The school:

The Grove is a vibrant school with a strong ethos and a highly committed staff team. We have high aspirations for our pupils and enjoy providing exciting and stimulating learning opportunities for them.

We are a three-form entry primary school, with a Nursery, in Watford. At The Grove Academy, we are lucky enough to have generous school grounds that we like to use daily to enrich our pupils’ time at school.

As proud members of Aspire Academies Trust, we regularly have the opportunity collaborate and innovate with our partner schools.

At The Grove Academy, we celebrate a culture of collaboration; working to bring pupils, staff and community together to achieve the best outcomes for our pupils. We are committed to supporting our pupils and aim to be an inclusive school that meets the needs of every pupil.

The role:

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced or aspiring Higher Level Teaching Assistant to join our team at The Grove Academy. A key part of this role is to take responsibility for whole class groups in all years (EYFS to Y6) to support the delivery of PPA time for all class teachers. Prior experience is beneficial, but not essential.

The successful candidate will have experience of working with young people in an educational setting and the ability to establish good professional relationships with students and colleagues.

This is a permanent position for 32.5 hours per week, working Monday to Friday, term time only

The successful candidate will be reliable, enthusiastic and committed to the children's learning. They must be able to demonstrate the ability to use their own initiative, have excellent behaviour management skills, and be organised, reliable and flexible in a busy school environment.

Candidates will also be educated to GCSE A-C (or equivalent) in both English and Maths, An HLTA qualification would be desirable but not essential.

The person:

We are seeking an exceptional practitioner who is:

·         Committed to ongoing professional development

·         A team player 

·         Able to help us deliver our vision and develop our curriculum

·         Passionate about achieving the highest possible standards for children in all areas of their education and wellbeing

·         Someone who puts children and their wellbeing at the centre of everything

·         Can align with our school values: Family, respect, responsibility, courage and enjoyment

·         Has a good sense of humour and enjoys the odd sweet treat!

Why join us?

We can offer you:

• An excellent environment in which to successfully develop your career
• A school with a very positive learning environment where children enjoy learning and strive to achieve their best
• The guidance and support of the Principal, Assistant Principals and staff teams
• The benefits of working collaboratively with colleagues
• An investment in your CPD and opportunities across the Aspire Academy Trust
• A welcoming environment with regular sweet treats!

Aspire offers:

·         The opportunity to be part of an expanding organisation with high aspirations, one which is committed to the professional development of all staff.

·         Cross trust networking, partnerships and collaboration of good practice and shared resources to drive the learning environment in all its schools’ forwards towards future excellence.

·         The Trust benefits from its own Training Centre.

·         A truly supportive working environment where employee wellbeing is at the forefront.  The Trust offers a range of support, including menopause support plans and flexible working opportunities.

·         The ability to follow career pathways and progress within the Trust.

·         A wide range of employee benefits such as; local government and teacher pension schemes, an employee assistance programme, free cooked meal daily, occupational health.

Closing date for applications is: 12th July 2024

Interviews will be held on: To be confirmed

Safeguarding statement:

The Aspire Academies Trust is committed to safeguarding children and young people. Our interviews will always include relevant questions relating to child protection and/or safeguarding. A satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) with a Children’s Barred List Check is required as a condition of employment. In accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), an online search will be conducted on shortlisted candidates to identify anything that may need further exploration with candidates. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

Equal Opportunities:

At Aspire Academies Trust we believe that all individuals are of equal value and we are committed to equal opportunities for all. All people who work and study in the school have the right to be respected and valued within a safe and secure environment and not to be discriminated against on the grounds of age, class, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief. To help us meet our high standards and aspirations of a fully diverse and inclusive workplace, we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for this vacancy.