SEN Teaching Assistant (Outdoor, Land and Craft Curriculum)
Based in Sheffield
SEN Teaching Assistant (Outdoor, Land and Craft Curriculum)
40 Hours per week, 40 weeks per year
Full Time Equivalent Salary - £26,103 per annum
Actual Salary for working 40 hours, 40 weeks - £22,902 per annum
(This salary includes a market supplement for Teaching Assistants)
Fixed term contract for 1 year
Brantwood Specialist School is an exciting and innovative provision which offers full time education to children who have significant/complex social, emotional or educational difficulties.
At Brantwood Specialist School students will learn through a dynamic outdoor land and craft-based curriculum, which includes practical skills; textiles, green woodwork, pottery, cooking and blacksmithing with a significant period of time involved in growing biodynamic produce in the school gardens and looking after the farm animals.
The key duties of this role will include:
- To provide one to one support to learners with learning difficulties and/ or learning disabilities and challenging behaviour.
- To help students adjust to their new settings, recognise signs of distress and offer reassurance, and to promote and encourage the acceptance and inclusion of all pupils within the classroom and school; thereby, developing and reinforcing students’ self-esteem.
- To encourage students to interact with others and engage in activities led by the Teacher.
- To supervise and support students to ensure their safety and access to learning and facilitate students’ physical, emotional and educational development.
- To establish and promote supportive and productive relationships with students: acting as a role model and being aware of, and responding appropriately to, individual needs.
You will need to be:
- Honest, reliable, an excellent communicator, resilient, hard-working, versatile, and a great team player
- You must be keen to improve your own knowledge and skills in a genuinely unique educational environment
- Experienced in, or willing to develops skills in, supporting the delivery of our unique curriculum
You must have:
- Experience of working with children in an educational setting
- Knowledge of how children learn and an interest in developing the whole child. Good levels of literacy and numeracy skills. (e.g., GCSE Maths and English, or equivalent)
- An interest in / or skills in working in the outdoor environment
- A desire to learn and a passion for working with children and young people with additional needs
- A patient, caring, compassionate and child-centred approach
- Emotional intelligence and resilience with the ability to react calmly in challenging situations
- Excellent observation skills and the ability to problem solve and think creatively to enable our children and young people to reimagine their potential
Brantwood Specialist School is located on the outskirts of Sheffield. In addition to the main campus, it includes a smallholding and a theatre/performing arts space. The curriculum at Brantwood includes clay work, jewellery making, felting and weaving, forge work and green woodwork. Brantwood Specialist School is part of Ruskin Mill Trust.
Established in 1984, Ruskin Mill Trust is an educational charity that operates in England, Scotland and Wales.
We offer exciting outdoor learning environments, utilising practical land and craft activities to support the development of work and life skills in young people with autistic spectrum conditions and other learning differences. Our research-led method, Practical Skills Therapeutic Education, is inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner, John Ruskin and William Morris. Working with hand, head, heart and place, Ruskin Mill Trust helps individuals to re-imagine their potential.
Working at Brantwood Specialist School is rewarding and in return, we offer competitive salaries with progression in pay once qualified. In addition, staff receive:
- A comprehensive and interactive induction, an excellent personal development plan and extensive training to include Autism, Attachment, Emotional Resilience, Holistic Support, Practical Skills Therapeutic Education (PSTE), CPI (Safety Intervention) training and more
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Lunch provided during term time eaten as a team with the students
- Health cash plan & Employee Assistance Programme via Medicash
In return, we offer significant personal development opportunities to work within a holistic organisation that is complex and growing.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Level Disclosure as well as a medical check, references, evidence of qualifications, plus verification of the right to work in the UK.
We recommend applying earlier as we may review applications as they are received and therefore may close the vacancy if filled before the advertised closing date.
