Teaching Assistant

Job Title: Teaching Assistant

Salary: £17,204 - £18,124

Location: Underley Garden School, Kirkby Lonsdale

Hours: 8-4pm/5pm with occasional extra requirements (Term Time only)

 Contract: Permanent

Are you looking to start a career in education? Do you want to make an invaluable difference to young people with special educational needs? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a number of individuals to begin a career as a Teaching Assistant, within our supportive environment at Underley.

Who we are looking for

As a dedicated Special Educational Needs school, we require candidates who have a clear motivation for working with young people with complex needs. We do not necessarily require you to be experienced as full training and support will be provided. However, you will need to be compassionate, enthusiastic, reliable and resilient. The ideal candidate should work well within a team, be able to organise and plan a workload, communicate effectively and be prepared to work with varying types of difficulties.

A grade A*-C GCSE or equivalent, in core subjects is desirable. A driving licence would also be desirable as many of our lessons and activities are off site.

For the right candidate, we are fully prepared to support you with training and further qualifications.

We will accept applications from unqualified Teaching Assistants and those that hold a Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification. Your salary will be dependent on your experience and qualifications:

£17,204 - Unqualified

£18,124 - Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification or equivalent 

About the school

Underley Garden School is an Ofsted Outstanding School and outstanding children’s home. Our children have a range of complex needs associated with autism and learning disabilities, including complex communication, sensory and behavioural needs associated with their disabilities.

We want people who focus on ensuring positive outcomes for our children and take responsibility for helping improve their lives. We share the value of creating a safe and nurturing home and we want people who can be fair and respectful, in order to do the right thing to support everyone in our care.

About the Group

We are part of Acorn Care and Education and can promise you plenty of challenges, and a rich variety of opportunities to develop your career.

We provide Education and Care across a number of schools and residential homes nationally. Our specialist SEN provision, coupled with our expertise within residential care means we offer thousands of vulnerable children and young people across the UK a holistic, wraparound care, residential and education service, empowering them with everything they need to flourish. It is by no accident that 94% of our homes are rated as Outstanding or Good.

We welcome staff who share our commitment to help children experience better days and better lives. Through ongoing development and training, we ensure our staff are well prepared for their jobs and given every opportunity to extend their skills.

About the Role

As a TA, you will be responsible for safeguarding the young people and making sure, they are healthy, safe and as comfortable as possible. You will assist in their learning by offering companionship and support, whilst ensuring their physical, mental and emotional needs are met. You will be required to prepare learning materials under the supervision of the teachers and to participate in learning activities. The TA will also be required to liaise with parents and staff concerning the wellbeing of the young people.

This role involves working with young people who have complex behaviour associated with their autism and learning needs. You will be trained to deescalate these situations and put in place pro-active strategies to avoid similar situations in future.

Key responsibilities

• Provide a safe, caring and healthy environment where the children can thrive and develop their independence
• Promote and celebrate diversity
• Safeguard all children and support them with their individual and personal needs
• Support and facilitate the learning of students
• To follow school policy and procedures for recording and reporting
• Please see the Job description for further responsibilities.

Why work for us?

• Opportunity to enrich the lives of young people and make a positive difference
• Be part of a supportive and dedicated team
• Continuous professional development and training
• Funded NVQ 3
• Internal Promotion
• Staff meals
• Use of our Windermere campsite
• Team building
• Potential overtime
• Free Gym membership
• “Your Wellbeing Matters"
• Employee Rewards Hub 

Acorn Care and Education are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful applicants will be subject to fully Enhanced DBS. We expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment and strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for everybody in our care. A full application form must be completed with all employment dates accurate and gaps in employment accounted for.