Teaching and Learning Assistants

Newcastle Bridges School
Drayton Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE3 3RU

Are you seeking a new role?

Newcastle Bridges School is looking to appoint both permanent and fixed term Teaching and Learning Assistants to join our friendly and committed team, making a real difference in the lives of our pupils.

This role is perfect for a positive and professional individual with:

• NVQ Level 3 DfE recognised Teaching Assistant, SEND Assistant, EYFS or Childcare qualification or higher qualification with relevant experience
• Experience of advancing progress of pupils within a learning environment
• The ability to work constructively as part of a team and with a flexible approach to work

As a valued member of our team, you will:

• Provide classroom support to pupils in close collaboration with teachers, other school staff and supporting professionals
• Lead, as planned and directed by the teacher, with whole group, individual or small groups of pupils
• Respond positively and effectively to unexpected problems and situations

Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details of the duties and requirements of the role.

Sound like the job for you? If so, read on!

Newcastle Bridges School provides excellent educational opportunities to young people whose education has been interrupted by mental or physical ill-health or school based non-attendance. We seek to support each young person's access to a full-time, broad and balanced education appropriate to their potential and their educational needs and encourage reintegration into mainstream whenever relevant. The successful candidates with therefore contribute to supporting some of the most vulnerable young people within the city and surrounding areas, striving to make a difference to their lives.

Newcastle Bridges School was judged by Ofsted to be once again ‘Outstanding’ in May 2022.

Ferndene Hospital at Prudhoe (Redburn, Stephenson (MSU), Fraser, and Riding Wards) provides regional and national Tier 4 Child and Adolescent Services (CAMHS) for children and young people between the ages of 13 and 18. Tier 4 CAMHS are for patients with more complex needs usually requiring inpatient treatment.

The Great North Children’s Hospital is a regional hospital for many specialised services within paediatrics. The intake of patients covers a wide Geographical area; north to the Scottish Borders, west to Cumbria and south to North Yorkshire. It also serves the national and international community as a centre of excellence. The Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital provides care for children who need medical or surgical help for conditions involving the heart, lungs and airways. It is one of two units in the UK to carry out heart and lung transplants on children.

Newcastle Bridges School at Kenton offers education to pupils aged 11-16 years old who are unable to access mainstream school due to medical and mental health needs. It offers a smaller and more nurturing environment than most mainstream secondary settings. A secondary curriculum is followed and pupils sit external exams.

The Medical Pathway Team are based within this provision and provide education to pupils in the community who are unable to access the Kenton Provision for medical reasons, supporting them in a transition back to an education setting appropriate to the individual learner.

To learn more about Newcastle Bridges School and Prosper Learning Trust , please visit our websites.

Prosper Learning Trust was established in January 2018 to help vulnerable young people succeed against the odds. Four core values underpin everything we do as a Trust, these are Aspiration, Integrity, Resilience and kindness. We are looking for staff who share those values and want to support our young people.

The Trust currently have 5 schools in the region: 

• Newcastle Bridges School – Alternative Provision academy offering education to pupils unable to access mainstream school due to medical needs including hospitalised children and young people (3-19 years) 
• Mary Astell Academy – Alternative Provision academy offering education to permanently excluded pupils and pupils who are struggling in mainstream school (11-16 years) 
• Thomas Bewick Special School – Special School academy for pupils with a diagnosis of autism (3-19 years) 
• Harry Watts Academy – Special School academy for pupils with a diagnosis of autism (5-16 years) 
• Gilbert Ward Academy – Special School academy for pupils with SEMH or a diagnosis of autism (11-16 years) 

The successful candidate will be deployed initially at Newcastle Bridges School but will be expected to work at any Prosper Learning Trust site should the need arise.

Benefits of working for Prosper Learning Trust

The Trust is proud to say that we match the Real Living Wage and we also offer successful candidates:

• A friendly and supportive team of staff who are willing to share expertise and learn from one another 
• Opportunities for career development and support with development through Trust wide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes 
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme and support from the Trust's Wellbeing Network Group 
• Access to either Teacher's Pension or Local Government Pension Scheme, each with favourable employer contribution rates
• Employee centred policies that support you in and beyond the workplace 
• Funded eye tests for DSE users (subject to T/Cs) 
• Bike 2 Work scheme

For more information on why we think you should work for us see our Trust website , where you will also find videos of what our current staff think. 

The successful candidate will be welcomed into the Trust, so if this sounds like the role for you, please don't hesitate to apply.

Please note that all successful candidates will be required to complete an online pre-employment medical questionnaire.

Safeguarding Information

Prosper Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, as well as vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to apply for Disclosure from the DBS.

The Trust actively promotes equality of opportunity with the right mix of talent, skills and potential and welcomes applications from a wide range of candidates. The Trust selects all candidates for employment based on their skills, qualifications and experience, in comparison against the person specification.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. If you are invited for interview, you will be required to disclose convictions that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. Certain spent convictions and cautions will be ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed. Full details on protected convictions and information about which convictions must be declared during job applications can be found on the Ministry of Justice website. You will be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure and Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed. This role will include Regulated Activities and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure is required for this post. Please note that in all cases written references will be taken up and made available to interviewers before the final selection stage; even if you indicate otherwise.

Online vetting checks will be carried out for candidates who are shortlisted.

Job roles, specifically for Newcastle Bridges School, that are located within The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust sites, will be subject to an additional layer of safer recruitment / pre-engagement checks managed by the NHS, under their Honorary Contract Policy.  An employee of Newcastle Bridges School may be required to work across more than one site.

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