SEND Support Assistant

SEND at St Bede’s

St Bede’s has a strong track record of supporting the academic and pastoral development of all students. Our work with students with special educational needs has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) and Assistant SENDCo lead the SEND support team. In addition, we have five Lead SEND Support Assistants (SSAs), a team of SSAs and an administrative assistant. Our Lead SSAs are responsible for overseeing interventions for different groups of students. SSAs provide both in-class and 1:1 support for students with SEND. There is also an Exam Access Arrangement Specialist Assessor who oversees all exam access arrangement assessments and provision.

We believe that identifying, planning for and making appropriate provision to meet the needs of students with special educational needs is the responsibility of everyone. The SEND support team works closely with all staff to support this, providing guidance, helping staff to meet the needs of identified students within the mainstream curriculum, carrying out assessments and developing specialist support plans where appropriate.

St Bede’s is committed to the professional development of its staff and places a strong emphasis on staff wellbeing.

Full time SEND support staff are employed to work 36 hours per week for the 39 term-time weeks of the academic year (including INSET days).  Normal working hours are Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 16:10 or 08:00 - 15:40 with a 40 minute unpaid lunch break. Annual salary reflects the contractual hours and weeks per year and is calculated using a Surrey Pay formula which includes payment in respect of statutory annual leave allowances. Salary is paid in 12 equal monthly instalments.

There is no entitlement to take leave during term time. All holidays must be taken during school breaks.

Why work for us?

• St Bede's is a good place to work. Staff are friendly and supportive of one another: relationships between staff and pupils were recognised by Ofsted as 'exceptionally strong'.

• ECTs benefit from a well developed and comprehensive induction period programme. More experienced teachers are given the opportunity to participate in training which will help them to develop skills needed for middle and senior management roles.

• There are good on-site catering facilities. Staff are able to use the fitness facilities free of charge and to participate in sports activities.

• Music is a big part of school life and staff are welcome to join our senior choir and instrumental groups.

• We have a social event at the end of each term as well as occasional staff trips to the theatre.

• The school is situated in Redhill, a commuter belt town in the Surrey Fringe area. We are close to the M25 and there are good transport links to London and the South Coast from Redhill station which is about 15 minutes walk from the school. We also benefit from being within walking distance of beautiful countryside . Many staff live locally, others commute from Guildford, South London, Kent and East & West Sussex.