Special School Assistant

Working with young people can be one of the most rewarding and satisfying jobs. It can be hard and resilience must be high, but building these relationships with young people, being their constant and believing in their value can significantly change their future - the rewards will certainly outweigh the challenges

Springwell School is located on the edge of the city of Southampton and is a designated day special school for children aged from 4 - 11 years with complex learning difficulties including speech and language disorders, autism and challenging behaviours.

The school encourages a supportive and positive learning ethos that enables both staff and pupils to work and learn together to develop their full potential, providing the highest possible standards of education and support to children, families and staff.

**What can we offer you?**:

- Competitive salary with regular salary progression
- Opportunities for CPD
- Free on-site parking
- Pension Scheme
- Support and training
- Monday - Friday working pattern
- Excellent development opportunities to grow within a positive and supportive team
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

**Your contribution**:

- **support and motivate the children and encourage independent learning
- to contribute, monitor and record pupils progress
- encourage and support good behaviour acting as a positive role model
- is able to deal with challenging behaviour and provide welfare support in accordance with school policies

**What will you need?**:

- previous experience of working with children within a school setting is desirable
- proven teaching strategies such as PECS
- Excellent communication skills
- ability to liaise with staff at all levels
- have enthusiasm, reliability and resilience
- strong sense of team work
- Understand the importance of confidentiality and safeguarding

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for the full responsibilities of this role and knowledge required.

**Working pattern - 22.5 Hours**
Monday - Friday: 8.55 am - 1.25 pm

**Interview process**
If successfully shortlisted, you will complete an observation in class prior to a 2-panel, face to face interview.

**JOB DESCRIPTION**

**Purpose of the Job**
- Support the teaching and learning of pupils with complex learning difficulties
- Work with and support children with a variety of complex academic, physical and emotional/behavioural needs on a class, group or individual basis
- Take a leading role in aspects of planning, preparation and delivery of key aspects of the curriculum
- Take responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children within the school
- Support the school’s aims, values and policies

**Key Accountabilities**
- Establish supportive, caring and secure relationships with the child/ children, promoting respect, self-esteem and a positive, inclusive whole school ethos
- Develop knowledge and understanding of the specific academic, physical and emotional/behavioural needs of individuals and groups of children within the school and respond to them effectively
- Assist the class teacher with the planning, development and delivery of suitable programmes of work for pupils (i.e. Individual Education Plans), for children with specific learning needs and a statement of Special Educational Needs
- Support class teachers to design, create and produce learning activities, materials and resources to support aspects of the curriculum or particular learning outcomes, and to assist and support the children in using them
- Support and motivate the children, clarifying instructions, encouraging independent learning and enabling learning targets and outcomes to be achieved
- Contribute to monitoring and recording pupils’ progress, including maintaining records, contributing to reviews and providing relevant feedback to teachers
- Encourage and support good behaviour acting as a positive role model and to deal with challenging behaviour in accordance with school policies and following appropriate training
- Provide welfare support to the children. According to a child’s specific requirements, this may include:

- Administering First Aid and medicines
- Attending to personal hygiene needs
- Providing specific therapies/programmes tailored to a child’s needs (e.g. physiotherapy)
- Assisting children with mobility, which may include lifting, moving and carrying
- As directed by the class teacher, to liaise with outside agencies, parents and carers where appropriate, in respect of individual children
- Assist with general school duties. These may include:

- Setting up classrooms, preparing resources and displays and tidying and clearing away
- Supervision of children during playtimes and lunchtimes
- Supervision of children entering and leaving school premises

**Responsibilities**
- To support the functions of the Springwell Inclusion Partnership as appropriate and upon request

**Supporting the school**
- Supp