Post Title: Special Needs Practitioner
Location: King’s Lynn, Norfolk
Salary Grade: NJC Scale 3 - 4
Contract: Permanent contract. Full and part time positions available
Responsible to: Class teacher
Responsible for: Pupils, team members
Our Partner School in King’s Lynn, Norfolk is an alternative education provision, passionate about helping students who have social, emotional and mental health challenges, in small groups. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a friendly school team of experts within their fields as a Special Needs Practitioner. The work is intensive requiring flexibility, sensitivity, patience and resilience.
You will be complementing the professional work of teachers by supporting learning activities, in line with school policies and guidance. This may involve supporting learning activities for individuals/groups or for whole classes. It will involve supporting assessment, recording and reporting on achievement, behaviour for learning, progress and development.
Special Needs Practitioner Support for Learning
• Organise appropriate learning environments and resources.
• Within an agreed system of supervision, support teaching and learning activities for individuals, groups or the whole class.
• Monitor and evaluate pupil responses to learning activities through a range of assessment and monitoring strategies against defined learning intentions.
• Record learning using a range of mechanisms.
• Provide objective and accurate feedback as required on pupil achievement, progress and other matters, ensuring the availability of appropriate evidence.
• Work within our Partner School in King's Lynn's behaviour policy to anticipate and manage behaviour positively, promoting self-control and independence.
• Escort and supervise pupils on planned educational visits and journeys.
• To provide for the management and care of pupils personal needs, e.g. toileting, changing, dressing, managing and implementing specific eating and drinking programmes.
• Promote the inclusion and acceptance of all learners within the classroom.
• Encourage learners to interact and work co-operatively with others and engage all learners in activities.
• Promote independence and employ strategies to recognise and reward achievement and self reliance.
• Provide feedback to learners in relation to progress and achievement
• Support the role of parents in pupils’ learning and contribute to meetings with parents to provide constructive feedback on learner progress/ achievement etc.
• Work collaboratively with professionals from other agencies to support pupil’s learning.
• Support or deliver learning activities, within an agreed system of supervision, adjusting activities according to pupil responses/ needs.
• Use ICT effectively to support learning activities and develop learners’ competence and independence in its use.
• Select and prepare resources necessary to lead learning activities, taking account of pupils’ interests and language and cultural backgrounds in King's Lynn, Norfolk.
Special Needs Practitioner Job Description
School Level Responsibilities
• Supervise pupils during break times (including before and after the pupils’ normal school day) and to plan and organise play and club activities as appropriate.
• Take part in Performance Management in order to identify and agree development and training needs.
• Within your contracted hours, and as identified in Performance Management Processes, undertake specific training such as may be required to enable you to provide the school with effective support. This may include accredited training. Training may be provided in or out of school.
• Within contracted hours, attend staff meetings as required.
• Respect the confidentiality of pupil information and respond sensitively to pupils' needs.
• Comply with and assist with the development of policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, quality assurance, confidentiality and data protection, reporting concerns to an appropriate person.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure all pupils have equal access to opportunities to learn and develop.
• Contribute to the overall ethos/ work/ aims of the organisation.
• Establish constructive relationships and communicate with other agencies/ professionals, in liaison with the teacher, to support achievement and progress of pupils.
• Recognise own strengths and areas of specialist expertise and use these to lead, advise and support others.
• To take reasonable care for own health and safety and any other person(s) who may be affected by acts or omissions at work, in accordance with Health & Safety legislation.
• To promote the protection and safeguarding of learners through the active implementation of relevant school policies and procedures with particular reference to: child protection policy, touch policy, positive behaviour policy, positive handling policy and the staff code of conduct, and to raise any concerns relating to such procedures which may be noted during the course of duty.
• You will be required to have a enhanced DBS certificate that will be re-checked every 3 years as per trust policy.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties from time to time as may be directed by the Headteacher or his/her nominee.
Special Needs Practitioner Special Conditions of Employment
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
- This job is exempt under the Exceptions Orders to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Appointment to this job is subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure being obtained, and any relevant cautions, convictions, bind over orders and warnings being considered.
- If the jobholder is arrested, summonsed for an offence or receives a conviction a bind over order or a warning given by a police force, they are required to inform the Headteacher of this fact immediately. Such information will be treated in confidence, so far as this is consistent with the safety of children, compliance with statutory child protection procedures and the school’s relevant policies. Failure to disclose such information may result in disciplinary action which could lead to the termination of the jobholder’s employment.
Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children and Young People
- The jobholder is required to follow all of the school’s policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding at all times, and to adhere to the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’. The jobholder must take appropriate action in the event that they have concerns, or are made aware of the concerns of others, regarding the safety or wellbeing of children or young people.
Health and Safety
- The jobholder is required to exercise their duty of care by taking responsibility for their own health and safety, and the health and safety of other people who may be affected by their acts or failure to act. Full guidance regarding health and safety is set out in the school’s Health and Safety Policy, and in any risk assessments relevant to the jobholder’s role or circumstances. Both can be accessed via the jobholder’s line manager, and the jobholder is required to comply with these and to use any protective clothing or equipment as instructed at all times.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
- The jobholder is expected to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation. Any information they have access to, or are responsible for, must be managed appropriately and any requirements for confidentiality and security observed. Information must not be disclosed to any person or Authority, for example a parent or the Police, without observing the correct procedure for disclosure as set out in the Academy’s Data Protection Policy. Nothing shall prevent the jobholder from disclosing information that they are entitled to disclose under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 as amended, provided that the disclosure is made in accordance with the provisions of that Act/s.
Equality and Diversity
- Our Partner School in King's Lynn is committed to equality and value diversity. As such the Academy and the Trust are committed to fulfilling their Equality Duty obligations and expect all employees to share this commitment. The Duty requires the school to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share characteristics, such as age, gender, race and faith, and people who do not share them. The jobholder is required to treat all people they come into contact with, with dignity and respect, and is entitled to expect this in return.
Training and Development
- The school has a shared responsibility with the jobholder for identifying and satisfying training and development needs. The jobholder is expected to actively contribute to their continuous professional development and learning, and to attend and participate in any training or development activities required to assist them in fulfilling their role and meeting their safeguarding and general obligations. The school operates a Strictly No Smoking or Vaping Policy. This applies to all school premises and those where school services are provided. The above-mentioned duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive, duties and responsibilities of the post may change as requirements and circumstances change. The post holder will be required to carry out duties as requested by management that are broadly within the level of the post.
Additional information
Inspire EHC & our partner school in King's Lynn, Norfolk are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All applicants are subject to a satisfactory enhanced check by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and at least two independent references.
Inspire EHC Ltd is an Equal Opportunities employer, Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live. We unable to provide Sponsorship at this time.
If you're ready to embark on an exciting journey of growth and impact, we invite you to join our team as a Special Needs Practitioner. Apply now and unleash your potential as you inspire and uplift the lives of pupils in our partner school in King's Lynn, Norfolk.