Learning Support Assistant
The Totteridge Academy, London, N20 8AZThis job expired on 20 August 2023
Closing date
20 August 2023 at 11:59pm
Date listed
7 September 2022
Job details
Job role
- Teaching assistant
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- From £23,466 to £26,000 FTE (dependent on experience)
Learning Support Assistant job summary
The Totteridge Academy (TTA) is a fantastic secondary school in North London. With approximately 900 students, and a Sixth Form which opened in September 2020, TTA is continuing to grow and develop. We are looking for passionate and enthusiastic staff to join our team.
We provide a high-quality education in a safe, caring, and focused environment. We teach skills and knowledge, enabling our students to become responsible, well-rounded citizens, equipped with the tools to make effective choices for their futures. We pride ourselves on our inclusive environment with a rich and nurturing culture. We celebrate our differences whilst standing together as a united learning community.
After a significant jump in GCSE results since 2016, we are continuing this upward trend. Our last Ofsted inspection, in April 2019, graded the school as ‘Good’ overall with ‘Outstanding’ behaviour and leadership. We have excellent academic results: 87% of A-level grades in 2022 were A*-C; 81% of students achieved a grade 4 or above in English and Maths at GCSE; over two-fifths (42%) of students were awarded the highest grades of 7 or above in English and Maths; our overall GCSE Progress score was +1.03.
Our school philosophy of kaizen (continuous improvement) enables our students and staff to aim high at all times so that every individual can attain his or her best. We celebrate and are proud of the achievements of all of our students, valuing individuality and nurturing happy, confident, and hard-working young people.
We have high expectations at TTA and reject the view that success in life is pre-determined or that our talents are fixed. We improve through practice; calm, focused classrooms led by knowledgeable, passionate teachers provide our students with the ideal environment for this practice to take place. Our students work hard, aim high, and take pride in their learning.
If you would like to find out more about TTA, CLICK HERE. Or, to read some testimonials from our current staff, CLICK HERE.
Learning Support Assistant
Contract: Term time only
Hours: 37.5 hours per week - 8am to 4pm
Salary: From £23,466 to £26,000 FTE (dependent on experience)
Location: Barnet, London
Start Date: 1 September 2023
The Role
We are looking for an exceptional Learning Support Assistant to join our inclusion team. If you have high expectations of all children and are looking for an opportunity to make your mark in a school that has already made a huge transformation and continues to do so, this is the perfect opportunity for you.
The objectives of a Learning Support Assistant will differ according to the individual requirements of each student. Their overall function is to support students’ diverse Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) through the academic, personal and behavioural elements of school life.
This position provides the ideal opportunity for an ambitious and dynamic Learning Support Assistant with vision to help shape an ethos of care, respect, high achievement and challenge. The recent Ofsted inspection in March 2019 graded the school ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ in the effectiveness of leadership and the behaviour, personal development and welfare of students. The final report included the following comments about the school:
- A harmonious and peaceful learning environment
- Every parent who was surveyed said that they would recommend the school
- The behaviour of pupils is outstanding
- The school is led by an inspirational principal supported by a strong and effective leadership team
Since 2016, results have increased dramatically from 39% to 76% of students gaining 5 good passes including English and Maths. Our progress 8 score has improved from -0.45 to 0.6 means we are now in the top 10% of schools nationally. We have also seen an increase in student numbers enrolled in Year 7 from 72 to 180.
As a Learning Support Assistant (LSA), you will support students on a 1:1 and group basis both in and outside of the classroom. This support will be within the four areas of SEND: Cognition and Learning, Communication and Interaction; Sensory and Physical; Social, Emotional and Mental Health. You will work closely with teachers to plan the support according to students’ needs in the classroom. You will also run intervention sessions as needed, liaising with the SENDCo, students, and parents to plan, run, and evaluate these effectively.
Working as an LSA will mean that you work closely with some of our most vulnerable students. LSA support must ensure that students are challenged and given scaffolds as needed. LSAs are expected to build student independence by moving around the room and working with a range of students. They also work with the teacher to develop learning support strategies for the specific subject. The support will follow the whole-school teaching and learning strategies and training is given on these.
To succeed in this role, you should have English and Maths grade 5 (or A to C or equivalent), be passionate about students’ success and well-being. You should be a team player and be able to communicate at all levels within the Academy including students, parents and staff.
At TTA we believe that the best staff are continuously striving to improve. We are committed to developing our people and, as part of the largest group of academies and schools in the country, United Learning, we offer unrivalled professional development and career progression.
This is an exciting time to join TTA; if you share our high expectations and are passionate about making a difference, we look forward to receiving your application.
CLICK HERE to watch a short video of TTA.
The school is fully committed to the safeguarding of children and all staff will be subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure and full child protection/safeguarding training. United Learning is an equal opportunities employer.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
About The Totteridge Academy
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 950 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- The Totteridge Academy website
The school
The Totteridge Academy (TTA) is a brilliant secondary school in North London. With approximately 1000 students, and a new Sixth Form which opened in September 2020, TTA is continuing to grow and develop. We were thrilled to have won the TES Secondary School of the Year Award last year, celebrating our phenomenal results (putting us in the top 1% of the country for Progress), inclusive culture, and excellence beyond the classroom.
We are looking for passionate and enthusiastic staff to join our team. Here are some quotes from our 2023-24 staff survey:
· “The sense of community at this school is second to none. I have never felt so supported by the senior team, as well as my department and line manager. This is definitely reflected in the ‘feel’ of the school and our daily interactions with students.”
· “I cannot believe that I work in a school that has such a mix of incredibly high expectations and academic outcomes, alongside things like a school farm, Place2Be, Equine therapy and Peggy, our school dog! TTA truly cares about every aspect of a child’s education, learning and wellbeing.”
· “Teaching and learning is extremely well led, resulting in consistent teaching across the school and therefore much improved attainment from our pupils. It is the single most stand-out quality at TTA that makes me very proud, and has improved my teaching immensely.”
· “The culture of collaboration and continuous improvement is fantastic. I feel as though I would be welcomed, supported and appreciated by any member of staff if I went to them to ask for anything or just to have a chat!”
· “The community is extremely supportive, and the staff genuinely care for the children, their education and supporting one another, both professionally and personally.”
· “So many of the middle leaders are just world class. They lead by example and have relentlessly high expectations and good humour to boot. Teaching and Learning at this school is exceptionally well led.”
We provide a high-quality education in a safe, caring, and focused environment. We teach skills and knowledge, enabling our students to become responsible, well-rounded citizens, equipped with the tools to make effective choices for their futures. We pride ourselves on our inclusive environment with a rich and nurturing culture. We celebrate our differences whilst standing together as a united learning community. Our school philosophy of kaizen (continuous improvement) enables our students and staff to aim high at all times so that every individual can attain his or her best. We celebrate and are proud of the achievements of all of our students, valuing individuality and nurturing happy, confident, and hard-working young people. We have high expectations at TTA and reject the view that success in life is pre-determined or that our talents are fixed. We improve through practice; calm, focused classrooms led by knowledgeable, passionate teachers.
Please CLICK HERE to watch a video about TTA, and visit our WEBSITE HERE to find out about the school.
If you would like to read more about why you should work at TTA then CLICK HERE, or to read some testimonials from our current staff then CLICK HERE.
If you would like to arrange a visit to our school, please contact Vittoria Casey, HR Manager, on 020 8445 9205 or vittoria.casey@tta.org.uk.
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