Address
SalaryOur Teaching Assistants are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things. There’s lots of ups and downs, and to some of our young people, sitting through a lesson can be a big win. We call these huge small victories and whilst they may seem small on the surface, they add up to make a big difference
Get out what you put in
You’ll be working with children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. You’ll be there to help them learn, develop their abilities and raise their self-esteem. You will need to be resilient and dedicated, but those huge small victories that you achieve will be something you’re really proud of.
It can be a tough journey, but the positive steps forward will more than make up for it. As a Teaching Assistant at Witherslack Group, you’ll get all the support you need to succeed. Your colleagues will be the best at what they do, the school environments will be well-resourced and we’ll be with you every step of the way, helping you build a rewarding teaching career.
One of the best environments in SEND
Lavender Lodge school resides within an 18th Century building in the heart of Mitcham. Our pupils come from many different boroughs to attend our school and are lucky to experience ‘a life changing love of learning.’ We are proud of our pupils and our dedicated team and pupils leave us with a sense of achievement. We were recently recognised as Good by Ofsted.
Skill set requirements –
- Must have worked with pupils who are autistic and have previous experience of this
- Needs to be able to communicate in a variety of ways as 70% of our pupils are non-verbal e.g. can use Makaton, picture display symbols – we use PEC’s and PODD, have experience working with non -verbal pupils
- Have worked with pupils who display challenging behaviour but would have the will and desire to support pupils to manage their behaviour and also for you to work to understand the function of the behaviour
- Be flexible to work with pupils from 4 through to 11 years old
- Be able to think outside the box in regards to delivering lessons. We have lots of tools to help support this, but our pupils need a bespoke and accessible curriculum
Have an awareness of autism strategies such as TEACCH, attention autism and use of PODD and be able to use these in practise
What we do for you
We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll get to bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:
- Training: A full induction and on the job training
- Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with full school holidays
- Progression: If career development is your thing, most of our head teachers and leaders have been promoted from within our group
- Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance – check out our benefits here
- Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance
- Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts
- Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here
- A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £2,000 bonus every time
- Contributory pension (matched up to 5%)
Bring your whole-self to work
Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves. You’ll be more than a Teaching Assistant, you’ll be able to connect with our pupils because of:
- Your ‘can do’ attitude – a team player who rolls up their sleeves to help others
- Ideally you’ll have experience working in a classroom, but if not, we can provide you will all the relevant training
- Your genuine passion for supporting children to learn and the impact it can have on their lives
- Your enthusiasm and expertise to support the teacher and work closely with our therapists
Interested in joining us?
Our young people deserve the best possible future and we feel the same about our teams. You deserve to have the career you want, with a purpose-led employer, in an environment that allows you to be yourself.
The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.
For a full job description and person specification, please see the attached document.
Special Education / Careers in Care / Careers in Special Education / Working with Children / SEMH / SEN / ASD
We are an independent co-educational Day school providing specialised education for children aged 4-12 years who hold statements of Special Educational Needs for Autistic Spectrum Disorders and associated social and communication difficulties.
We aim to be much more than just a school and are unique in our multi-disciplinary approach to working with children with Autistic Specrtum Disorders. We believe we can develop the global needs of our children, not just their education. We value the contribution each child and young person brings to the life of our school. Our aim is to unlock the full potential of each child by striving to create a school day that is motivating, rewarding and purposeful for each individual pupil. We recognise that successful learning is achieved through fun and positive experiences. Our school is a community in which everyone works happily and purposely together
It is our vision that by the end of their time at Lavender Lodge, all our children will have a sense of achievement, raised self esteem and will leave us with a positive attitude to future life and learning.
Our whole school ethos and vision
At Lavender Lodge school every pupil is valued as an individual
Our school provides a safe, secure and positive environment
Our school is welcoming and accepting
We strive to create a motivating school environment where learning is encouraged through participation and enjoyment.
We encourage enquiring minds by providing meaningful learning opportunities
We encourage our children to communicate with confidence
We promote effective and supportive relationships with parents and carers
Our school is a centre of expertise and excellence in the field of Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Our school is non-denominational but has an ethos which is Christian in character. We welcome children from all
religious denominations and faiths.
