SEN Teaching Assistant

Blenheim Primary School, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9EX

Deadline is tomorrow

• Job start date

  22 April 2025

• Closing date

  10 March 2025 at 9am

• Date listed

  25 February 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
• Working pattern: Full time: 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with an additional 2.5 hours per week for lunchtime assistant cover.
• Contract type: Fixed term - To 31st July 2025 with the possibility of a permanent position
• Pay scale: A1/B1 02

What skills and experience we're looking for

Role:

To work under the guidance of teaching/senior staff and within an agreed system of supervision, to implement agreed work programmes with individual groups, in or out of the classroom. This could include those requiring detailed and specialist knowledge in particular areas and will involve assisting the teacher in the whole planning cycle and the management/preparation of resources.

Main Duties:

To attend to the learners’ personal needs, and implement related personal programmes, including social, health, physical, hygiene, first aid and welfare matters.

Supporting learners who may have complex medical needs and who may need medical support, training will be provided.

Supporting learners who require additional support with communication, including those learners with a mechanical system of communication. The post holder may also be required to use British Sign Language and/or Makaton, (a form of sign language for SEN learners) if so, training will be provided.

Supporting learners with speech difficulties under the guidance of a Speech Therapist to support individual learners with specific needs, in-house training provided.

Providing support to learners who need assistance with personal care, such as changing nappies etc. for incontinent pupils and assisting learners to use the toilet if they are unable to use the toilet unaided.

Feeding learners and assisting them with drinking, in-house training given.

Supporting learners who because of their physical needs may need to be lifted and carried, training will be provided.

The post holder may also be required to assist learners with physiotherapy under the guidance of physiotherapist.

The post holder may be required to restrain learners who may harm themselves or others. Some learners may bite, kick, nip and punch etc. themselves, staff and or other learners. Training will be provided on how to restrain learners appropriately.

To supervise and support learners ensuring their safety and access to learning.

To establish good relationships with learners, acting as a role model, being aware of, and responding appropriately to individual needs.

To promote the inclusion and acceptance of all learners.

To encourage learners to interact with others and engage in activities led by the teacher.

To encourage learners to act independently as appropriate.

To prepare classroom as directed for lessons and clear afterwards and assist with the display of learners’ work.

To be aware of learner’s problems/progress/achievements and report to the teacher as agreed.

To undertake learners record keeping as requested.

To support the teacher in managing learners’ behaviour, reporting difficulties as appropriate.

To gather/report information from/to parents/carers as directed.

To provide clerical/administrative support - photocopying, typing, filing, collecting money etc.

To support learners to understand instructions.

To support learners in respect of local and national learning strategies - literacy, numeracy, appropriate key stages, early years, as directed by the teacher.

To support learners in using basic IT as directed.

To prepare and maintain equipment/resources as directed by the teacher and assist learners in their use.

To be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection/GDPR regulations, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.

To be aware of, support difference, and ensure all learners have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop.

To contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the school.

To appreciate and support the role of other professionals.

To attend relevant meetings as required.

To participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required.

To assist with the supervision of learners out of lesson times, including before, after school, and at lunchtimes.

To accompany teaching staff and learners on visits, trips and out of school activities as required.

To be performance managed.

Be willing to undertake First Aid training.

What the school offers its staff

Blenheim Primary School is a two-form entry inner city school near the University of Leeds. It is situated in pleasant grounds, having a large field and ample playgrounds. There are four buildings: the main school (housing years 4, 5 and 6); the new building (housing Reception, year 1, 2 and 3); the nursery building and the bungalow (which has been converted to school use).

Blenheim Primary has a very varied ethnic mix of pupils and staff working together harmoniously. A high percentage of pupils arrive with little or no English. One main reason for this is a proportion of their parents are international students attending the university. As the students are here for a limited length of time before returning to their country of origin, this creates a high turnover of pupils through the year (28% mobility).

One of the school’s strengths is the welcoming nature of pupils and staff when helping our many new arrivals to settle in. The school aims to foster a caring environment where pupils are expected to reach and maintain a high standard of both behaviour and academic achievement. Our children are very well-behaved. On entry ,children are generally well below age related expectations but leave us well above.

We are a hard-working, committed and enthusiastic team who work cohesively with governors, parents and the community. Staff and pupil relationships are exemplary.

Currently there are 470 pupils on roll and our numbers are rising. This includes a 39-place nursery which offers fully flexible provision; currently 57 children are enrolled part-time. 40% of pupils are entitled to free school meals – a high proportion compared to the 15% average nationally. 46% of children who attend the school live in an area classed as being amongst the 10% most deprived[1] in England, with 68% living in an area classed as being amongst the 20% most deprived in England. At present there are 16% on the school’s register of special needs; this figure is in line with the national average. But there is a very high number of children with complex needs: 19 have individual full or part-time support. For 61% of children in school, English is an additional language and there are 52 other languages spoken. 92% of children are BAME which adds to the rich cultural diversity of the school.

Please take a look at our website to learn more about the school: https://www.blenheimprimaryschool.com/

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.

Applying for the job

Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to hr@blenheimprimaryschool.com

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.

Additional documents

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

Job Description and Person Specification SEN TA 25.doc - 52.5 KB (opens in new tab)

HT letter and school profile 25.docx - 83.3 KB (opens in new tab)

About Blenheim Primary School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 457 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Blenheim Primary School website
• Email address: hr@blenheimprimaryschool.com
• Phone number: 01132930808
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/blenheim-primary-school

Arranging a visit to Blenheim Primary School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email hr@blenheimprimaryschool.com.

School location

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