SEN Assistant

Please click here to view our Recruitment Brochure.

We have a great opportunity and brand new position available; we are looking for a motivated and organised SEN Assistant to work alongside our highly experienced SENCO at Leigh Academy Minster.

The successful candidate will need to work calmly amidst frequent interruptions whilst priding themselves on making an excellent first impression to external visitors. You will need to have had previous experience of working in an educational environment, along with the following skills and experience;

• The ability to show maturity, tact and discretion bearing in mind the confidential and often sensitive nature of the work undertaken
• Excellent IT skills and proficient user of various Microsoft Office applications
• The ability to be flexible in your approach, able to work effectively adjusting to the daily demands of a busy school while still delivering a first-rate customer service experience
• The ability to be able to process and manage information accurately and in a variety of formats
• You must be able to work accurately under pressure whilst still maintaining high standards of performance levels
• You will need to have strong interpersonal skills, be a confident communicator able to convey information clearly, with proven experience in establishing positive working relationships
• You will need to be able to liaise with staff, pupils, parents/carers and external agencies
• You will need to have a professional approach to your work and be able to deal calmly with matters face to face, over the telephone and via email
• Your positive attitude and ‘can do’ approach will help you to effectively prioritise and deal with a possible demanding workload.
• An understanding of relevant child protection policies which keep children safe in a school setting would be beneficial but is not essential as full training would be provided

This is a permanent position working 37 hours per week, term time + 1 week of inset and offers an actual salary of £20,895 - £22,345 per annum (£24,294 - £25,979 full-time equivalent), based on experience.

If you have any queries on any aspect of the application process or need additional information please contact Rachel Cribben (Recruitment Advisor) on 01634 412 258 or rachel.cribben@latrust.org.uk.

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st April 2024, our Trust comprises 32 geographically organised academies (16 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating more than 20,000 students and employing 3,000 talented staff. Nearly 40% of our academies are judged outstanding overall by Ofsted, versus 15% nationally. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider.

Our future plans are found in our Vision 2030 document available on our website.

As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Click here to view the benefits available to all LAT employees from day one.

Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about this in our Recruitment Guidance. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.

Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Leigh Academies Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy sooner than the specified closing date. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.