Specialist MLD Teaching Assistant

Hours per week: 37.5

If you would like to build a career that gives you genuine sense of achievement and fulfilment knowing that you can have a positive impact on the young people we support, then look no further and apply today!

Sketchley Hall School is recruiting for a Specialist Moderate Learning Disabilities Teaching Assistant to join our Education team now! We are looking for versatile, resilient and committed Teaching Assistants, who can adapt their practice wherever necessary to support across all key stages. The successful candidate will work alongside the class teacher, assisting the children with their work and supporting with pupil behaviour while establishing good relationships with pupils, acting as a role model and responding to individual needs. 

Our benefits include exclusive access to reward and discount scheme, comprehensive induction, commitment to your ongoing training and career progression, pension scheme, paid for enhanced DBS, wellbeing support, cycle to work scheme and more!

Our Sketchley School sites provide specialist education for young people aged 8-19 with high functioning autism. Pupils may also have challenging behaviour as a result of their communication difficulties and a lack of social understanding. We are now looking for a Teaching Assistant to join us at Sketchley Hall, Burbage, where our youngest students between 8-14 years of age are based. 

To join us as a Specialist Teaching Assistant, you will have good experience of working with young people with MLD and have the ability to support their learning in an autism friendly way, this includes being familiar with using PECS, TEACCH, intensive interaction, Makaton and be able to do personal care, as well as supporting wider behavioural and emotional needs.

You will also:

• Share our passion for high aspiration and achievement for all
• Have excellent interpersonal skills
• Have a good knowledge of autism and/or experience of working with young people on the autistic spectrum
• Be highly organised, adaptable and enthusiastic.

You must also hold a full driving licence as part of your role will be working off site with students engaging in curriculum activities, using school vehicles.

In return, you will join a supportive and experienced team, and have every opportunity to develop the role.

​​​​​​​At Aspris Children’s Services, we are immensely proud of the career pathway and training we can offer you. As long as you can demonstrate the values needed for a role, transferable skills and life experience, we will give you all the training and support you need to progress!

The successful candidate will have previous experience supporting in a classroom setting, have a Level 2 qualification (or equivalent) which is appropriate to the teaching and learning environment of learners and young adults, along with the following characteristics:

Resilience – We support some of the most vulnerable children in society who have varying degrees of emotional behavioural difficulties, autism, ADHD and associated difficulties so there will be times where your resilience is challenged. 

Communication – Communicating with our young people is vital to understand their needs. Good teamwork and communication plays a key part in ensuring important information is relayed to other staff.

Organisation – Strong organisational skills are important to support the class teacher and young people with educational activities 

Caring – Our young people require the best care we can offer. If you are a naturally caring and compassionate person, this is the role for you.

Attentive – No two tasks will be the same so being attentive to understand them and identify areas where we can support is important. 

Above all, we provide a supportive and collaborative working environment where you can flourish in your career and feel incredibly rewarded by helping those who need it most.

If you want residential childcare to be a job for life, Aspris Children’s Services will help you get there.

Aspris is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding screening appropriate to the post, including checks with Disclosure & Barring Service and at least 2 references which cover the last 3 years; for all our services we will request references from where you have worked with either Children or Vulnerable Adults. Please be advised that references may be requested prior to interview for roles within our Schools.