Teaching Assistant (3-month Fixed term)

Compass Community School Vicarage Park is an innovative new provider for 8-18-year-old pupils with Special Educational Needs located in Stottesdon. We are a small special school, which provides a personalised education for up to 12 pupils with severe complexity of needs, primarily learning disabilities but also associated health or physical disabilities, and other behaviours which challenge. 

Our children come from a wide range of backgrounds, but all have Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH). Many will also have other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) such as Autism, ADHD, and communication difficulties.

The work we do is both varied and challenging and, as a trauma and attachment informed organisation, all staff are provided with extensive therapeutic training and support.

Our closely triangulated approach places the child at the centre of decision making, ensuring that education and therapy professionals, parents/carers, local authority teams and, most importantly, our students can work together to secure outstanding outcomes for all.

The Role                                                 

TAs at our school know that no two days are the same and that no two children are the same either. Our children require very special adults who can support children with complex and challenging behaviours.

They will know that our children require lots of attention, just the right sort of communication, consistency and flexibility in equal measure, and a non-judgemental approach. They need to be resilient, persistent and solution focussed to meet the needs of our children and to do so they need to wear a lot of hats and be prepared to change them at a moment’s notice!

Our Teaching Assistants may be

• supporting teachers in the classroom
• working with children 1:1 or delivering sessions with small groups of students
• managing classroom resources
• taking children on trips and visits
• having their lunch with children who struggle socially
• managing heightened behaviours and keeping children safe
• playing board games
• conducting science experiments
• making amazing displays
• celebrating success
• part of therapy sessions or reflecting on difficult periods

We want our TAs to be part of the decision making that drives our school, provides outcomes for children and advocates for every child. We welcome their input in developing both the academic curriculum and the opportunities in our extra-curricular offer – bringing their own interests and passions to the table.

Benefits and Rewards

• Competitive salary
• Extensive training and professional qualification opportunities
• Small class sizes with specialist TA support
• The chance to be part of an expanding, national organisation that recognises skill, effort and potential and grows its own leadership teams
• Enhanced occupational sickness scheme
• Flexible pension
• Regular therapeutic and supportive supervision
• Employee benefit service with access to wellbeing services, salary sacrifice schemes, high street vouchers, money off eating-out and takeaways
• Potential Teaching Assistant+ at £20,000 depending on experience, also with 5% location allowance

Safeguarding

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Compass is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As we continue to grow, we know that we must have the most talented employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to support our children and young people.