JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:                  Teaching Assistant

Responsible to:      Head Teacher 

Responsible for:    SEN Primary class KS1/2

Purpose and summary of job

The role of the Teaching Assistant (TA) is primarily to help to provide a happy, secure, caring and effective environment in which learning can best take place. The support provided is for the student, the teacher, the curriculum and the school. The role involves carrying out a range of tasks, under the direction of a Teacher contributing to the general care of students and helping to assist in the delivery and evaluation of specific programmes.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Support for the student:

By carrying out the following duties as directed by the Teacher

1.  To establish and maintain relationships with individual children and groups

2.  To provide care and support for individual children in formal, informal and new learning situations. This includes responding to health problems and helping the child with hygiene and personal/intimate   care   matters   consistent   with   Personal, Social   and   Health   Education programme

3. To enable children to participate in learning activities by providing support, as appropriate for their specific difficulties:

• Communication and interaction difficulties.
• Cognition and learning difficulties.
• Behavioural, emotional and social development needs.
• Sensory and/or physical impairment.

4.  To help children develop their literacy and numeracy skills. This will also involve providing literacy and numeracy support to help them access wider aspects of the curriculum.

Support for the teacher(s)

By carrying out the following duties as directed by the Teacher:

5.  To provide effective support for colleagues by maintaining positive working relationships and developing effectiveness in a support role. This involves helping inexperienced staff to develop their skills

6.  To assist the teacher in organising the learning environment, preparing and maintaining materials and resources

7. To support the delivery of the curriculum by taking responsibility for working with groups or individuals, in a range of subjects and situations, under the direction and guidance of the Teacher

8. To observe student performance, contribute to reports and maintain records as required, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained

9. To contribute to the planning and evaluation of programmes and activities

10. To support the use of information and communication technology in the classroom

Support for the school

11. To attend for work reliably and punctually

12. To know where to access policies and to be aware of and follow their contents

13. To promote positive behaviour by applying policy and implementing current programmes and strategies for all children with whom you work. This includes the use of appropriate physical interventions where necessary, having received training

14. To develop your own practice through the supervision and appraisal process, ensuring your training needs are identified and addressed.

15. To use all communication channels effectively and attend meetings to support the smooth running of the education team.

16. To develop and maintain positive working relationships with other professionals and parents by attending case reviews, establishing phone contact and producing reports

17. To ensure that people with whom you have contact have equal opportunities, to acknowledge their individual differences and uphold their rights and responsibilities, including the right not to be discriminated against.

18. To cover for an absent teacher for a short period of time, as requested within the following parameters:

• Only where there is no supply teacher, other teacher available to cover for the absent teacher

19. To carry out, as and when required, any additional tasks and responsibilities as are reasonably compatible with this job description and its objectives.

Health & Safety

20. To contribute to the maintenance of a safe and secure learning environment. This includes taking the appropriate action in the event of an emergency

A duty exists (under Health & Safety legislation) to take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and that of others. This implies taking positive steps to understand the hazards in the workplace, to evaluate and take action to reduce the risks. It is expected that you comply with safety rules and procedures and to ensure that nothing you do, or fail to do, puts yourself or others at risk.

Everything possible must be done to protect students and others from abuse of a physical, sexual, neglectful, financial or institutional nature. This includes an absolute requirement to report any incident of this nature you witness, hear about or suspect.

The contribution of this role:

By effectively carrying out this role, you will be contributing to a high-quality learning environment which will help to maximise the children’s attainment. The education we provide will be further enhanced if you keep abreast of current developments in best practice and use them to address the child’s needs in both educational and social contexts. This will make an important contribution to achieving the school and JV Company education goals.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge

1. Knowledge of general health, safety and welfare

2. General knowledge of child development/education

3. An awareness of actions or situations that might be considered as ‘discrimination’ and an understanding of how these can be prevented.

Skills and Abilities

4. Ability to attend work punctually and reliably

5. Ability to supervise and support children in classrooms and off site and be able to use appropriate physical interventions effectively

6. Ability to effectively plan learning activities, including use of other support staff and to teach individuals and groups of children for short periods of time.

7. Ability to demonstrate good organisational skills

8. Ability to build and maintain good relationship with children in order to motivate and encourage appropriately

9. Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with work colleagues and external contacts

10. Ability to work flexibly in relation to tasks undertaken and groups/children allocated.

11. Ability to work effectively both under guidance and independently using initiative.

12. Ability to demonstrate good communication skills including ability to clarify and explain instructions clearly

13. Ability to demonstrate good literacy and numeracy skills

14. Ability and willingness to attend required training and to apply knowledge and skills in a practical learning setting

Experience

15. Experience of working effectively as part of a team

16. Experience of relating positively to children/young people