Teaching Assistant (Band 1)

Thank you for your interest in working at Whitefield School.

At Whitefield School, pupils – all of whom have different needs and abilities – are given the support and encouragement they need to access the curriculum, make progress and flourish. As any member of the staff team can tell you, watching pupils develop, learn new skills and grow in confidence is hugely gratifying and is a reward rarely experienced in other professions. Every day our staff leave work knowing they have made a difference to the lives of their pupils and their families.

Whitefield School has been on a fantastic journey in recent years and has made significant strides forward. This is therefore a very exciting time to be joining our community and every member of staff has the opportunity to play a key role in giving every pupil an exceptional learning experience.

As a part of the Learning in Harmony Trust, Whitefield School has access to high-quality continuous professional development opportunities. Likewise, there are a number of pathways for colleagues to develop their careers and we will always do what we can to help them progress their careers within our Trust.

 We aim to recruit people who demonstrate that they share our values, are highly motivated to pursue professional excellence and are committed to providing the highest standards for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. We welcome advocates for those with SEND. We know first-hand just what, given the right support, children and young people with SEND can achieve and we relish working with others who also recognise the valuable contribution they can make to society.

We hope you are excited about this opportunity to join Whitefield School and Learning in Harmony Trust.

Purpose:

• To work as part a team under the direction of the class teacher to ensure that all children and young people in the class are supported to enjoy school and make the best possible progress.
• All staff are expected to do everything they can to protect the children and young people from harm and to make the learning environment safe.

Responsibilities:

Support for pupils:

• Support pupils to engage in learning activities, adapt tasks for individuals and assist them to make progress.
• Attend to the pupils’ personal needs, and implement related personal programmes, including social, health, physical, hygiene, first aid and welfare matters.
• Supervise and support pupils ensuring their safety and access to learning in a clean and tidy environment.
• Establish good relationships with pupils, acting as a role model and being aware of and responding appropriately to individual needs.
• Promote the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils.
• Encourage pupils to interact with others and develop positive relationships.
• Encourage pupils to act independently as appropriate.
•  Learn and use safe systems for moving and handling and physical interventions as appropriate.

 Support for teacher

•  Prepare the classroom as directed for lessons and clear afterwards and assist with the display of pupils’ work.
• Be aware of pupil progress/achievements and report observations to the teacher in an agreed format.
• Contribute to record keeping as requested.
• Support the teacher in helping pupil to manage their behaviour, reporting observations as appropriate.
• Supporting a positive home-school relationship, by sharing information with parents and carers.
• Provide clerical/administrative support e.g. photocopying, filing, collecting money etc.

Support for the curriculum

• Use strategies, as directed by the teacher, to help pupils to achieve learning goals in all areas of the curriculum.
• Adapt strategies and approaches to meet pupils’ individual needs.
• Prepare and maintain equipment/resources as directed by the teacher and assist pupils in their use.

Support for the school

• Be aware of and comply with policies and guidelines relating to safeguarding and child protection, e safety and the use of social media, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
• Be aware of and support diversity and ensure all pupils have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop
• Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the School as set out in its Code of Conduct.
• Appreciate and support the role of other professionals.
• Attend relevant meetings as required.
• Participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required.
• Assist with the supervision of pupils out of lesson times, including before and after school and at lunchtime.
• Accompany teaching staff and pupils on educational visits and out of school activities. Accompany individual pupils on a one-to-one basis, locally, if required.
• Working towards meeting the professional TA standards.

Attitudes

• An absolute commitment to all aspects of safeguarding. A commitment to achieving the best possible opportunities for children and young people with SEN.
• An absolute commitment to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
• Responding to pupils in line with the Trust’s Positive behaviour support (PBS) ethos.

General Responsibilities:

All employees are expected to:

• Undertake any training commensurate with the post.
• Show a responsible attitude to health and safety issues and have due regard for their personal safety and that of others.
• Support, uphold and contribute to the development of the school's equal rights policies and practices in respect of both employment issues and the delivery of services to the community.

The Learning in Harmony Trust reserves the right to vary or amend the duties and responsibilities of the post holder at any time according to the needs of the Trust’s business. This job description does not form part of the contract of employment.