EOTAS - PDMU Curriculum Teacher with Transistion Support Responsibilities in Newtownabbey

PDMU and General Subjects Teacher within Transition Support in Loughshore EOTAS Centre. Full time teacher.

REPORTS TO: Loughshore EOTAS Head of Centre

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Delivering History and general subjects (GCSE & LEVEL 2) to pupils with social, behavioural, emotional and wellbeing needs, delivering transition support and possible outreach within schools and other duties required within the role to support young people referred to the service.

JOB PURPOSE: Education Otherwise than at School (EOTAS) provision is a multi-disciplinary and partnership approach offering support for young people who have social, behavioural, emotional and wellbeing (SBEW) needs. An EOTAS team usually consists of teachers, youth workers and support staff who will engage with wider agencies and services to provide a nurturing, practical and structured learning environment for children and young people based on their individual needs. The EOTAS Transition Support Teacher will support children and young people accessing EOTAS provision as part of the EOTAS Transition Support programme. They will facilitate successful transitions into, within, and from educational settings. The postholder will work collaboratively with pupils, families, schools, external agencies, and EOTAS staff to promote engagement, wellbeing, attendance, achievement, and positive outcomes.

• Develop positive and supportive relationships with children and young people.
• Assist pupils experiencing barriers to education, including anxiety, social, emotional, behavioural, or attendance difficulties.
• Support individual transition plans tailored to pupils' needs.
• Provide mentoring, encouragement, and practical support to improve engagement with learning.
• Monitor progress and identify emerging concerns.

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, self-driven, suitably qualified and experienced teacher, who will teach and deliver their subject, alongside the EOTAS Transition Support programme, as well as supporting contact with attending pupils’ mainstream schools. You will be responsible for curricular design, monitor and assessing pupil progress to ensure the best possible outcomes for individuals. You will also be required to offer pastoral support to pupils through their learning. A commitment to the nurture ethos within EOTAS and the desire to make a difference to the education and lives of our young people by building positive, supportive and nurturing relationships is essential.

The role may require off-site working, when required, and engagement with referring schools. The successful candidate will be required to support the wider EOTAS provision and may be required to work across other EOTAS Centres; within a reasonable distance.

Successful applicants will be expected to play a full part in supporting and shaping the Education Authority’s (EA) regional EOTAS programme. This may include leading on a curriculum/pastoral or therapeutic area which may encompass establishing or extra-curricular activities, attending multi-disciplinary meetings, support interventions, supporting examinations, attending service training as directed or any other behavioural support as required.

This is an excellent opportunity for a teacher who is interested in teaching and supporting students who experience social, behavioural, emotional and wellbeing (SBEW) needs that present a barrier to learning and personal development. If you are committed to bringing out the best in every young person to improve their life outcomes, then we welcome your application.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Planning
• Planning and preparing programmes of study lessons and outreach support.
• Teaching, according to educational and SBEW needs of pupils, including the setting and marking of work completed by pupils.
• Assessing, recording and reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils.
2. General
• Promoting the progress and well-being of individual pupils and of any class or group of pupils assigned to him/her; in line with the pastoral care policy.
• Providing advice and guidance to pupils on educational and social matters and on their further education and future careers including information about sources of more expert advice on specific questions, making relevant records and reports.
• Making records of and reports on the personal and social needs of pupils.
• Communicating and consulting with the parents of pupils; be a link/form teacher to support a small group of pupils.
• Communicating and co-operating with such persons or bodies outside the centre as may be approved by the employing authority and the Governance group.
• Participating in meetings arranged for any of the purposes described above.
• Make the necessary links with referring schools in the locality as required by the Head of Centre/service needs.
3. Assessment/Reporting
• Providing or contributing to oral and written assessments, reports and references relating to individual pupils and groups of pupils except in instances where to do so might be regarded as compromising a teacher’s own position.
4. Staff Development/Professional Development
• Participating, if required, in any scheme of staff development and performance review.
• Reviewing from time to time his/her methods of teaching and programmes of work.
• Participating in arrangements for his/her further training and professional development as a teacher.
• Advising and co-operating with the Head of Centre and other teachers on the preparation and development of courses of study, teaching materials, teaching programmes, methods of teaching and assessment and pastoral arrangements.
• Participate in duties which may be required from time to time by the Head of Centre/ Adviser/ Head of Service.
5. Discipline/Health and Safety
• Maintaining good order and discipline among pupils in accordance with the policies of the employing authority and safeguarding their health and safety both when they are authorised to be on the school premises and when they are engaged in authorised school activities elsewhere.
• Participating in meetings at the centre which relate to the curriculum for the centre or the administration or organisation of the provision, including pastoral arrangements.
6. Public Examinations
• Participating in arrangements for preparing pupils for public examinations and in assessing pupils for the purposes of such examinations; recording and reporting such assessments; and participating in arrangements for pupils’ presentation for and supervision/invigilation during such examination.
7. Review and Development of Management Activities/Administration
• Taking such part as may be required of him/her in the review, development and management of activities relating to the curriculum, organisation and pastoral functions of the school/provision.
• Participating in administrative and organisational tasks related to such duties as described above, including the management or supervision of persons providing support for the teachers in the school and the ordering and allocation of equipment and materials.
• Registering the attendance of pupils and supervising pupils, whether these duties are to be performed before, during or after school sessions.
• Use the relevant school’s digital system for the recording of attendance and information as per service need.

Terms and Conditions: Teachers’ (Terms and Conditions of Employment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 shall apply to teachers employed in grant-aided schools/provisions, peripatetic teachers and supply teachers. Further information is available on the DE website.

Fixed-term posts: Please note that the post availability indicates how long a post will be vacant at the time of going to press and does not necessarily indicate the commencement date of any contract. Fixed Term contracts may be subject to extension or may be reduced for any valid reason unless otherwise indicated. Certain circumstances may arise where the successful candidate will not be employed for the full period of availability e.g. Due to incomplete pre-employment checks at the commencing availability date.

The successful applicant must have a valid driving licence and the use of a car or other suitable form of transport as and when necessary to facilitate the requirements of the job in a reasonable and effective manner. A mileage allowance will be paid for approved necessary travelling.

This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS:

• You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
• You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
• The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
• Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
• Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
• In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed.

Section 1 - Essential Criteria:

• Qualifications: Hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland.
• Experience: Have experience teaching ICT and General Subjects in a Post Primary environment.
• Skills / Abilities: Have the ability to deliver Occupational Studies to Level 2.
• Other: The successful candidate will be required to have access to a suitable vehicle that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner.
• Other: Be registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) before taking up post.

Section 2 - Essential Criteria:

• Knowledge: Demonstrate the knowledge required to support the learning of pupils identified as having social, behavioural, emotional or wellbeing needs.
• Experience: Demonstrate experience of working in a multi-disciplinary capacity to support young people identified with SBEW.
• Skills/Abilities: Demonstrate an understanding of procedures relating to the code of practice for SEN and child protection within an educational setting.
• Values Orientation: Demonstrate a recognition of the nurture ethos practised within EOTAS and EA’s core values.

Section 3 - Desirable Criteria:

• Qualifications /Experience: Possess a post graduate degree relevant to supporting young people with SBEW or SEN.
• Have experience, in a paid capacity of supporting and providing advice and guidance to schools.
• Have experience, in a paid capacity, of delivering and pupil support programmes in schools.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND: The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background.

APPLICANT GUIDANCE NOTES: To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here.