1:1 SEND Teaching Assistant

About the role

Gaddesden Row JMI School: Pupils treasure their small and happy school. Everybody cares for each other, and this makes the school feel ‘like a family’ (OFSTED 2023).

Situated in the middle of the beautiful countryside of the Gaddesden Estate, we frequently work in partnership with neighbouring village schools, and our close and committed team works hard to capitalise on our unique environment. Children benefit from small class sizes in all year groups. More than half our pupils travel to us from the nearest town, Hemel Hempstead, whilst others come from the surrounding villages. The school  has a recent 'Good' rating from Ofsted, commenting: 'Parents and carers overwhelmingly support the school and .. leadership. It is to your credit that 100% of parents … would recommend this school to others. They say their children are happy, well cared for and make good progress.’ 

At Gaddesden Row School:

• We are a close-knit community with a supportive family ethos;
• All staff work together as a team and value each other’s strengths; 
• We give strategies to reduce teacher workload and promote a work-life balance;
• All children work hard and are committed to their learning;
• We have well behaved pupils;
• A wealth of support for professional development is offered;
• We have dedicated colleagues who work together;
• We have small class sizes that allow us to focus on personalised learning;
• We have a rural and calm environment in which to work.

We are looking for an individual who:

• Is a committed practitioner with high expectations of our children and of themselves;
• Is passionate about teaching and learning and has the ability and dedication to make a difference to children’s learning and become an outstanding member of our team. 
• Is passionate and committed to helping children develop their social skills and self-confidence. 
• Is hardworking, flexible, a team player and has a sense of humour;
• Is able to work on their own initiative and manage and organise their time effectively;
• Can confidently communicate with parents, carers and class teachers to keep them informed of a child's/pupil's progress. 
• Prior knowledge of BSL or, a willingness to immediately learn sufficient BSL to understand the child. 
• Experience of working with a nonverbal child would be desirable. 
• Ability to actively facilitate a child's access to the curriculum.
• Ability to understand and use an EHCP as a working document and follow its requirements.
• Willingness to assist with personal care.
• Willingness to be trained in monitoring hearing technology. 
• Willingness to assist in pushing a wheelchair for longer outings.

Gaddesden Row is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All post holders are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a Criminal Record Declaration Form prior to interview.

A visit to the school is encouraged. Please contact David Merriman (headteacher) via email address: head@gaddesdenrow.herts.sch.uk or call 01582 840376 to arrange a suitable time.

We are committed to keeping our children safe, and therefore successful candidates will not be able to start in post without a satisfactory enhanced DBS, Health Check and references.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possibe as the school reserves the right to close the advert should we feel able to appoint an appropriate candidate.