Teaching Assistant

Start date: As soon as possible

Location: Ark Alexandra Academy, Hastings, East Sussex

Salary: Ark Outside London Support Scale 5, Pay Points 5-12: £23,500 to £26,421 (pro rata)

Actual Salary: £20,213.94 - £22,726.49

Hours: 36 hours per week, 39 weeks per year (term time only)

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: 9.00 am on 01 November 2024

The school reserves the right to withdraw this advert if a suitable candidate is appointed before the closing date. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early for this role to avoid disappointment.

This is an opportunity to join our hard-working, dedicated SEND team in our growing academy. As a Teaching Assistant the successful candidate will enhance student learning and progress through classroom support and planning and delivering of intervention programmes to address the needs of students and remove barriers to their progress and development.

Our standards are high, and we need someone who can be a team player and flexible when supporting other colleagues. We need someone who is proactive, has excellent communication skills, is experienced in establishing successful learning relationships with young people and adults and has a genuine passion for and belief in the potential of every student. The ability to remain calm and professional under pressure in a busy environment is essential.

For more information please read the job description and person specification in the information pack available for download from here.

We’re looking for an individual who:

•  Has Maths and English GCSEs at grade C or above (or equivalent)
•  Has a Teaching Assistant qualification or the willingness to work towards
• Has a professional outlook, detailed orientated and able to multi-task and meet deadlines
• Can be resilient, calm and professional under pressure
• Has experience of removing barriers so students can progress
•  Has the ability to liaise with colleagues and external contacts at all levels of seniority with confidence, tact and diplomacy

Our school:

Ark Alexandra is a large secondary academy in Hastings, East Sussex and is the largest secondary in the successful Ark network. A popular school, we have grown to have over 1,500 students this year.

Our school is on an exciting rapid upward trajectory. Ark Alexandra operates as one school across two 6FE campuses. This creates the dual benefit of working within a small school family setting, whilst providing unique opportunities for growth, development and career opportunities that exist in a large school model. We continuously strive to maintain and further develop a safe, calm and purposeful environment, in which all children feel happy, secure and respected.

We take a traditional and research-based approach to education with a primacy placed on cognitive science, scholarship and what the best schools do. We are a no-nonsense school where staff can focus their efforts on teaching great lessons. Our focus on extra-curricular activities including DofE, Cadets and reward trips ensures our students benefit from a range of exciting opportunities.  

Ark Alexandra works closely with our feeder primary schools, Ark Blacklands, Ark Little Ridge and Ark Castledown, all of which have exceptional leadership graded as Outstanding by Ofsted, with Blacklands and Little Ridge being graded Outstanding in all areas.

As a Church of England school, our values of faith, excellence and kindness underpin everything that we do. We have an inclusive admissions policy that welcomes, without preference, students of all faith and none. Our vision is to create a truly great school for the young people in Hastings. We believe that everyone deserves to be accepted, included, and empowered to live a purposeful and fulfilling life.

What we offer:  

We offer benefits such as:

• Local Government Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Healthcare Cashplan
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to Ark Rewards, a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers

How to apply:

Please click 'apply' on the website you are visiting or go to https://arkalexandra.org/jobs/vacancies to complete an online application form. 

Please note: we are unable to accept applications via CV. We will also be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. Early application is strongly encouraged. You will be able to pause, save and log back in to complete your application up until the vacancy closes.

If you’re interested in further information about our school, please visit our website – www.arkalexandra.org.

To arrange an informal conversation about the role or an informal visit, please contact HR on ALEHR@arkalexandra.org   

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please download the information pack.