SEMH Learning Support Assistant

We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and energetic individual to work as a SEMH Learning Support Assistant for the SEND department.

Learning Support Assistants are a vital element in supporting the learning of our most vulnerable pupils on the SEN register. This is a full-time position for (5 days per week) and term time only (39 weeks per year) from 8:00-16:00.

St Catherine’s is a Catholic girl’s mainstream school with a range of pupils with special educational needs. The majority of pupils have social and communication difficulties including autism, dyslexia and social, emotional mental health. We are seeking to appoint someone with knowledge and experience of working with pupils who have SEMH and ideally someone who has experience of leading evidence based interventions to support the pastoral care for pupils. Currently pupils identified on the SEN register access a wide range of interventions including use of our wellbeing space, learning support centre, group Talkabout sessions and 1 to 1 tailored KITs and talking therapies. We would like to extend our therapeutic offer and would be interested in candidates who have delivered therapeutic support before. Staff at St Catherine’s benefit from an excellent team ethos. We encourage all staff to be active in their professional development and offer a comprehensive package of induction along with the opportunity to further develop skills and knowledge through training. We are committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and offer a programme of activities in support of this. At St Catherine’s Catholic School, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our young people and expect all staff to share this commitment. Appointments are subject to the completion of an enhanced DBS check and receipt of satisfactory references. We are an equal opportunities employer.

To be successful at St Catherine’s, you will:

commit to our supportive but challenging ethos and culture

thrive on working in teams but be able to work independently

constantly challenge yourself to become a better practitioner

be committed to our comprehensive extracurricular programme

be passionate about diversity and inclusion

demonstrate an unwavering commitment to Catholic education and the ethos of the school.

In return, we will offer you:

a school where students are keen to learn

a school where GCSE outcomes are consistently strong. This summer our students achieved outstanding results achieving a Progress 8 score of +.75 and an Attainment 8 score of 59.11.

an incredibly supportive group of colleagues and leaders

a personalised professional development programme delivered through twilight sessions and dedicated training days

fast track promotion opportunities

the chance to perform on a wider stage through our proud membership of the LSU group of schools and the Archdiocese of Southwark.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Ms Lindsay McDonagh, SENDCO/