The Lighthouse School, Margate is part of the Acorn Homes Group and provides a blended academic and therapeutic education for SEN children. The school has recently received a Good grading from Ofsted and is rapidly developing new approaches and opportunities to support our young people.

The Teaching Assistant will:

• Work with class teachers to raise the learning and attainment of students
• Promote students independence, self-esteem and social inclusion
• Give support to students, individually or in groups, so they can access the curriculum, take part in learning and experience a sense of achievement

Duties and responsibilities

Teaching and learning

• Demonstrate an informed and efficient approach to teaching and learning by adopting relevant strategies to support the work of the teacher and increase achievement of all students including, where appropriate, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Promote, support and facilitate inclusion by encouraging participation of all students in learning and extracurricular activities
• Use effective behaviour management strategies consistently in line with the schools policy and procedures
• Support class teachers with maintaining good order and discipline among students, managing behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
• Organise and manage teaching space and resources to help maintain a stimulating and safe learning environment
• Observe student performance and pass observations on to the class teacher
• Supervise a class if the teacher is temporarily unavailable
• Teach small groups of students or 121 sessions, as directed by the Senior Leadership Team.
• Use ICT skills to advance students learning
• Undertake any other relevant duties given by the class teacher

Planning

• Contribute to effective assessment and planning by supporting the monitoring, recording and reporting of student performance and progress as appropriate to the level of the role
• Read and understand lesson plans shared prior to lessons, if available
• Prepare the classroom for lessons

Working with colleagues and other relevant professionals

• Communicate effectively with other staff members and students, and with parents and carers under the direction of the class teacher
• Communicate their knowledge and understanding of students to other school staff and education, health and social care professionals, so that informed decision making can take place on intervention and provision
• With the class teacher, keep other professionals accurately informed of performance and progress or concerns they may have about the students they work with
• Understand their role in order to be able to work collaboratively with classroom teachers and other colleagues, including specialist advisory teachers
• Collaborate and work with colleagues and other relevant professionals within and beyond the school
• Develop effective professional relationships with colleagues

Whole-school organisation, strategy and development

• Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of the schools policies, practices and procedures, so as to support the schools values and vision
• Make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school

Health and safety

• Promote the safety and wellbeing of students, and help to safeguard students well-being by following the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education and our schools child protection policy
• Look after children who are upset or have had accidents

Information about the school

We are a small non-maintained specialist school created to provide an inclusive and therapeutic learning environment for young people, aged 8-18, who are unable to access mainstream education and where the primary need is support for SEMH.

We aim to bridge the gap created by time lost in education by offering a personalised learning programme for our learners, who have frequently experienced disrupted education leading to disengagement, challenging behaviours and/or exclusions from a mainstream environment.

We aim to encourage our youngsters to re-engage in educational opportunities which meet their individual needs by means of one to one support, small group tuition or other interventions.

You will be joining a family owned company whos owner is a patron of the NSPCC. Acorn has an enviable reputation with local authorities for delivering good outcomes for young people and demonstrating resilience. Acorn Group also delivers education across two school sites (DFE registered), encompasses a Health and Well Being service which provides and delivers assessments and therapies. Acorn currently operate nine registered homes all rated Good or Outstanding and you would become a successful part of the team within the home with full support from an active and engaged Deputy and Manager, head office and senior management team.

We look forward to hearing from you

Acorn Group are committed to ensuring the safety of our young people is upheld at all times, therefore all positions require an enhanced disclosure and satisfactory references. As an employee of Acorn Group it will be expected that you demonstrate the same commitment, by following our policies and procedures, as well as attending all mandatory training.