The Role

Join our dynamic school community as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant! At Co-op Academy Southfield, we are committed to providing a nuturing and stimulating learning environment where every child can reach their full potential. We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Higher Level Teaching Assistant to join our team and play a key role in supporting our students and colleagues. If you are passionate about education and enjoy working with children, this could be the perfect opporyunity for you.

At Co-op Academy Southfield we are looking for an ambitious and hard-working individual to join a busy team within primary phase. The purpose of the role is to work in partnership with class teachers to support learning in line with the national curriculum, codes of practice and academy policies and procedures. You will also provide small group interventions using specific programmes as directed.

The main duties will involve:  

•  To provide cover when required for teacher absence.
•  To work under the guidance of the class teacher to support teaching and learning in the classroom
•  To provide general support to the class teacher in the management and organisation of the pupils and the classroom
•  To run small group interventions to close gaps or to meet specific SEND/SEMH needs
•  To assist the teacher in creating and maintaining a purposeful, orderly and supportive learning environment
•  To promote the inclusion of all pupils ensuring they have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop
•  To be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people within school
•  Promote positive pupil behaviour in line with academy policies for culture for learning
•  Monitor and record pupil responses and learning achievements, resolving all but the most complex problems independently

Our ideal candidate will have: 

• excellent communication skills and be able to build good relationships with young people and adults 
• an ability to deal with students and staff so that they feel they have been dealt with consistently and fairly
• an ability to convey authority and earn students respect, with the ability to make good decisions really fast.
• the ability to show initiative whilst knowing when to take advice
• good judgement over matters of confidentiality and integrity in dealing with sensitive information about students
• strong IT skills with the ability to positively respond to training in the use of school IT packages.

Why us?

Co-op Academy Southfield is an inspiring place to work and learn, as part of the Co-op Academies Trust, Southfield aims to secure excellence in all aspects of its work. It is one of thirty schools in the Trust, and one of three Special Schools. All schools in the Trust demonstrate a strong commitment to cooperative values and principles. It is therefore vital that applicants are willing to fully embrace these, embedding them into the learning experiences for students and use them to drive up academic standards further. The Trust is a successful and highly collaborative partnership of schools committed to raising the educational ambitions of the communities it serves. Our academy offers an outstanding, inclusive and inspirational learning experience for pupils aged 11-19 with a wide range of complex educational and medical needs. The academy is designated for up to 360 pupils and students with Severe Learning Difficulties, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

All our values are based upon the values of the Co-op Group, which will inform our behaviours.

Self-help: We do not expect to be spoon fed – we will try to do things for ourselves in the right way and at the right time.

Self-responsibility: Everyone should act in a responsible way around the academy site and in the local community. We take responsibility for our own learning; we want to become independent learners.

Equality: We are proud to be part of a very multicultural academy, with students from all over the world; it is important that we treat each other with respect and accept that others may be different from ourselves. We should all of us have equal chances to succeed.

Equity: We want to look for the best in each other. Rewarding others fairly to encourage all types of achievement.

Democracy: We will contribute our ideas to make the academy a success.

Solidarity: We can achieve more by working together, rather than as individuals.

Our Values

Being part of the Co-operative Group, we are both guided and driven by the Co-op values which are embedded in everything that we do within our Academy - We strive to demonstrate the following ethical values in everything we do - they are our ‘Ways of Being’:

Succeed together

Do what matters most

Be yourself, always

Show you care

So, if you believe in our values, we would love to hear from you! 

We offer a wide range of benefits and rewards to recognise the part you play in our success:

Benefits include:

Our employee benefits package includes:

• You’ll get being a Co-op member, you’ll get a Co-op colleague discount card. This gives you a 10% discount in our Co-op Food stores.
• Co-operative flexible benefits (discounted line rental and broadband package, family care advice and cycle to work scheme)
• Discounted gym membership and leisure activities which includes discounts on Merlin Entertainments (Sea Life, Legoland etc), Virgin Experience Days, SuperBreak and many more!
• Co-operative Credit Union: save directly from your salary and receive a competitive dividend. Borrowers can benefit from very competitive interest rates & terms (in comparison with other high street lenders)
• Co-op Funeralcare benefit
• Season ticket and rental deposit loans

And More! 

For more information about the Co-op Academies Trust, please visit: www.coopacademies.co.uk

The Trust is also committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage or civil partnerships.

Qualifications