Job title: Ark Blake Academy Visual Impairment Specialist Support Assistant
Location: East Croydon – Ten-minute walk from East Croydon station
Contract: Permanent; Part Time 2 days per week (15 hours), 39 weeks per year
Start date: September 2022
Salary: £10,157 (pro rata based on Ark Support Outer London Scale Point 18)
Closing date: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis
Opportunity for an exceptional candidate to be a Visual Impairment Specialist Support Assistant, shaping a new Ark secondary school in East Croydon.
Ark Blake Academy welcomed its first cohort of 180 Year 7 pupils in September 2020 and is already providing children in East Croydon with an excellent academic education, based on our strongly held values, for generations to come. Our Pastoral Team makes a significant contribution to the development of a highly aspirational culture at the Academy, enabling students with a variety of strengths and difficulties to reach their full potential.
At Ark Blake, we seek to transform lives through education. We believe that each of our pupils is born with unique potential for greatness and can take responsibility to achieve this. We believe that by aiming high, working hard and living according to Ark Blake’s values, our pupils can seize greatness, lead lives that bring fulfilment and strengthen their communities.
Exemplary behaviour and a spirit of ‘always learning’ have helped us to create a culture where greatness is the expectation. We now wish to add an exceptional Specialist Teaching Assistant for VI as a member of our talented and committed founding team. The successful candidate will share our relentless drive to provide excellent learning experiences for every pupil, both in and out of the classroom. They will share our vision for a school where pupils take responsibility to ‘seize greatness,’ achieve academic excellence and flourish as knowledgeable, confident, articulate, responsible citizens, who live according to Ark Blake values.
The role
The successful candidate will support the SENDCo in continuing to shape the academy’s pastoral team by effectively supporting targeted pupils with VI. Croydon Sensory Support Service will provide ongoing support and guidance.
The role will be specific to the support of pupils with visual impairment in the school. This will include adaptation of classroom materials and creation of brailed resources. It is likely to also involve in-class support for targeted pupils and regular liaison with classroom teachers. As a key worker for targeted individuals, the role may also involve support of extra-curricular activities and inspirational trips.
The successful candidate will grow with our school: we will develop you, providing one-to-one support, coaching and access to extensive network training. Please see the person specification for further detail. VI Specialist JD_PS.pdf
• Working alongside pupils with a vision impairment, providing curriculum support as required to promote their visual access and independence. Curriculum support will include working in the medium of Grade 2 fully contracted Braille.
• Producing tactile, large print or Braille materials to support visual access to the curriculum.
• Training and supporting pupils in their use of basic and advanced specialist ICT skills.
• Undertaking structured and agreed learning activities/teaching programmes, adjusting activities according to pupil response
• Contributing to record keeping relating to pupil development and progress
• Attending and contributing to discussions and meetings/case conferences/pupil reviews as required.
• Promoting the confidence and independence of pupils with a vision impairment
• Supporting the well -being of the pupils
You will demonstrate:
• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken
• Empathy, patience, reliability and consistency
• Genuine passion and a belief in the potential of every pupil and in particular SEND pupils
• Flexibility, proactivity and a willingness to change approaches when necessary
• Deep commitment to Ark's mission of providing an excellent education to every pupil, regardless of background
• Effective team membership
• High level of self-awareness and self-management in stressful situations
• Resilience, motivation and committed to achieving excellence
• Ability to be reflective and proactive in seeking feedback to constantly improve practice
• Commitment to regular and on-going professional development and training
For more information about our school, please visit: www.arkblake.org. To arrange a confidential conversation with the Principal about this role, please contact: hr@arkblake.org. Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in our academies. In order to meet this responsibility, we follow a rigorous selection process which will include questions about safeguarding. This process is outlined here, but can be provided in more detail if requested. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement for the role.