Learning Support Assistant in Bristol

Fixed term until 30th July 2027, 37 hours per week, Term-time plus 5 INSET days.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Working collaboratively with teachers to provide direct support to achieve defined progression targets in a child’s EHCP or IEP and in class plans.
• Delivering evidence-based interventions and activities, as directed by an EHCP, to support cognitive and skills development on a 1:1 and/or small group basis.
• As a Key Worker, providing empathetic and sympathetic listening, direct guidance, and the provision of appropriate positive feedback to the pastoral team.
• Supervising and encouraging safe behaviour of individuals and groups around the school.
• Adapting and scaffolding work (with teachers) as part of in-class support.
• The Key Worker will work with families and other professionals to support the overall physical, emotional and educational development of children with SEND.

Learning Environment Support:

• Developing pen portraits for their Key Worked children in line with their EHCP plans.
• Following guidance from the teaching staff to prepare, store, retrieve, sort and display materials, finished work, equipment, topic work plans and/or assignment documents to provide an effective learning environment.
• Promoting the required standards of achievement and performance, for individuals and groups within the classroom.
• Supporting the development of continuous improvement in both personal performances in the job and the work of the team.
• Assisting in the development, monitoring, reviewing and progression of children’s learning plans.
• Supporting access arrangements and assessment processes, recording, keeping and retrieving accurate records and following defined procedures.
• Working in a team to support continuity and consistency in the work of the Learning Support team which achieves the attainment of standards in learning progress by the school required by the Head and Governors, the LA and OFSTED.

Care and Support for Children with SEND:

• Attending to the day-to-day needs of children, inside and outside the classroom, by provision of personal, social, hygiene, welfare and behaviour support as needed and as directed by the SENDCO.
• Delivering planned intervention to promote the progress of individual children in attaining defined goals.
• Promoting effective pastoral care for individual children and groups, following defined procedures, and liaising with colleagues to create and retrieve accurate records to provide the basis for home/school liaison & contacts with other agencies.
• Reporting concerns about progress, identifying solutions, to the teacher and pastoral team.
• Maintaining regular communications with families.
• Assisting educational and therapeutic professionals in their delivery of specialist support programmes.
• Carrying out specified medical care procedures following direct specific training by a qualified practitioner.
• Assisting with the assessment by the teacher of individual children’s development through observation, creation and retrieval of records, discussion with colleagues and teachers to promote the social, emotional and behavioural standards defined by school and LA policies and procedures.

This job description sets out the key outcomes required. It does not specify in detail the activities required to achieve these outcomes.

What Excalibur can offer:

• Free parking onsite
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Free eye tests
• Employee Assistance programme
• Family friendly policies
• Training and professional development opportunities
• The hustle and bustle of beautiful Bristol on your doorstep

We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check is required for the successful applicant. Diversity and inclusion are promoted and valued. Applications from people of all backgrounds, who meet the job requirements, are welcomed and encouraged.

Excalibur Academies Trust is an equal opportunities employer. The Trust is proud to serve a diverse student and parent community. The aims of the Trust’s recruitment policy are to ensure that the best possible staff are recruited on the basis of their merits, abilities and suitability for the position; to ensure that all job applicants are considered equally and consistently; to ensure that no job applicant is treated unfairly on any grounds including race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or religious belief, sex or sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, disability or age; and to ensure that the School meets its commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people by carrying out all necessary pre-employment checks.

Please be aware, that we will review applications as we receive them and reserve the right to close this posting once suitable candidates have been found. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible in order to be considered.