SEN Teaching Assistant

We are looking for an experienced teaching assistant to work on a 1-1 basis with an autistic student at a school in Helston.

Your responsibilities will involve assisting the student with their learning along with everyday tasks such as helping them develop their social skills. Work for the student will be provided by the teacher though you will need to communicate with them about how the student is coping with their work to ensure their work is appropriate and if not, help to adapt it to ensure it is. You will also need to be in contact with the SENCO and other professionals regarding the student’s educational plans (IEPs) and so everybody aware of any confidential matters regarding the student.

Autism is a huge spectrum and the ideal candidate needs to have a good understanding that every child is different, and each child needs their own specific learning plan. You need to be reliable and organised as children with Autism find it hard to cope with change, if anything is going to change with their schedule you will need to be able to plan in advance and prepare them for the change by explaining it to them and telling them what they will be doing instead. This is where your good communication skills will need to be used. Good communication skills will also need to be used when communicating with the student as children with Autism need extra time to process language, this is where you need to have a good relationship with your student as you will need to understand how they communicate and what helps them to be able to understand instructions.

The student is in the class with the other students though they have their own desk with extra space away from other students to help minimise sensory overload. There will also be a room set up for the student which they can go to if they are finding the classroom too much or if they are doing their own activity which is separate to the classes. As you work with your student you will get to know their specific behaviours and what they mean which will allow you to work effectively with them, for example if you notice that they are starting to become distressed because they have gone very quiet, you can take them into their separate room to help avoid them having a meltdown and to make them feel comfortable and happy again.

The ideal candidate will be aware of Child Protection, Health and Safety, Behaviour, Teaching and Learning and Equal Opportunities policies. You will also need a Child Workforce DBS which can be completed during the recruitment process.

We can offer you an enthusiastic team who will help you through your application process and offer you continuous opportunities to build your career. Free safeguarding and prevention training and additional CPD training at a discounted rate. We can offer flexible working patterns to candidates, along with an online diary to help keep your schedule organised and to keep us updated on your availability. At least 3 years’ experience with working with SEN is desired.

The school are looking for somebody to start as soon as possible. Your hours will be 8.30am to 3.30pm, Monday – Friday during term time.

To find out more, please email a copy of your CV and a short email with a description of what you’re looking for to: Kendra.pitts@teachingpersonnel.com

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see teachingpersonnel.com/faqs for details.

All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.

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