Summary
We are looking for an experienced Teaching Assistant to join our team at Harris Academy Wimbledon.

About Us
We are an ‘Outstanding’ (Ofsted 2023) secondary academy, established in 2018 to provide an excellent education for children in Wimbledon. With our new Sixth Form that opened last year, we will soon have a full cohort of students aged 11-18.

Two years after opening, we moved into our brand-new building which is modern, bright and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in every area of the curriculum. We are oversubscribed and fortunate to have an amazing level of support from the community with waiting lists for entry into every year group of our academy.

Harris Academy Wimbledon promotes high levels of academic achievement across the curriculum, encourages participation in extra-curricular opportunities and empowers students to make decisions wisely. The curriculum is rich, diverse and personalised ensuring every student achieves his or her true potential. Academic success goes hand-in hand with a rich variety of enrichment and extra-curricular activities; these help foster a spirit of aspiration, resilience and joy in learning.

Professional learning is at the heart of the academy, supporting all staff in their development. The academy has a growth mindset approach where industry and commitment are seen as cultural virtues. Development of resilience, self esteem, managing risks/consequences and the ability to work effectively together all form a key part of the pastoral provision.

We are looking for a hardworking, ambitious and dynamic Teaching Assistant to join Harris Academy Wimbledon at this exciting time. You will have excellent opportunities to engage in wider Harris Federation academy improvement and professional development activities.

There is a great deal of collaborative working and sharing of good ideas about what works within secondary academies at Harris. The successful candidate will be joining a friendly and outward looking group where professional development and progression opportunities are second to none.

Main Areas of Responsibility
As a teaching assistant at our academy, you will:

• Be responsible for a small group of students who are on the reading recovery programme to improve their reading ages
• Support in the school library as and when needed
• Establish good relationships with students, acting as a role model and being aware of and responding appropriately to individual needs
• Encourage students to interact with others and engage in activities led by the teacher
• Set challenging and demanding expectations, promoting self-esteem and independence
• Prepare and maintain equipment/resources as directed by the teacher and assist students in their use
• Undertake student record keeping as requested
• Attend relevant meetings as required
• Accompany teaching staff and students on visits, trips and off-site activities as required

Qualifications & Experience
We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Experience working with children of relevant age
• Experience of working with students with additional needs
• Experience of delivering literacy and reading/writing recovery programmes
• Understanding of the school curriculum.
• The ability to assess progress and performance.
• The ability to understand and support the importance of physical and emotional wellbeing
• The ability to maintain intervention records

Next Steps
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Rewards & Benefits
Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities
The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Job Reference: HF05039-HAWI