Springwell Harrogate Academy

Teaching Assistant - 37 HOURS (TTO + 5) 

FTE SALARY £23,114 - £23,893

ACTUALY SALARY £20,037 - £20,712 

Term Time Only + 5 days

Do you want a job where you can make a difference to the lives of young people?

Do you want to be inspired on a daily basis by your work?

Springwell Harrogate is a PRS serving the North Yorkshire area, specifically Harrogate, Knaresborough, RIpon and Boroughbridge. We intend to support young people to their next most appropriate destinations, be that college, a new mainstream school place or to a specialist provision.  We are a very small site, with huge amounts of influence in enabling students to flourish, move on and grow as people!

What We Are About…

Relationships. Unconditional Positive Regard. Trauma-informed Practice. Restorative Practice. Continuous Professional Development. Pupil-focussed, Needs-focused

What Our Staff Say…

‘No two days are the same!’ ‘I enjoy working with the most vulnerable children, as I feel like I am really making a difference’

‘The job is rewarding and fun. You will build amazing relationships with students, staff and parents.’’

‘I love being a part of a wonderful team who are so resilient and caring.’

What Our Children Say…

‘We have an amazing massive building with loads of different children.’

‘The staff help me manage my emotions and regulate.’ 

‘At the Academy the teachers can relate to the students!’

‘The staff at the Academy helped sort my life out.”

‘We know the adults have our backs.’

‘Adults know when we are mad and know how to help us calm down.’

What Our Parents Say…

“T grew up a lot – he now attends college and has a part time job”

“S enjoyed his time at the Academy. He didn’t really attend school before that. He had a strong relationship with the staff and that encouraged him to attend”

“Your teaching skills and patience has given R….. confidence and given her great self worth in herself”

We work with students who for whatever reason struggle with the mainstream school experience. They come to us after being permanently excluded, or for short term preventative places which last between 6 to 12 weeks. We believe in the power of unconditional positive regard and restorative practice and incorporate this in everything we do. These approaches work hand in hand with a nurturing curriculum to give our students secure foundations rooted in relationships. Working at Springwell offers challenge and reward in equal measures, as we work together to regulate students with varying levels of SEMH need, allowing them to access learning and move on to an appropriate destination school.This position may suit someone wishing to develop a career within the Education or Special Education Sector.  College/University graduates are welcome to apply, as a full and comprehensive package of training will be offered.  The position may be of particular interest to applicants who have a passion in supporting the emotional and mental health needs of young people. We work closely with our partner school, Springwell Leeds Academy, and the Positive Regard Teaching School to support a career path for aspiring teachers through a rigorous development programme.  

About the role

Successful candidates will be responsible for supporting and on occasion, leading small groups and individuals with Maths, English, reading, S.E.A.L, practical activities, supporting pupils to develop resilience, social skills and self-esteem plus using effective strategies for supporting pupils with a range of behavioural needs.

About us 

Our aim is to provide the best possible care and education that we can for the young people in our care. Unconditional Positive Regard is at the centre of what we do and we are creating an academy that is welcoming, caring, safe, warm and believes that all its pupils can be supported and empowered to succeed. We are creating individual and personalised pathways for our students that are built around their varied needs, which will help them achieve positive outcomes and prepare them for their onward destinations into continuing education, work or training. 

We see strong relationships as the key to our success – with students, parents, carers and the wider community and we ensure that our academy is a welcoming safe place for children to learn and prosper. We believe in working closely with our families and carers and welcome their support, but also realise that at times they will need our support too. We work closely with other agencies and schools to make sure we do all we can to make learning and life the best it possibly can be. 

Springwell places a huge emphasis on professional development and invests significantly in staff training at all levels. This means that, although experience of working in an alternative or specialist setting would be an advantage, specialist support and training will be provided for outstanding teachers wishing to make the career fulfilling move into special education. 

If you would like to discuss or find out more about this post, please contact Alex Bentley (bentleya@swharrogate.org.uk) 

To apply, please visit https://swharrogate.org.uk/current-vacancies/  

Wellspring Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils. All posts are offered subject to enhanced DBS checks. References will be requested and an online search carried out for shortlisted candidates, prior to attendance at interview.

Further pre-employment checks, including prohibition from teaching, childcare disqualification and section 128 checks, if deemed relevant for the role, will be completed for the successful candidate upon acceptance of the post.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to promoting diversity. We want our people to reflect the diversity of our communities, and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, especially from under-represented groups, including those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

If you are currently living overseas or have lived / worked overseas in the last five years please be aware that you will be required to provide an overseas criminal records check from the country/ countries you have resided in, if you are the preferred candidate for the post.