Learning Support Assistant

Blue Coat Church of England School & Music College; Coventry; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading school in Coventry seeks a dedicated Learning Support Assistant to help students with special educational needs. The role involves supporting students in communication and literacy, ensuring an inclusive environment. Candidates should have strong communication skills and experience working with young people. This is a full-time position with a supportive team focused on staff wellbeing and professional development.

Benefits

Employee Assistance Programme

Focus on staff wellbeing

Employee Benefits platform

Qualifications

• Experience working with young people in a school setting or similar.
• Ability to work under pressure and handle situations with patience.

Responsibilities

• Assist in support and inclusion of children with special educational needs.
• Focus on students requiring support with speech, language & communication.

Skills

Knowledge of inclusion / SEND

Excellent communication skills

Administrative skills

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Terms and Conditions: Permanent,37 hours per week, term time only (+ 1 weeks)

Actual Salary: £21,622 - £22,688 pro rata per annum

Full time equivalent salary: £24,404- £25,584 (Grade 3)

Required: As soon as possible

Location: Coventry

About the role

We are seeking to appoint an experienced Learning Support Assistant to assist in the support and inclusion of children with special educational needs and disabilities or other barriers to learning, under the leadership of the SENDCo and Assistant SENDCo.

The postholder will focus particularly on students who require support with speech, language & communication, including students with English as an Additional Language (EAL). They will also play a key role in supporting students that fall within the lowest 20% of readers.

We are looking for someone who has:

·Knowledge of inclusion / SEND with particular expertise in language and communication

·A good understanding of the needs and characteristics of students across the age range 11-19

·A natural love of reading who can easily engage and interest students in small reading groups

·Recent experience of working with young people either in a school setting, as a parent, or involvement in voluntary work such as a youth group, cubs, brownie or similar organisation

·Administrative skills including experience of using a range of computer packages, navigating software and operating Microsoft Office

·The skills to analyse and report on data

·The ability to work in a challenging environment and work under pressure and handle situations with patience and sensitivity

·Excellent communication skills including the confidence to work with small groups of students in a teaching environment

About us

Blue Coat is a successful and oversubscribed school in the heart of the city of Coventry. As a Christian school our intake draws from both the local area and across the city and surrounding areas. Consequently we have a diverse intake and a culturally thriving school. The school was graded 'Outstanding' in its SIAMS inspection and 'Good' by Ofsted in May 2023 and continues to perform exceptionally well academically. In 2023 our Attainment 8 at GCSE was 52.3 and our Progress 8 score was +0.42 both of which are above national average. The vast majority of our students stay on into the sixth form and continue their studies.

We have a large and successful Post 16 provision with 350 pupils on average studying either A levels or Vocational Level 3 courses. We have excellent rates of progression to universities, apprenticeships and employment.

We were inspected by Ofsted in May 2023, and were judged a Good School, with Outstanding for Personal Development, The Sixth Form and Leadership and Management. Ofsted shared in their report

·Leaders and teachers share a moral purpose.

·There is a cohesive and vibrant school community.

·Leaders have built an inclusive community. Staff are very proud to work at the school.

·Staff feel very well supported by leaders and greatly value the training they receive to continually improve their work.

Why work for us?

A career at Inspire Education Trust offers a rewarding future, with the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives and outcomes of our young people. We work hard to provide an environment which places staff wellbeing at the forefront of the agenda, as well as providing ample opportunities for personal and professional development.

As such, we offer a portfolio of benefits designed to enhance and support the working lives of our staff. These include, but are not limited to:

·A highly supportive and committed senior leadership team

·Employee Assistance Programme which offers 24/7 confidential advice and support on a range of matters and free access to accredited counsellors

·A focus on staff wellbeing including a network of wellbeing champions and a supportive working environment

·Opportunity to join a committed and forward-thinking team of staff

·Employee Benefits platform providing staff access to a range of benefits such as shopping discounts

How to apply

All applications must be received electronically via our TES page: https://www.tes.com/jobs/employer/blue-coat-school-and-music-college-1000375

If you experience any problems with the online application process please contact TES directly: [e-mail]

If you have any queries about the post, please email [e-mail]

Closing date:

Interview dates: To be confirmed

Information for candidates

Being committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, we follow safer recruitment practices and appointments will be subject to safeguarding checks including enhanced DBS and references. The postholder must share our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

The post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

We aim to recruit the very best staff and welcome those from all backgrounds, communities and faiths (including non-faith individuals).We particularly welcome applications from those, which are underrepresented, in our workforce. This includes, but is not limited to, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates and male candidates

The role of Learning Support Assistant admissions will be classed as regulated activity. Any offer of employment will be conditional until satisfactory completion of all mandatory pre-employment checks.

It is an offence to apply for this role if barred from engaging in regulating activity relevant to children.