Vacancies

Learning Support Assistants - The Link Broadstone First and Middle School

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Introduction

30 hours per week, term time only (38 weeks)
9 am on Monday 15 April 2024

Broadstone First and Middle School are part of the Castleman Academy Trust - a Trust which prides itself on putting children first, always and puts its values of Respect, Independence, Creativity and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do.  

It’s the staff in our academies who make our schools vibrant places of learning - who do all they can to make sure our children become confident individuals, successful learners and responsible citizens. Our staff want to make a real difference to the lives of the children they work with and are learners themselves who relish professional development opportunities.  

Working in a Castleman Academy Trust school you'll be working with other forward thinkers, who see possibilities and are optimistic. You'll have the support of like-minded colleagues and together we'll ensure everyone has a great work life balance. Being part of the Castleman Academy Trust means there are a whole host of opportunities for you to develop and flourish. 

The Link is a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Unit based at Broadstone First School and Broadstone Middle School with the philosophy to prepare our students to work independently and ultimately, for them to be able to access mainstream provision at some level with Broadstone First and Middle School believing their purpose is to prepare children for a life well lived’.

We are now looking to complement our existing team and recruit Learning Support Assistants who have experience of working with children in one or more of the key stages (EYFS through to KS4), to work with groups of children from May half term or September 2024 working from 8.30 am - 3 pm, Monday to Friday, term time only.

Pupils are taught in age related groups however, groups are combined by 'stage not age, where appropriate.
Pupils have average or above average cognitive ability and work within 2 years of the Age-Related Expectation (ARE) for their school year.
Working in a self-contained unit with the staff to pupil ratio of 1 to 2.5,

Experience of working with children with a primary diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and/or school phobia and who may have co-morbid conditions such as speech and language communication needs (SLCN) would be advantageous.

We are looking to appoint Learning Support Assistants who:-

Have some understanding of the needs and challenges faced by pupils with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and/or school anxiety or phobia
Have some understanding of the potential triggers for pupils with ASC and an understanding of ways to help individuals to self-regulate and manage their responses
Are used to working as part of a small, dedicated team together with experience of working with individual pupils and with small groups
Have the ability to respond to the individual learning needs of pupils, adapting times and resources as required
Are responsive and reflective practitioners
Can be flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the pupils and the unit
Have the ability to maintain accurate records of pupil progress, behaviour and interaction
Can participate in and contribute to whole team planning sessions
Can plan and lead some practical sessions in support of the pupil’s learning
Can support pupils during regular off-site trips and visits
Can support pupils to develop life skills, linked to their learning (handling money; shopping etc)
Have the ability to respond calmly and positively to potentially challenging behaviour
Can maintain high expectations in terms of behaviour and social interaction
Can maintain high expectations for learning potential and attainment
Can adhere to behaviour policy guidelines
Have a sense of humour
Have a commitment to supporting all pupils to achieve and thrive to the best of their ability
Have a willingness to undertake training linked to supporting the needs of pupils at The Link
Have the ability to interact with parents and families and develop positive working relationships in support of pupils

We can offer you:-

Excellent CPD opportunities
Eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme
Free access to the Employee Assistance Programme
Cycle to Work Scheme

If you would like to be a part of this exciting journey, we would like to hear from you.

The closing date for applications is 9 am on Monday 15 April 2024.

Interviews will be held on Thursday 02 May 2024.

Please note applications via BCP Portal will not be accepted. Completed application forms (attached) should be sent to Hannah Thorne via email at hthorne@broadstonefirst.poole.sch.uk

The Castleman Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate that they meet the essential elements of the person specification and will be subject to pre-employment checks including an Enhanced DBS Check, Child Barred List check, satisfactory references and a health check and, where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants.

An online check will also be conducted on all shortlisted applicants. This check will form part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.

This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (2013 and 2020)) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The Ministry of Justice guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974 .

The Castleman Academy Trust's Recruitment Privacy Notice can be found at www.broadstonefirstschool.co.uk - About Us - Vacancies.