Early Years/Primary Teaching Assistant

Early Years/Primary Teaching Assistant Vacancy for  –  February 2024

PCD7 - £26,421 – £27,334 Pro Rata for Term Time working (inclusive of 70JWC)

Fixed Term until July 2024

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, flexible and qualified classroom practitioner to join our growing school team in our early years/primary classes. We are open to applicants with full or part-time availability and those with experience working with students with additional needs in early years or primary settings.

Sandgate is a special school for children and young people between the ages of 3-19 years on two Kendal sites.

Up until the age of 14, students are educated at the Sandylands Road site. Our older students make the transition up to the Sandgate at Queen Katherine school site where they are taught in and around a busy secondary school environment in their own classroom bases.

Our school has a large catchment area and accepts students with severe, profound and complex needs. Our students are diverse in terms of their abilities, interests, strengths and sense of humour and therefore, our staff team have a range of experience. We are motivated to offer training opportunities to support our staff to meet the needs of students while progressing with their career journey.

Students often need help throughout the day in terms of support in lessons, managing their own needs, help with feeding, dressing and toileting and learning how to communicate and interact appropriately with others. No two days are the same.

Our growth as a school shows that we are very forward thinking and enjoy working with partners to ensure that we are meeting the growing needs of our students in school and county wide.

Sandgate offers staff a range of benefits. As well as being an integral member of a reputable and trail blazing school, you will have access to:

• Ongoing professional development opportunities
• Mentoring from colleagues within your team
• Variety of students working within a vast array of curriculums and styles of learning to diversify your educational knowledge
• An internal HR and Pay advisory service
• Employee benefits including self-referral for occupational health support including mental health and physical health as well as physiotherapy
• Cycle to work scheme
• Vouchers and discounts for supermarkets, cinema tickets, high street and online retailers as well as much more
• A great pension scheme with high employer contributions

Sandgate School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  Appointment will be subject to (1) satisfactory health checks, (2) references, (3) an Enhanced DBS check and (4) satisfactory completion of a staff suitability declaration form and (5) a self-declaration form will be required from all shortlisted candidates. Online searches are recommended by Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022. The recruitment team will carry out the online search and this is part of due diligence and carried out on any shortlisted candidates. Searches are to be done in line with GDPR UK/ DPA 2018 as a regulatory requirement.  The school is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

• The closing date for applications is 9am on Thursday 25^th January 2024. Candidates who have been shortlisted for interview will be informed by the end of the week
• Interviews will take place the following week.
• Role start date: to be discussed at interview.
• This is a Fixed Term position until July 2024 due to school funding (however, as Sandgate is in a continued period of expansion, employment contracts will be extended following a successful probation period and role specification objectives being met successfully)

Those wishing to apply:

• should complete an application pack which can be found either on our school website http://www.sandgateschool.org.uk/information/job-vacancies/ or by emailing vicki.lowis@sandgateschool.org.uk
• Application forms are also available at: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/Content/Internet/535/615/6919/42597171052.pdf
• you should email the completed form to: vicki.lowis@sandgateschool.org.uk

You may alternatively wish to print out and complete your application form by hand and post this directly to school, to address: Sandgate School, Sandylands Road, Kendal, LA9 6JG Please label your envelope clearly with: TA APPLICATION PACK