FOXFIELD SCHOOL JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Teaching Assistant, Level 3 (TA3)

Basic Working Hours: 36 hours per week

The hours worked at Foxfield will be as follows:

Monday: 8.30 – 4.15

Tuesday: 8.30 – 4.15

Wednesday: 8.30 – 4.15

Thursday: 8.30 – 4.15

Friday: 8.30 – 4.00

This allows for a paid coffee break of 15 minutes each day and a 30 minute lunch break.

Level 3 Teaching Assistants are contractually required to work 190 days (term time) with the pupils plus attend a further five staff training days per school year.

Main Duties of the post

The post holder will fulfil the general duties of a TA3 as outlined in the generic job description drawn up by the Local Authority. This has however been adapted by Foxfield to relate to the particular needs of the school and its pupils. The current Job Description for Level 3 Teaching Assistants at Foxfield School is as follows:

As a member of the staff at Foxfield School, the Teaching Assistant Level 3 will be expected, during the normal week, to share in the corporate life of the school.

The TA3 may be required to provide cover for an absent teacher by leading appropriate activities within the class for a period of 3 days. This can include providing line management and direction to TA2’s and TA1’s within the class.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

1. Support for Pupils

To support pupils’ development and promote independence in a safe, secure, challenging environment employing strategies to recognise and reward achievement of self-reliance

To support the learning of individuals and groups of pupils as identified in the weekly curriculum planning and to act as a role model, setting high expectations

To focus on individual pupils to ensure their needs are being met within the group

To work with other staff to develop and implement the IEPs for pupils

To encourage pupils to interact and work co-operatively with others

To observe, record and support the development and progress of pupils to identify individual needs and difficulties and to feed back to pupils in relation to their progress and achievement

To promote the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils within the classroom

To encourage good personal hygiene and assist with necessary self-help skills (feeding, toileting, dressing, etc)

To meet the physical/medical needs of the pupil according to a pupil’s individual care plan whilst encouraging independence wherever possible. Medical needs include the administration of medicines by mouth or other medical procedures provided appropriate training has been given by an appropriate person.

To assist pupils from transport into school and back onto transport at the end of the day, as and where appropriate.

Assist pupils during pool activities

Support for Teachers

To plan with teachers the daily/weekly programme of lessons, activities and events in order to support pupils and adjust lessons/work plans as appropriate

Occasional supervision of the class in the course of short-term absences of teachers, focusing on maintaining good order and to keep pupils on task under the guidance of teaching staff and within an agreed system of supervision

To liaise with other professionals to ensure an appropriate learning environment

To set out, prepare, use and tidy equipment

To promote home school partnerships

To listen, support and discuss issues sensitively with parents and carers under the teacher’s supervision and to participate in feedback sessions/meetings with parents

To monitor and evaluate pupil’s responses to learning activities through observation and planned recording of achievement against pre-determined learning objectives

To provide objective and accurate feedback and reports as required to the teacher on pupil achievement progress and other matters ensuring the availability of appropriate evidence

To be responsible for keeping and updating records as agreed with the teacher, contributing to reviews of systems/records as required

In class to undertake marking of pupils work as agreed with the teacher and accurately record achievement/progress

To assist in assessment and tests as agreed with the teacher

To provide general clerical support, e.g. administer coursework, produce worksheets for agreed activities, etc.

To work with an established discipline policy to anticipate and manage behaviour constructively, promoting self-control and independence.

3. Support for the Curriculum

To prepare, plan and manage specific activities/teaching programmes, adjusting activities according to pupils’ responses/needs

To set out and prepare equipment indoors and outdoors

To implement local and national learning strategies, e.g. literacy, numeracy, early years and make effective use of opportunities provided by other learning activities to support the development of relevant skills

To support the use of ICT in learning activities and develop pupils’ competence and independence in its use

To help pupils access learning activities through specialist support

To determine the need for, prepare and maintain general and specialist equipment and resources

To liaise, help and support a curriculum area under the guidance of a teacher.

4. Support for the School

To promote the policies and ethos of the school, e.g. personal and social and to promote positive values, attitudes and good pupil behaviour, dealing promptly with conflict and incidents in line with established policy and encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their own behaviour

To display pupils work to reflect their achievement

To supervise pupils on outings and visits as required

To attend staff meetings as required

To be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security and to refer all concerns to the Headteacher, receiving training where necessary from the school

To treat all information relating to a pupil as strictly confidential, and to be aware of and comply with school policy and practice, receiving training where necessary from the school

To support and encourage students on childcare courses, work experience, teaching practice, etc.

To be a proactive member of the school and class team

To establish constructive relationships and communicate with other agencies/professionals in liaison with the teacher, to support achievement and progress of pupils

To provide appropriate guidance and supervision and assist in the training and development of staff as appropriate

To undertake planned supervision of pupils’ out of school hours learning activities

To attend relevant courses and learning activities in order to update knowledge as required

To take opportunities to develop own areas of interest and expertise and to use these to advise and support others or to organise specific projects

GENERAL

The Teaching Assistant may be called upon to perform other duties that the Headteacher considers reasonable, that are commensurate with the grading and designation of the post

Individual Responsibilities:

All Teaching Assistants at Foxfield have an individual area of responsibility within school. The exact nature of this responsibility and the duties involved are negotiated and kept under review. Time to carry out these duties is given within the working hours.

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