Wilds Lodge School

WILDS LODGE SCHOOL

EMPINGHAM ROAD

STAMFORD

RUTLAND

LE15 8QQ

TEL: 01780 767254

Fax: 01780 767526

Job Title: Teaching Assistant

Introduction:

Wilds Lodge is a new therapeutic school, opening in January 2007. It will be seeking HMI and CSCI approval for approximately 65 boarding and 15 day pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, aged between 7 and 16 years of age

Purpose of the Post:

To work within a team of teaching assistants to support pupils and assist teachers during the school day.

Accountable to:

The Team Leader, the Principal and Directors of Wilds Lodge School.

Key Professional Duties and Responsibilities

1.Support for Pupils

To support pupils’ development and promoting independence in a safe, secure, challenging environment, employing strategies to recognize and celebrate achievement.
To support the learning of individuals and groups of pupils as identified in the weekly curriculum planning and to act as a role model, setting high expectations.
To implement the school’s positive handling practices and procedures when appropriate and necessary.
To focus on individual pupils to ensure that their needs are being met within the group.
To work with other staff to develop and implement the IEPs for pupils.
To encourage pupils to interact and work co-operatively with others.
To observe, recording and supporting the development and progress of pupils to identify individual needs and difficulties and to feed back to pupils in relation to their progress and achievement.
To promote the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils within the classroom.

2.Support for Teachers

To plan with teachers the programme of lessons, activities and events in order to support pupils and adjust lessons/work plans as appropriate.
To liaise with other professionals to ensure a productive learning environment.
To set out, prepare, use and tidy equipment.
To attend annual reviews and meetings with parents as required.
To monitor and evaluate pupil responses to learning activities.
To provide objective and accurate feedback and reports as required to the teacher on pupil achievement.
To be responsible for keeping and updating records as agreed with the teacher.
To undertake marking of pupil work as agreed with the teacher.
To administer and assess routine tests and assist in the invigilation of tests as agreed with the teacher.
To provide general clerical support for the teachers.
To manage behaviour constructively, promoting self-control and independence.

3.Support for the Curriculum

To set out and prepare equipment indoors and outdoors.
To assist in the implementation of local and national learning strategies, eg literacy, numeracy, KS3.
To support the use of ICT in learning activities and develop pupils’ competence and independence in its use.
To help pupils access learning opportunities through specialist support.
To determine the need for, prepare and maintain general and specialist equipment and resources.

Person Specification

To be able to:

Manage challenging behaviour.

Communicate effectively in both verbally and in writing.
Organize and plan.
Work closely and collaboratively with professional colleagues from a range of disciplines.
Demonstrate a commitment to equality of opportunity for all staff and pupils.
Work with information technology.
Maintain confidentiality.
Work under pressure in a challenging environment.
Remain confident and resilient.
Follow further training to develop and enhance existing skills.

Essential Knowledge Requirements

Understanding of effective classroom management.
Child Protection practice and procedures.
Risk assessment.

Ability to write and speak fluently, confidently and accurately.
Restraint trained (or willingness to undertake training)
IT literate.

Experience

Essential:Experience as a teaching assistant with pupils with challenging behaviour.

Desirable:Experience with a specialist SEN provision.

Qualification

Desirable:NVQ level 3 or equivalent.