Teaching Assistant

Plymstock School is a vibrant, diverse, inclusive and ambitious community where staff and students, in partnership with their parents and carers, work towards our vision of achieving excellence through our curriculum and culture. This vision is aimed at giving every individual the best chance to thrive. We take inspiration from those in our community.

We strive to provide an environment full of integrity and knowledge, where students are dedicated to their work and are proud of what they do and who they are. A community full of students who think carefully and do things well.

Our ambition is to empower our young people, through education, to have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in life and make a positive difference to their communities. Our school culture is underpinned by our core values of ‘be kind, work hard and aim high’.

Our staff are the people who offer powerful and shared knowledge to the children who attend Plymstock School. That knowledge comes from centuries of learning, and from the research of universities and subject associations. It is powerful because it enables children to interpret and control the world. It is shared because all our children should be exposed to it. It is only fair and just that this should be so.

By moving along the path of our broad, balanced and ambitious academic and behaviour curriculum, students develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to pursue their personal and career ambitions. Our curriculum prepares our young people for the demands and challenges of our multicultural society, to be equipped for life in modern Britain and beyond. This progression is underpinned by a sharp focus on reading. Students read daily and are supported to develop a love of reading while accessing high quality and challenging literature. Where students find reading challenging, we provide them with the support needed to become competent and engaged readers.

We set clear rules for young people to teach them how to secure every benefit of a good education, to control their impulses, delay gratification, and exert self-discipline, often in the face of peer social norms that are powerful. We believe that students have the best opportunity to thrive within a framework of high expectations and clear routines to enable all students to consistently meet our school CORE expectations rooted in strong, respectful and positive relationships. Our pastoral care provision supports where students find it difficult to meet our CORE expectations. We endeavour to work in partnership with the student and the parent/carer to support.

Our academic and behaviour curriculum is also underpinned by a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. In addition, we offer cultural experiences beyond the school gates, including work experience, student leadership, trips and visits, and our annual Community Cohesion and Challenge Week programmes enabling our young people to further develop their skills, knowledge and experiences.

We are seeking a dedicated Teaching Assistant to join our friendly and supportive Special Educational Needs Department. Acting under the direction of the school's SENDCo, the successful candidate will provide general support to staff and pupils.

This is a permanent, part-time post - 27 hours per week (over 5 days) x 39 weeks per annum.

All appointments are subject to pre-employment checks. That means;

• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A copy of our Chid Protection Policy & Safeguarding Policy is available at: click here
• Your identify will be confirmed by sight of original, official documents such as Birth Certificate, Passport etc, in line with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996
• Original documents relating to all the qualifications you have listed on your application form must be supplied
• Your employment history will be thoroughly examined and clarification will be sought where there are gaps or other discrepancies arising from information provided either by you as the candidate or your referee
• References will be used to check dates of employment and your relevant experience. A minimum of two written references will be taken up and these references will be requested before the interview.
• References should cover the last 3-5 years' work history as a minimum
• An online search of shortlisted candidates will be conducted in accordance with Part Three "Safer Recruitment" of Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance
• The identity of referees and information relating to disclosures will be verified
• You will be required to provide details of any relevant unspent or spent convictions in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions (Amendment) Order 1986
• An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be requested. This check will be cross referenced against the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list (PoVA), the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) list and List 99. These lists contain details of people deemed unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adults. Please note that it is an offence to apply, offer or accept to do any work with children (paid or unpaid) if disqualified from working with children. Applicants will be challenged where inconsistencies exist.
• Please be aware that a firm offer of appointment will only be made after receipt and verification of all satisfactory checks. Westcountry Schools Trust will carry out these checks and should you fail these checks, our offer of employment will be withdrawn.