ELSA with Support Staff Duties

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2AR

84 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  30 April 2025 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  30 January 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: 35 hours per week Monday to Friday
• Contract type: Fixed term - 1 Year
• Pay scale: Level 4 SCP 8 - SCP 12

What skills and experience we're looking for

Strong academic record including maths and written English GCSE Grade C (or equivalent).

(Please include this information on your application).

Numerate.

Training or experience in appropriate areas, e.g.

• Teaching early reading
• EYFS department
• SEND department
• Primary national curriculum
• Experience of supporting children within the EYFS, Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2 departments in a school/nursery setting.
• Able to plan and deal with conflicting priorities in organising own work schedule.
• Able to use school ICT systems to support learning and perform a range of administrative tasks.
• Able to use other equipment, e.g. video recorder, photocopier and relevant specialist equipment.
• Able to undertake a range of administrative procedures to support the teacher.
• Able to relate to and communicate well with children and adults, motivate pupils to learn, clarify and explain instructions to pupils and respond sensitively and flexibly to competing demands.
• Able to deliver educational work programmes, evaluate and implement strategies to enhance learning.
• Knowledge of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
• Supportive of the Christian ethos of the school.
• Able to work with pupils within the school’s agreed behaviour management policy.
• Confidentiality and sensitivity.
• Enthusiastic and enjoy working with children.
• Hardworking, flexible and motivated.
• Team player and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Committed to equality of opportunity.
• Able to demonstrate relevant practical skills for resource preparation.
• Confident to take the initiative.
• Able to identify own training needs and actively seek learning opportunities, share knowledge with others, support their development and participate in training and development activities.
• Ability to undertake lunchtime duties.

What the school offers its staff

• ELSA training from educational psychologists on aspects of emotional literacy including emotional awareness, emotional regulation, self-esteem and resilience, social and friendship skills, loss, bereavement and family break-up.
• ELSAs supervision from educational psychologists once every half term in a local group.

• A caring ethos with support from dedicated ELSA lead, leadership team and colleagues.
• A positive, friendly and resource-rich learning environment.
• Excellent professional development and career opportunities.
• An inclusive schoolwhich thrives on equality and diversity.

Further details about the role

ELSAs are Emotional Literacy Support Assistants. They are teaching assistants who have received specific additional training from educational psychologists from whom they receive on going supervision following training. Their role is to support children and young people in school to understand and regulate their own emotions whilst also respecting the feelings of those around them.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has a patient and encouraging approach.
• Has a passion for supporting teaching and learning.
• Has high expectations of achievement and behaviour.
• Is enthusiastic with a caring attitude.
• Is keen to work as part of a team, is very flexible and has experience of working with primary school age children.
• Is prepared to attend to pupils’ personal needs including First Aid matters.
• Is discreet and able to maintain confidentiality.
• Is prepared to carry out lunchtime supervision when children play and eat their lunch.
• Is prepared to support children with Special Educational Needs in small groups and /or in 1:1 situations
• Has good organisational and IT skills.

• Job Description

  • Job Title: ELSA with Support Staff Duties
  • Reporting to: Headteacher
  • Location: St Mary’s C.E. Primary School, Yew Tree Road, Slough, SL1 2AR
  • Hours of work: Monday to Friday, term time only.

  Main Purpose of the Post

  • To use ELSA training to support children and young people in school to understand and regulate their own emotions whilst also respecting the feelings of those around them.
  • To support the work of class teachers by managing/preparing resources and the classroom environment for children, including those with specific learning or behaviour needs who may/may not be supported by Education, Health and Care Plans.
  • To work with teachers to support the delivery of the curriculum and to help implement necessary strategies to support children to learn, grow, achieve and flourish.
  • To identify and champion opportunities to develop successful social interaction and encourage peer support.

