Wraparound Care Assistant

We are looking for a After School Club Assistant to work under the guidance of the Afterschool Club Leader and Principal to provide child care for pupils attending the Afterschool Club at Harris Primary Academy Merton .

You will be working closely with the children providing encouragement and supervision for the duration of the club, ensuring the safety, welfare and physical and mental well-being of pupils. To assist the Leader in offering the children a wide range of play activities and ensuring that the club offers the children a relaxed, informed and caring environment, whilst maintaining good order and discipline.

About Us

We opened in 2014 as a local school for children aged two to eleven. We have a Nursery for 60 children and are a 2 form entry school for children in Pre School through to Year 6. We also have an additional resource base for 22 children who are diagnosed with Autism. Our belief is that children thrive when they are consistently happy and safe at school and that through expert teaching and support all pupils can achieve to a high standard. As a part of the Harris Federation, we share best teaching practice with other Harris Academies and continue to build on the Harris Federation's track record in the borough: with two successful and oversubscribed Harris Secondary Academies, Harris Academy Merton and Harris Academy Morden.

Our aim at Harris Primary Academy Merton is to make sure that our pupils leave us thoroughly prepared for secondary school and feeling that they have succeeded both academically and in the extracurricular aspects of Academy life.

We want all of our children to have a truly enjoyable experience at school. Our pupils' achievements are celebrated every day in their lessons and we are proud that they are kind, caring, self-assured and eager to learn.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include:

• To maintain a safe, creative and stimulating environment for children's play experiences.
• To assist the Club Manager in the planning of a programme of activities designed to meet the needs of the children.
• To form and maintain appropriate professional boundaries with children, young people, staff, volunteers, parents and carers.
• To ensure that all policies, standards and guidelines are adhered to.
• To provide a creative programme of arts, crafts, games, sports, drama, music, off-site activities relevant to the needs and interests of all children, regardless of their race, religion, culture or language, physical or mental ability.
• To establish and maintain positive relationships with children and their families in a way that values parental involvement.
• To be responsible for Health and Safety issues at the afterschool club with regard to clearing, setting up and running activities – both indoor and outdoor, trips, outings and general risk assessment.
• To attend weekly team meetings as instructed by the Club Manager to discuss and assess progress and any issues.
• To carry out financial and administrative tasks as directed by the Manager, such as petty cash, registering children, parental forms etc.
• To participate in training if instructed to do so by the manager.
• To keep the building and areas of use, including toilets, clean, tidy and accessible — i.e. clearing up properly at the end of and during each session.
• To follow first aid procedures including keeping records of all accidents and the treatments given.
• To deputise for the Club Manager when they are on leave, sick, off site etc.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Training

• NVQ2 or equivalent qualification or experience in relevant discipline (Playworker or Childcare)
• Good numeracy/literacy skills
• Appropriate knowledge of first aid
• A willingness to undertake further training, if necessary, to meet the needs of the students.

Experience

• Experience in a similar role or working within a school setting
• Experience of supporting students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

Personal Skills, Abilities & Qualities

• Knowledge of issues and general procedures around Child Protection and Safeguarding.
• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, parents, carers and children.
• Physical fitness appropriate to tasks required.
• Sense of humour, enthusiasm and imagination.
• Practical arts, crafts, sports and/or games skills.
• Good communication skills
• An ability to take responsibility for tasks without direct supervision.
• An ability to work with young people with a wide range of support needs.
• A commitment to treating people equally and with a respect for diversity.
• An ability to work well with others.
• An ability to work flexibly.
• A commitment to putting the needs of students first.
• Ability to Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
• Appreciates the significance of safeguarding and interprets this accurately for all individual children and young people whatever their life circumstances.
• Shows a personal commitment to and has a good understanding of the safeguarding agenda
• Can demonstrate an ability to contribute towards a safe environment

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays) for non term-time only employees, and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.