Teaching Assistant

Smith’s Wood Academy is a large academy with just over 900 students from Year 7 to Year 11. Located in the north of Solihull, the academy serves students who live in the immediate locality.

Due to the changing cohort of our students needs, we are looking at add additional capacity within the SEND department. This comes shortly after the increase in leadership roles within SEND, enabling the academy to ensure that Students are able to access the support they are entitled to. You will be joining an experienced, dedicated SEND team.  This is an opportune moment to join the SEND team at Smith’s Wood Academy as SEND provision undergoes extensive changes to address the changing SEND needs of our Students.

We are looking for a dedicated individual who is proactive, patient and nurturing. You will need to be committed to making a difference to the lives of our Students and support their development holistically. Your intervention and support will enable pupil progress in a range of ways, including socially, emotionally and academically. 

This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who enjoys supporting children and young people and is committed to being instrumental in helping them reach their potential. You will work both inside the classroom and outside the classroom delivering tailored interventions for individuals or groups of pupils.  

The role will require you to become a ‘Key Worker’ working with an identified number of SEND Students who will be on your caseload. You will become the expert on these Students and the main point of contact for the child/young person and their families, enabling you to develop strong positive relationships. The successful candidate will be a committed member of the SEND team with exceptional organisational skills. You will have the ability to support learning and teaching; develop relationships; and contribute to the changing provision for Students with SEND at Smith’s Wood Academy. 

We welcome applications from applicants with a range of experience working with children and young people, from varying settings. 

In return we will offer you:

• Access to support and guidance from other subject leaders across the MAT and form subject expertise within the Academy SLT
• Bespoke Continual Professional Development (in the academy and online via the National College)
• Perkbox example benefits;
• Discounts at nationwide retailers
• Gym discount
• Cinema discounts
• Employee assistance programme
• Up to 4 structured counselling sessions per year
• A MAT wide focus on staff well-being

Our vision is that every child within the Trust, regardless of their background, will attend an Academy that offers an outstanding quality of education which means to us:

• Every child is recognised as an individual and has access to first-class pastoral care because we want them to be happy
• Every child benefits from a wide range of enriching opportunities because we place great emphasis on their personal development
• Every child benefits from dedicated leaders, teachers and staff who a relentless in their ambition to improve the quality of teaching in our academies because we know excellent teaching is key to transforming the futures of our students
• 
  

This is an ideal opportunity for a colleague who is ambitious, creative and enthusiastic about helping students to learn in a strong supportive environment.

Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will therefore be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) as well as providing evidence of qualifications.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of[1]offenders-act-1974

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of%5b1%5doffenders-act-1974