuity at the end of the year;

Additional Duties

• To attend occasional review meetings with the child’s parents and other outside agencies. 

Person Specification:

Professional/Personal Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate strong communication skills with pupils, parents and colleagues

• High motivation and open to feedback/ideas on how to enhance performance

• Positive attitude, and a patient nature.

• Adaptability to changing circumstances and ideas.

• Reliability and integrity.

• Flexible, positive and engaging style

• Shows respect and empathy

In all areas of school life, staff are expected to lead by example and demonstrate and uphold the values and principles that we wish the boys to learn.