What skills and experience we're looking for

Essential Knowledge and Experience:

• Relate well to both children and adults.
• Handle interactions with tact and sensitivity.
• Understand school procedures for first aid and medical emergencies.
• Work effectively as part of a team, understanding school roles and responsibilities.
• Have general experience in supervising children.
• Experience working with or caring for pupils of the relevant age, preferably with SEND needs
• Ability to work constructively as part of a team, understanding classroom roles and responsibilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills to relate well to both children and adults.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong numeracy and literacy skills.
• Effective use of ICT to support learning.
• Proficiency with equipment technology, such as interactive whiteboards and photocopiers.
• Knowledge of relevant policies, codes of practice, and legislation.
• Basic understanding of child development and learning.
• Ability to self-evaluate learning needs and actively seek learning opportunities.

Qualifications:

• Undertake relevant training, such as basic first aid.
• NVQ2 or equivalent for Teacher Assistants, or equivalent experience/qualifications
• Understanding of Keeping Children Safe in Education
• Participate in training and development opportunities.

Personal Qualities:

• Possess good organizational and timekeeping skills.
• Use initiative and make decisions in collaboration with your line manager.
• Be motivated to develop your own practice.
• Be perceptive and sensitive to the needs of others.
• Have a good sense of humour.
• Show resilience.

What the school offers its staff

We’re proud to offer:

• Endless Growth Opportunities: Access to ongoing professional development to help you thrive in your career.
• Thriving Partnerships: Strong collaborations with schools to enhance your impact and network.
• A Happy and Supportive Team: Work alongside a motivated, friendly, and encouraging group of professionals. We are committed to helping you achieve your professional goals.
• Comprehensive Training and Development: NEST supports the continuous growth of all our staff.
• Course and Qualification Opportunities: Enhance your skills for your current role or prepare for future opportunities.
• Career Advancement: Gain qualifications that can help you progress within the organisation.
• Resources You Deserve: A well-equipped environment with the tools and support you need to succeed.
• Innovative Culture: Join an organisation that values creativity, teamwork, and fresh ideas.
• Exclusive Perks: Enjoy staff benefits like the Cycle to Work scheme and technology discounts.
• Special Discounts: Gain access to CSSC Benefits, BHN Extras and Blue Light Card savings, making your life outside work even better.

Further details about the role

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate an informed and efficient approach to teaching and learning by adopting relevant strategies to support the work of the teacher and increase achievement of all pupils.
• Support the teaching of a broad and balanced curriculum aimed at pupils achieving their full potential in all areas of learning.
• Join in with the activities of the students in classes. Ensure students remain focused and support positive engagement within the classroom.
• Assist in carrying out a modified curriculum and prepare adapted material, for example visual aids.
• Participate in the planning process with delivery of areas of the curriculum.
• Assist pupils with interventions and engage with other agencies as required.
• Organise and manage teaching space and resources to help maintain a stimulating and safe learning environment. Take pride in creating a positive learning environment, including displays.
• Contribute to effective assessment and planning by supporting the monitoring, recording and reporting of pupil performance and progress as appropriate to the level of the role, for example, effective use of EfL.
• Read and understand lesson plans shared prior to lessons.
• Supervise a class if the teacher is temporarily unavailable.
• Use effective behaviour management strategies consistently in line with the school’s policy and procedures.
• To confidentially engage with school IT systems and engage in specialist training.
• To ensure familiarity with pupils EHCPs, Curriculum Access plans, Individual Target Plans and other relevant information and to contribute to these where required.
• Take part in meetings and discussions on specified pupils, attend staff and team meetings.
• Communicate effectively with other staff members and pupils, and with parents and carers under the direction of the class teacher.
• Communicate your knowledge and understanding of pupils to other school staff and education, health and social care professionals, so that informed decision making can take place on intervention and provision.
• Communicate with pupils by means of Makaton, Communication Book, AAC or any other non-verbal means of communication.
• Contribute to meetings with parents and carers by providing feedback on pupil progress, attainment and barriers to learning, as directed by teachers.
• To support students at lunchtimes, preparing specialist feeds, tending to feeding tubes and water flushes and feeding where required. (Specialist training will be provided).
• To actively engage students at break times, encouraging play and social engagement.
• To support students with manual handling following the school’s health and safety guidance and procedures.
• Assist with personal care, eg: support with toileting, changing pads or cleaning up where a pupil has no control of her/his bowels or bladder.
• Undertake administration of medication and support the medical and broader needs of students as outlined in EHCPs and support plans.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.