Teaching Assistant

Teaching Assistant

School & Location – Bottesford, NG13 

Reporting to – Head of School 

Working Arrangements – FULL-TIME, Term Time Only

Salary – £23,1000

About Edison Young People

Edison Young People provides specialist education and support for children and young people who may have experienced difficulties accessing and achieving within mainstream education.

We believe that a young person should not be defined by their past experiences or the challenges they have faced. Our aim is to provide the relationships, environment, education and support they need to overcome adversity, develop confidence and resilience, and achieve positive outcomes for their present and future lives.

Across our schools, we place strong emphasis on individualised teaching, positive relationships and high quality support. We work to create environments where young people feel safe, valued, understood and able to engage in learning.

About Us

The Place Independent School operates across two sites in Bottesford and Barkestone, Nottinghamshire, providing specialist education for young people from Year 3 through to Year 13.

The school provides a nurturing environment with small class sizes, individualised support and opportunities for outdoor learning. The school also incorporates therapeutic and experiential opportunities, including interaction with a range of school farm animals.

The Place is committed to helping young people feel safe, develop confidence and independence, and achieve their individual potential.

About the Role

We are looking to recruit a Teaching Assistant to join The Place Independent School.

You will work alongside teachers and other members of the school team to support CYP's learning, wellbeing and personal development.

The postholder will help create a positive, structured and nurturing learning environment and provide individual or smallgroup support where required. The role requires patience, consistency, strong communication skills and an ability to build positive professional relationships with CYP.

The role will involve working closely with young people and colleagues to provide a positive, supportive and consistent environment in which young people can learn and develop. We are looking for someone who shares our commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

• Support CYP to access lessons and engage positively with learning.
• Build safe, consistent and professional relationships with CYP.
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people at all times. 
• Follow the school's safeguarding, child protection, health and safety and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Remain alert to signs that a CYP may require additional support or protection and report concerns promptly through the school's agreed safeguarding procedures.
• Work collaboratively with teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral staff and school leaders.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will:

• Have a genuine commitment to safeguarding and supporting children and young people.
• Be patient, calm, reliable and consistent.
• Have strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Be able to establish positive professional relationships while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
• Be able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary school team.
• Understand the importance of safeguarding and confidentiality.
• Be able to respond calmly and appropriately when CYP experience emotional or behavioural difficulties.
• Be willing to follow individual support plans, risk assessments and school procedures.
• Be committed to equality, inclusion and treating every CYP with dignity and respect.
• Be willing to undertake relevant training and continuing professional development.

Essential Qualifications

All staff at The Place Independent School are expected to demonstrate the school's values through their conduct and practice. Teaching Assistant's will be expected to maintain high standards of professionalism, reliability, confidentiality and safeguarding practice and to contribute positively to the wider life of the school.

The duties outlined in this job description are not exhaustive. The postholder may be required to undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the nature and level of the role.

What We Offer

We know that great schools are built by great people. That’s why we want working at Edison Young People to be about more than just a job. Here are just some of the benefits we offer:

• A competitive salary, recognising the skills, experience and commitment our staff bring to their roles.
• Generous annual leave, either working term time only, giving you the opportunity to enjoy school holidays with your family and friends, or for non teaching staff, receive 5.6 weeks' annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Additional dedicated wellbeing days to give you time to focus on yourself and recharge.
• Further wellbeing initiatives including a fully funded cashback health scheme, helping you claim back costs towards services such as optical, dental, physiotherapy and other eligible health costs.
• Staff socials including Summer Festival, Christmas party and other team social events.
• Opportunities to get involved in educational trips, including travel with young people on trips across Europe.
• Invest in your future with our supportive workplace pension scheme.
• Opportunities to develop and progress, with access to a wide range of training.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of working at Edison Young People is knowing that what you do matters. Every day, our staff have the opportunity to help a young person build confidence, overcome challenges, discover their strengths and take another step towards a positive future.

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

All employees have a responsibility to contribute to a safe environment and to follow safeguarding policies, procedures and reporting arrangements, which are regularly reviewed.

The successful candidate will be expected to maintain appropriate professional boundaries, identify and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, and contribute to the creation of a safe and positive environment for all young people.

Employment will be subject to appropriate pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS, satisfactory references and the right to work in the UK.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across our organisation.

We want our schools to be places where everyone feels valued, respected and able to contribute.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills and perspectives and are committed to providing equality of opportunity throughout our recruitment and employment processes.