The main purpose of the job:

The Teaching Assistant will provide tailored support to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including those with severe physical, learning, and complex behavioural difficulties. The role involves assisting in supporting the educational, social, and physical needs of pupils, helping them to access the curriculum and participate in school life. You will work closely with teachers and other educational professionals, ensuring students' individual needs are met and fostering a supportive and inclusive environment

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Expectations

• Uphold and clearly communicate strong values and a moral purpose centred on supporting pupils' growth and well-being.

• Exhibit an optimistic demeanour, fostering positive relationships and attitudes towards students with profound, severe, and complex learning needs, as well as towards staff, parents, governors, and the local community.

• Lead by example, demonstrating integrity, creativity, resilience, and clear direction.

• Continuously enhance your knowledge of local education systems and remain committed to ongoing professional development. Main duties

• Support students in developing their knowledge, skills, and attitudes according to the curriculum, ensuring the necessary learning support is in place for effective learning.

• Build positive and supportive relationships with pupils, promoting individual development, social integration, and boosting self-esteem.

• Track pupil progress, monitor health, behaviour, and overall well-being, providing feedback or adjustments as needed.

• Effectively use IT systems as required by the school

• Work independently with small groups of children on specific tasks, under the overall guidance of the teacher.

• Participate in parent meetings (which may be outside regular school hours), offering constructive feedback on pupil progress, achievement, and behavior when necessary.

• Maintain confidentiality in regards to sensitive issues linked to home/pupil/staff/school

• Administer minor first aid where training has been undertaken

• Administer medically prescribed drugs as per the approved procedure 

 Assist with the safe physical and medical needs of pupils, including: - personal hygiene/self-care, for example toileting or changing - specialist care, for example one-to-one feeding where training has been undertaken - mobility needs, for example use of wheelchairs or hoists where training has been undertaken

• Support in the management of pupils with challenging emotional and behavioural difficulties so as to prevent harm and disruption to the pupil or others • Supervise pupils during break time, and plan and organise play time activities, where required

• Accompany children on educational visits as supervised by senior staff

• Contribute to class meetings, staff meetings and school-based INSET

• Carry out interventions as required • Raise any concerns in accordance with the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures

• Assist with duties relating to pupil swimming and sports activities/events where relevant

• Deliver therapy to pupils such as physiotherapy or speech and language therapy as guided by professionals where training has been undertaken • Input into planning of lesson content led by teaching staff where relevant

• Provide pastoral care to pupils where relevant

• Ensure all teaching aids are readily available by monitoring stock levels of materials, checking for missing/damaged equipment, arranging for new supplies to be ordered where relevant

• Assist in preparing, using and maintaining relevant teaching resources, including wall displays and ensuring classrooms are left clean and tidy

General - applicable to all Trust roles:

• To ensure that pupils needs are prioritised and to have a clear sight of how this role impacts on the academy’s and the Trust’s pupils at all times

• To act as a Trust team member and provide support and cover for other staff where needs arise inclusive of occasional work at other sites within a reasonable travel distance

• To adhere to Trust values and behaviours

• To be aware of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures

• To be responsible for your own continuing self-development and attend meetings as appropriate

• To undertake other duties appropriate to the post as require

Company Overview:

We are a specialist educational trust on a journey to raise the bar and set new standards for Special Educational Needs (SEN) throughout the South West.

The Trust was founded in 2016 and is currently made up of 6 schools and 4 ARBs. Unlike other trusts, we are purely made up of SEN schools and ARBs. This puts us in a unique position to do things differently.

We realised early on in our journey that there wasn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. So we developed a philosophy that places our young people front and centre. Every decision we take is based on meeting the needs of our young people and helping them succeed. And when we say ‘succeed’ we don’t just mean academically.

When you work with us you'll be joining a specialist educational trust on a journey to raise the bar and set new standards for Special Educational Needs (SEN) throughout the UK. We are not afraid to do things differently and we never settle for ordinary. We aspire to be the best in everything that we do. We provide our young people with the highest quality education, give them access to the best opportunities available to them, and take pride in giving them a sense of self-worth and purpose - built on a foundation of resilience and independence.

Through collaboration, co-operation, and creativity - underpinned by an ethos built on inclusivity, empowerment, and transparency - we aim to inspire every single young person (as well as their families and our staff) to be the very best versions of themselves they possibly can. We do this through an ambitious, specialist curriculum that goes beyond school life and focuses on living as well as learning.

We step outside the comfort zone when it’s needed, we care more than people think is needed or necessary, and we genuinely want to improve the lives and experiences of our learners. We dare to be different, we have courage in our convictions, and we strive every single day to draw the best out of everything and everyone in our community.

We are... Ambitious: We believe in setting new standards and consistently raising them through the quality of our work and approach.

Aspirational: We dream big and are brave enough to act on our aspirations. Invested. We care. It’s easy to say but, for us, it flows through every part of the Trust. We are invested in improving the lives of our young people both now and into the future.

Purposeful: We don’t do things for the sake of doing them. We are driven by our purpose and committed to turning our vision into a reality.

Genuine: Honesty, transparency, and authenticity are what all our work is built on. Inclusive. Every single voice matters. Everyone can have ideas, express views, and be heard.

Energetic: We make SEN exciting. We are the go-getters and the trend-setters. We are not bound by convention and infuse our energy and passion through everything we do.

Specialist: We are a specialist trust and this gives us a unique and unprecedented insight into the needs of our young people and their families

If you have any enquires or need an application in a different format please contact Jess Summers jsummers@doubletrees.org.uk  01726 812757