The Catch22 Multi Academies Trust is the vehicle for our sponsorship of an expanding number of academies focusing on learners who can benefit from small, supportive alternative education provision.

Academy sponsorship is about using partnerships to provide specific expertise and skills to enhance standards. Catch22, with our existing wide experience of alternative education provision, brings a focus on academic and behavioural improvement leading to re-integration back to mainstream provision up to Key Stage 3, infrastructure support, improvement to pastoral provision and greater focus on preparing young people for the world of work.

We look to increase access to one to one and mentoring opportunities through a mixture of off-site and extra curricular events in order to improve the self-esteem and self-confidence of learners. We also implement speech and language development programmes.

We offer a full national curriculum as well as a nurturing environment for primary and vocational subjects for older students. We have high aspirations for all learners, with an expectation that all secondary learners will work toward achieving at least five GCSEs.

We are looking to expand our team of committed staff. The Everitt Academy is a Special Education school proposed by Suffolk County Council and sponsored by Catch22 Multi Academies Trust (MAT). The Academy opened in September 2017 and offers full time education and therapeutic support to 50 vulnerable children, aged 9 to 16-years-old with social, emotional and mental health needs that cannot be adequately supported in mainstream schools.

We  are looking for teaching assistants to work with Key Stage 2, 3 and 4 age children, with one to one intervention, small groups, and classroom settings of no more than 6 children.

You will engage in interventions both in and out of lessons,  fostering effective participation of students in the social, behaviour and academic processes of the school. Working with our team, you will implement behaviour management strategies and develop relationships with students who may be vulnerable and have complex needs. You will also need to liaise with other agencies to ensure that student needs are fully met, while supporting the teacher in the delivery of engaging and successful lessons.

As a Teaching Assitant, your main accountabilities will include:

• Working with individuals and groups of students, assisting in ensuring students are kept on task and complete activities set by the teacher.
• Dealing with behavioural and special needs issues in conjunction with the teacher.
• Delivering Special Educational Needs (SEN) interventions.
• Helping to implement lesson plans, aims and contents with the teacher.
• Providing feedback to students without reference to the teacher.
• Taking small groups of students for defined activities.
• Supporting and working with the teacher in testing/assessment.
• Providing individual student and group counselling.
• Providing detailed written reports when addressing complex student needs.
• Briefing and supporting new staff on the stage of development of students.
• Inputting to and participating in professional development of the school’s staff during in service delivery.

In addition you will:

• Take responsibility for small groups during the temporary absence of a teacher.
• Work externally to the school site, e.g. on trips, educational visits etc.
• Supervise students at breaks and lunchtimes.
• In conjunction with the teacher, liaise with parents on student progress.
• Physical intervention and de-escalation responsibilities.
• Undertake behaviour strategies in line with Catch22 policy.
• Adherence to charity safeguarding, child protection, health & safety and data protection policies.
• Ensure records are kept up to date.
• Undertake other duties as directed by management that are commensurate with the post.

To be succesful as a Teaching Assistant, you will need to be committed to advocating for our most vulnerable learners, inspiring and supporting children to learn and achieve. You will be resilient, patient and adaptable with good communication, literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. In addition, we are looking for:

Essential criteria:

• English and mathematics at GCSE / equivalent, minimum grade C.
• Experience of working with children that have additional complex behavioural needs.
• Experience of teaching children with EAL, SEN, speech and languages difficulties or other complex needs.
• High expectations of students’ behaviour and clear strategies for working with challenging students, motivating and encouraging children appropriately.
• An ability to work independently, supported by the teacher, with groups of or individual students.
• An ability to work with challenging students, understanding their needs and demonstrate effective behaviour management strategies as and when required.
• An ability to work at an advanced level with the teacher in planning and delivery of teaching activities (including those defined in Individual Education Plans).
• An ability to establish and maintain good relationships and rapport with internal colleagues and external contacts (e.g. parents, education phycologists).

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of supporting learning in an alternative provision environment.
• An understanding of curriculum, particularly literacy and numeracy requirements.
• An Ability to contribute to a specific curriculum area or areas.
• Evidence of successful work with disaffected and emotionally vulnerable students.
• An ability to apply knowledge and skills from training in practical classroom context.
• Knowledge of differentiation strategies.
• Knowledge of specialist qualifications or skills to deal with the needs of particularly challenging students.
• An ability to monitor and record student progress.

Salary: £16,327 - £20,409 (pro rata)

Contract: 37 hours per week for 41 weeks per year

Catch22 Multi-Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post. This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

As part of the pre-employment checks that are undertaken for this role, you will be asked to complete a Pre-Employment Medical Questionnaire. The questionnaire is confidential, and is screened by our Occupational Health Department, who will ensure that you are medically fit for this role before being formally offered the position.

Working Conditions include: 

• Working with children 9 – 16 years old
• Children with special needs and/or who demonstrate challenging behaviours
• Verbal abuse and/or aggression
• Physical Behaviour Management Techniques
• Lone Working