Specialist Learning Support Assistant

Salary Band: £20,444 - £22,129 FTE per annum
Actual Salary: £11,825 to £15,373 per annum
Location: The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College
Contract Type: Term Time + 5 days
Contract Term: Fixed Term until August 2022 (in the first instance)
Closing Date: Sunday 30th January 2022
Hours: 25 to 32.5 hours per week (negotiable), 39 working weeks, 44.64 paid weeks
Start: February 2022

About the opportunity:

We wish to recruit an outstanding Specialist Learning Support Assistant to join our dedicated Learning Support team and contribute to ensuring our school continues to flourish.

This exciting opportunity will see your expertise exercised to enable SEND students and their families have full access to educational opportunities and overcome barriers to learning. This may include monitoring attendance, working closely with external agencies to support parents and carers to improve engagement in learning at school, as well as providing specialist intervention to either individuals or groups of students. The successful applicant will also be enthusiastic about providing quality support within whole class settings, working alongside students and teachers to facilitate learning.

This school has a strong academic reputation that has gone from strength to strength and shows the hard efforts of staff and students. This is an excellent opportunity to work in partnership with the teaching staff in the school and The White Horse Federation. The Ridgeway School is passionate and committed to ensuring that our curriculum is engaging and inspiring, with high levels of creativity and innovation in our teaching and learning. 

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College is committed to inspiring learners for their future. We are an ambitious 11-18 school with 1630 students, 220 of which are Sixth Form. Our vision is to ensure our students experience a culture of opportunity, support, challenge and ambition where potential is realised and nobody is left behind.

Our ideal candidate will be  

• An excellent Specialist Learning Support Assistant who loves working with children and helping to inspire them to achieve high standards and realise their potential;           
• A great team player who can work successfully in collaboration with others and contribute towards the school ethos and its school improvement activities;           
• Someone who enjoys the challenge and can bring the vision, passion and drive to raise standards in all aspects of school life;           
• Be fully committed to working collaboratively with the wider school community and across the federation;           
• Able to make a significant contribution to the wider life of our school;           
• Have experience of working with children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties; and be fully aware of the key elements of nurture provision;           
• Able to positively promote inclusion and have high expectations for all children.

We can offer you:  

• An attractive working environment with excellent facilities and supportive families;           
• A committed, hardworking and supportive team;           
• 100% focus on improving outcomes for the children in our school;           
• A group of children with a passion for learning.

More information about the school can be found on our website www.ridgewayschool.com.

Why Work With Us:

The White Horse Federation (TWHF) is a not-for-profit multi-academy trust that supports and sponsors many primary, secondary and special schools across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Swindon, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire.

Its shared vision for excellence through partnership means it is also committed to keeping the best of what makes a local school great – in other words, the type of schools where TWHF colleagues would be proud to send their own children.

TWHF combines a relentless drive for academic excellence with a shared moral purpose and shared values while ensuring that fun and happiness are key attributes of each of its schools. TWHF believes that partnership-working with its schools, pupils, and their parents, as well as the wider community, helps creates the best possible outcomes for all children.

TWHF empowers its colleagues through support, training, and career opportunities to recruit and retain outstanding staff who are leaders in their field. That way TWHF can ensure that every student achieves their full potential, regardless of background, culture, heritage, or ability.

TWHF recognises the benefit of having a diverse workforce and is committed to building a team that reflects diversity from the communities it serves. TWHF values the contributions of all staff from a wide range of different backgrounds and actively seeks to promote an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment; which at the same time supports fair promotion and cultural acceptance. Under the provision of the Equality Act 2010, TWHF welcomes applications from everyone and operates a recruitment process that is fair and does not discriminate against or disadvantage anyone because of their age, disability, gender reassignment status, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

The White Horse Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. If successful for this position you will be expected to apply for a disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service before an appointment is confirmed. References will be sought on shortlisted candidates before the interview.

The Benefits:

Some benefits are accessible by all staff irrespective of their contract type (T). Some are only eligible to permanent (P) employees following a successful probation period as noted:

Car Purchase scheme (P)
Discounted gym membership scheme (P&T)
Reward Gateway discounts (P&T)
Hire purchase Cycle to Work scheme (P)
Free and confidential advice, information and counselling service (P&T)
Excellent Pension scheme (P&T)