Job Introduction
Job/Person Summary
Petersgate Infant School is an Ofsted rated ‘Good’ school tucked away within the village of Clanfield, located in the South Downs. This is a school with a big heart, with the aim to provide the very best for the children and community we serve. We believe that by ‘Working together to achieve the best’ we can be a team around the child to help to nurture and develop every child to ensure they enjoy learning. We are a caring, supportive & inclusive school community, who work closely and in partnership with families and the wider community. Our school is set within extensive grounds used for outdoor learning opportunities and we fully understand the positive impact that learning outside can have on emotional health and well-being. Here at Petersgate we are proud to be a myHappymind school, which along with the SCARF Values of Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship, encompasses the strong focus we have in developing the children academically, but also emotionally.
This role will play a crucial part in helping to drive our school forward in keeping every child safe and family. This role will see you working closely and in partnership with the families, the wider school community and external agencies to ensure the children have the very best start to their school day and have the support they need to thrive. This role is new to the school and we are seeking a unique, calm, kind and caring individual to embark on this fulfilling role.
Your morning will be diverse and rewarding as you will be supporting parents and the wider school community, as well as, finding opportunities to spend time building the relationships with the children. You will be based and will work out of the school reception office, where you will greet and build relationships with our parents and children on a daily basis. You will be accountable for inputting the school registers, checking with the admin team/class teacher who has not arrived/not attending and working alongside the admin team and Headteacher in driving the school attendance plan. This will further include supporting and challenging parents whose children are persistently absent from school or who are late: calling parents, writing to parents and sometimes visiting children at home when they have been off school for a prolonged time. You will attend attendance training and regular cluster groups where you will have the opportunity to learn and grow alongside colleagues from local primary and secondary schools. You will also share attendance/punctuality data weekly during the inclusion meetings with the Headteacher and other Designated Safeguarding Lead/SENDCo and compile attendance reports for SMT and governors.
Some families will need further support and guidance and will have barriers to non-attendance, which may include family and relationship issues, support with their parenting approach, mental health, housing problems, or financial support/advice. Your wider role will be to meet parents and signpost and refer families for support with other agencies. This can include school nurses, children’s services. Early Help Hub and food bank referrals. As part of this wider role, you will be instrumental in the setting up of and leading the ‘Wide Awake Club’ to address punctuality issues for children and to support them coming to school on time.
You will be asked to support the Headteacher to keep all children safe. This will include attending children’s services meetings and Early Help family support meetings. You will also be expected to ensure that you are reporting carefully using our school CPOMS software.
We want to build our relationship with our main feeder junior school and as part of the role, develop a parent hub event to build relationships across the site with our families and engage in team building activities.
It is desirable if you:
- Have a calm, caring approach towards children and families
- Have high expectations
- Have a least GCSE grade C or equivalent in Maths & English
- Have experience of working with pupils and families in school setting
- Are naturally good at communicating and building relationships
- Have a friendly and welcoming disposition who can talk openly and honestly with parents and families
- Are able to empathise with families and their diverse needs and challenges
- Have a local understanding of our school community and support groups, including liaising with external outside agencies
- Have an understanding of confidentiality and safeguarding and some experience of the expectations of the role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead (although full training will be given)
- Have a wider understanding of children’s services and safeguarding protocol and processes
- Are able to work independently and with initiative to adapt to situations as they arise
- Are resilient, flexible, organised and resourceful
- Are able to work on your own and within a team
- Are able to drive school attendance targets and manage data collation
- Are confident to use/learn to use school’s computing software (full training will be given in the use of Arbor)
- Are confident to talk on the telephone, write letters, compile reports and emails
- Hold a full UK driving licence, with no more than 3 penalty points and have own vehicle
- Have a positive ‘can do’ attitude
- Have a sense of humour!
As well as:
- Be prepared to undertake further professional development
- Have experience working in a school
In return, we can offer:
- A successful, welcoming, inclusive and caring school
- Friendly and motivated children who are eager to learn
- Hard working, committed and supportive colleagues
- A bright and vibrant environment, both inside and outside
- A fully comprehensive continuing professional development (CPD) package and rigorous appraisal process which supports your personal and professional development
Application Procedure
For more information about the school and our team, please look at our website: https://www.petersgateinfantschool.co.uk/
Visits to the school are highly recommended, warmly welcomed and encouraged. Please email Laura Carter adminoffice@petersgate-inf.hants.sch.uk for an application pack or to arrange a visit.
All applications must be on the HCC Support Staff Application form and emailed to the above address before the deadline to be considered. Please note that Petersgate Infant School reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.
