Learning Support Assistants

Job Title:  Learning Support Assistants (Ark Blake Academy)

Location:  East Croydon – Ten-minute walk from East Croydon station

Contract:  Permanent

Working pattern:  36 hours per week, 39 weeks per year (0.856 FTE)

Start date:  May 2024

Salary:  £22,464 - £25,582 based on Ark Support (Outer London) Band 5, scale points 5 – 13 (£26,243 - £29,886)

Closing date:  12.00pm on Wednesday 24^th April 2024 

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.  Early application is strongly advised.

Things are changing at Ark Blake. 

Do you want to be part of a new and developing team where you will help make a lasting impact on our students and unlock their life chances?

We currently have opportunities for exceptional Learning Support Assistants

Ark Blake Academy is a growing and successful academy based in East Croydon that opened in September 2020.  We are consistently oversubscribed in every year group and currently have students in Years 7–10.  We will continue to grow and look forward to our first cohort of students completing their GCSE studies in the summer of 2025.  We have recently welcomed a new Principal and a number senior and middle leaders to the Academy and are now wishing to recruit for further key roles to drive forward our ambitious plans.

At Ark Blake Academy, our mission for the school is to embed a powerful knowledge-rich curriculum and provide fantastic opportunities for character development, all underpinned by an environment where exemplary behaviour is the norm.  In terms of our school culture, it is based around the simple but powerful belief of ‘working hard, being kind and taking responsibility’.  We aim to become a leading school in London as quickly as possible by living out this day to day belief.

What we offer our staff?

• Collaborative planning, centralised or shared resources
• Clear and consistent behaviour systems
• Knowledge rich curriculum & traditional T&L approach
• Highly visible supportive leaders who have your back Centralised daily detentions
• Realistic and manageable feedback policy
• Excellent CPD opportunities – internal & within network Thoughtful and impactful meeting schedule with time for co-planning Friday afternoon co-planning following earlier student dismissal Free breakfast daily

Why Work at Ark Blake Academy?

Further information about working at Ark Blake can be found here.

The role:

The successful candidates will support students, parents and teachers to establish a supportive learning environment in which children make good academic progress.  You will be instrumental in our mission to provide every student, regardless of their background, with a great education and real choices in life.

As a Learning Support Assistant you will also assist with whole class teaching and provide cover for the teacher as required.

You may also be required to support students with a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), along with students with English as an Additional Language (EAL).  You will play a key role within the academy to promote student wellbeing. 

You may be asked to undertake basic First Aid/Medical duties and be assigned children with specific needs. 

The ideal candidates 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 students
• Flexibility, proactivity and a willingness to change approaches when necessary
• Deep commitment to Ark’s mission of providing an excellent education to every student, regardless of background
• Effective team membership
• A 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 ongoing professional development and training

For further information refer to the full job description and person specification.

Ark Blake Academy is part of Ark, one of the UK’s most successful school groups, with a network of 39 schools in 4 locations across the country.

As a proud member of the network, we offer:

• Twice as many training days as standard Weekly staff training designed to meet the needs of the school Protected co-planning and department meeting time
• Access to high-quality, regular professional development Opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the network

How to apply:

Please click here: https://arkblake.org/current-vacancies

For more information about our school, please visit: www.arkblake.org.  To arrange a confidential conversation about this role, or if you have any further questions please contact: v.rouse@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.

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 click this link.   

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.