Teaching Assistant

Harris Academy Rainham is a very popular and oversubscribed 11-16 academy which is part of the Harris Federation. We opened a Sixth Form for 400 students in September 2023 and are looking for ambitious and dedicated staff who wish to be a part of our Academy. At Harris Academy Rainham we have a dedicated group of staff who are deeply committed to serve our community. We have built a school on our core values of Belong, Believe, Become. These values are at the heart of our school and all that we do.

Summary

Harris Academy Rainham is looking for a Teaching Assistant to support individuals and groups of students at the academy, including those with SEND. This will involve supporting learning in the classroom and attending to students’ personal needs where required, including social, health, physical, hygiene, first aid and welfare matters. The actual salary for this role will be £25,394.21 - £25,756.54 (39 weeks per year, 37.5 hours per week).

Main Areas of Responsibility

• Supervising and supporting identified students in 1:1, group or whole class situations, ensuring their safety and access to learning in a purposeful and supportive learning environment.
• Assisting in developing resources, schemes of work and teaching strategies, working with the teacher to ensure the provision supports learning needs.
• Assisting in evaluating identified students’ progress and providing feedback on their achievements, progress and needs.
• Leading small group sessions and interventions as appropriate.
• Attending to students’ personal needs where required.
• Supporting with behaviour management.
• Undertaking learning activities/teaching programmes, adjusting activities to ensure achievement of learning goals.
• Assisting with the supervision of students out of lesson times, including playtimes and undertaking lunchtime duty.
• Supporting students with their learning and development in respect of local and national learning strategies.
• Preparing the classroom for lessons, clearing afterwards and assisting with the display of students’ work.
• Preparing and maintaining resources and assisting students in their use.
• Undertaking record keeping as requested.
• Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with parents/carers, gathering and reporting information as directed.
• Providing administrative support as required.
• Accompanying teaching staff and students on visits, trips and off site activities as required.

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualifications to degree level or equivalent.
• Basic knowledge of SEND and learning barriers.
• Some knowledge of strategies in working with young people with challenging behaviours.
• Knowledge of some of the social issues facing students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Awareness of Health and Safety issues in the workplace.
• Experience of working directly with young people in an education or training environment, supporting the learning of students.
• Experience of establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with a range of stakeholders, at all levels.
• Experience of managing and being responsible for own workload.
• Good literacy and numeracy skills.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, with an excellent standard of written and spoken English.
• Good administrative and organisational skills.
• Ability to interest, encourage, motivate and engage children.
• Ability to work effectively with team members across a wide range of levels and responsibilities.
• Good ICT skills, including a working knowledge of Microsoft packages and the ability to update records and databases.
• Ability to work using own initiative, exercising good judgement where unsupervised.
• Flexibility of approach to work.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercising tact and diplomacy.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level. In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation. Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.