Teaching Assistant

St Kentigern’s is a happy and successful school with a strong, caring Catholic ethos in the Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust in the Diocese of Lancaster. The whole school team is dedicated to achieving the full potential of all its children.

We are seeking to appoint an excellent, highly motivated and hardworking member of the team who will support and contribute to the continued development of this one form entry Catholic Primary school.

The post available is for 18 hours per week and is offered on a fixed term basis for one year. The post also includes 5 hours of welfare duties per week. The start and finish times to be agreed at interview.

**Purpose of the role (job statement)**
To work with teachers to support teaching and learning by working with individuals or groups of pupils under the direction of teaching staff and may be responsible for some learning activities within the overall teaching plan.

**Key duties**:

- Implement planned learning activities / teaching programmes as agreed with the teacher, adjusting activities according to pupils’ responses and resolving related problems as appropriate;
- Participate in planning and evaluation of learning activities with the teacher for the session, day or week and providing feedback to the teacher on pupil progress and behaviour;
- Support the teacher in monitoring, assessing and recording pupil progress / activities;
- Provide feedback to pupils in relation to attainment and progress under the guidance of the teacher;
- Communicates with pupils to promote learning, including assessing the impact of the communication on recipients and adjusting approach as necessary;
- Support learning by arranging/providing resources for lessons / activities under the direction of the teacher;
- Responsible for the careful and safe use equipment, such as play and standard ICT equipment;
- Support pupils in social, health and emotional well-being, drawing any problems which cannot be resolved to the attention of the teacher;
- Share information about pupils with other staff, parents / carers, as appropriate;
- Understand and support independent learning and inclusion of all pupils as required;
- Maintain confidentiality and adhere to safeguarding procedures;
- Demonstrate and adhere to the schools health and safety policies and procedures.

**Teaching Assistants in this role may also**:

- Assist in the development of individual development plans for pupils (such as Individual Educational Plans);
- Support the work of volunteers and other teaching assistants in the classroom;
- Support the use of ICT in the curriculum;
- Assist with break-time supervision including facilitating games and activities;
- Invigilate exams and tests;
- Assist in escorting and supervising pupils on educational visits and out of school activities;
- Select, prepare and clear away classroom materials and learning areas ensuring they are available for use, including developing and presenting displays;
- Support children’s learning through play;
- Support pupils in developing and implementing their own personal and social development;
- Assist pupils with eating, dressing and hygiene, as required, whilst encouraging independence;
- Demonstrate own duties to new or less experienced staff.

**Indicative knowledge, skills and experience**
- Level 3 NVQ and Level 3 certificate in supporting teaching and learning on the Qualification and Credit Framework;
- Knowledge and compliance with policies and procedures relevant to child protection and health and safety.

**What the school offers its staff**
Welcome to St Kentigern’s Catholic Primary School -the oldest Catholic primary school in Blackpool. I hope our school website will give our parents, carers and prospective parents an insight into the life of our small, busy and friendly school.

As a Catholic school, we offer our children the opportunity to grow as young people and encourage them to develop a closer relationship with God in an atmosphere of mutual love and respect. We seek to live out the values of Jesus Christ daily, promoting them by our words and deeds. Jesus told us to “Treat others as you would like to be treated”, our school motto, and this reminds us every day to go the extra mile for the children within our care.

At St. Kentigern’s, we always put children first. We have a safe, happy environment in which children can strive to do their best at everything they are given the opportunity to do. We listen carefully to our children and allow them to influence our curriculum and their learning as much as possible. We do our best to foster within each child a desire for learning and a desire to make the right choices.

We actively encourage a high level of support from our parents, local and parish community. Children get on well at school when parents feel able to support school. At St. Kentigern’s, we try to achieve this by welcoming parents into school as much as possible to things like assemblies,