  Key Accountabilities

  • Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children in accordance with the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, Behaviour Policy and SEND Policy.
  • Attend ELSA training days and ELSA group supervision sessions led by an Educational Psychology Service.
  • Plan and deliver individualised programmes of ELSA support for children to develop their emotional literacy, including: - Awareness of own and other people’s emotions - Development of an increased range of emotional vocabulary - Management of stress, grief, anxiety, anger and conflict - Development of social interaction and friendship skills - Promotion of a realistic self-concept and good self-esteem - Coping with significant life changes including loss and bereavement.
  • Plan and deliver programmes of support to small groups of children to develop resilience skills.
  • Write succinct session plans and add subsequent evaluative comments.
  • Liaise with teachers/line manager about the needs and progress of children receiving support.
  • Share knowledge and ideas from training/supervision sessions with other school staff as appropriate.
  • Meet regularly with line manager to review ELSA work.
  • Assist with the preparation of specialist resources for individual children where required.
  • Provide guidance and direction for the arrangement of the classroom to meet the needs of children.
  • Work alongside teachers to enable children to meet their learning targets.
  • Work alongside external staff where required to ensure that specific programmes of intervention, e.g. physical therapy/speech and language programmes are integrated into the daily plan.
  • Liaise with external staff where required and ensure that information from visits is shared with the class teacher/SENDCo.
  • Work collaboratively with parents/carers, a broad range of professional and voluntary bodies, in line with school policy.
  • Liaise with the class teacher and SENDCo to ensure that children with additional needs are supported to make progress in the school.
  • Administer (following specific training) and keep records of a child’s medication/feeding (if appropriate).
  • Undertake training for meeting the physical and medical needs of children, if required.
  • Attend meetings pertaining to the role they do.
  • Maintain records of evidence for children for whom Education, Health and Care Plans may be a future option.
  • Provide support for and attend off-site visits as requested.
  • Help organise and run specific intervention and pastoral groups.
  • Help with the induction of new children with additional needs or teachers new to the school.
  • Promote self-esteem by praising effort and ensuring identifiable success for all children.
  • Contribute to reports/provide reports for review meetings.
  • Provide written/oral feedback to teachers as required.
  • Engage actively with professional development opportunities.
  
  

Commitment to safeguarding

St Mary’s CE Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of all our pupils. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to a successful enhanced DBS clearance process.

Applying for the job

Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to lbrown@stmarys.slough.sch.uk

CVs are not accepted.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Upload additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

ELSA Candidate Pack.pdf - 305 KB (opens in new tab)

About St Mary's Church of England Primary School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, Church of England, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 682 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
• School website: St Mary's Church of England Primary School website (opens in new tab)
• Email address: lbrown@stmarys.slough.sch.uk
• Phone number: 01753 534791
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/st-mary-s-church-of-england-primary-school-slough (opens in new tab)

St Mary’s school is between Slough's main high street and Upton Park. It is surrounded by thriving businesses, housing, churches as well as parks and woodlands. The school was set up by the church in the 19th century to serve the needs of its local community and it still does today.

St Mary's started off very small and today we accept on role around 660 pupils. The school centres around a busy and bustling diverse community that celebrates a range of ethnicities and culturally rich families that represent many parts of our integral world.

As a Church of England school, we value and are ambitious for all children and are committed to providing a positive, happy, safe and stimulating environment for them to enjoy and excel in their learning; grow in confidence, resilience and independence; achieve their full potential and flourish as individuals whatever their ability. To provide a safe, supportive and happy learning environment where all children can learn, grow, achieve and flourish.

We take every opportunity to work with churches and faith groups, schools, charities, businesses and organisations, resulting in exciting learning opportunities for our children and learning outside the classroom.

We also take part in many local, national and international events such as fundraising for global charities, competitions and campaigns, reflecting our school vision and core values. The Slough Foodbank, Defibrillators in Public Places (DiPPs), The Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service, NSPCC; Children in Need; Comic and Sports Relief; Macmillan Cancer Support; UNICEF UK campaigns are a few of the charities that we support.

In addition, we respond to emergency appeals when we can e.g. Cyclone Idai and the hurricane disaster Fund, supporting Alwyn Allison Primary School, Anguilla following Hurricane Irma.

We engage with our MPs, previously Fiona Mactaggart and Tan Dhesi and have visited them in The Houses of Parliament and have visited Slough Mayors’ Office. Slough Youth Parliament have several representatives who were previous pupils and who have now enjoyed prestigious political experiences in secondary schools. Black History Month is elaborated with local representative and creative partners. Sustrans worked with us to support sustainable transport and we have taken part in farm projects and county estates’ programmes for increasing access to local food, and attended Countryside Food and Music festivals.

Arranging a visit to St Mary's Church of England Primary School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email lbrown@stmarys.slough.sch.uk.

School location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Slough and Berkshire