Grade 7 Special School Assistant

Job Introduction

Do you have a passion for making a difference in the lives of young people with Special Educational Needs?

Supporting children with additional needs is incredibly rewarding—no two days are the same, and the relationships you build can have a lifelong impact. The work can be demanding and requires resilience, but the sense of purpose and the progress you help children achieve far outweigh the challenges.
 
Springwell School, rated Outstanding in each of our last four Ofsted inspections, sits on the edge of Southampton and is a large, designated day special school for children aged 4–11. Our pupils have a range of complex learning needs, including autism, speech and language difficulties and behaviours that may challenge.

We foster a warm, positive and collaborative learning environment where pupils and staff support one another to thrive both academically and personally. Our commitment is to provide the highest-quality education for our children while offering robust support to their families and the adults who work with them.

We are seeking to appoint a Grade 7 Special School Assistant to join our dedicated team. This role involves supporting teaching and learning across the school and providing tailored support for pupils with a range of academic, physical, emotional and behavioural needs—whether working in a class, small groups or one-to-one.

If you’re motivated, compassionate and ready to be a consistent and encouraging presence in a young person’s life, we’d love to hear from you.

What we offer

- Competitive salary with regular salary progression

- Opportunities for CPD

- Free on-site parking

- Pension Scheme

- Support and training 

- Monday – Friday working pattern

- Excellent development opportunities to grow within a positive and supportive team

- Employee Assistance Programme

- Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

Your contribution

- directed by the teacher, to work individually or with groups of children, to support subjects and learning across the curriculum

- to contribute, monitor and record pupils progress

- assist the class teacher with planning, development and delivery of suitable programmes of work for pupils

- help to design, create and produce learning activities, materials and resources to support aspects of the curriculum

is able to deal with challenging behaviour and provide welfare support in accordance with school policies

- take a leading role in planning, delivery and assessment of a weekly activity, agreed by the teacher to include research, collation of resources and implementation

- act as a team leader for offsite visits and activities, and as directed by the teacher

 Please refer to the Job Description for the full responsibilities and knowledge required for this role.

 What will you need?
- GCSE Grade C or above in Maths and English (4 – 9 or equivalent)
 - Previous experience of working with children with complex needs (within a school setting is desirable)
- Proven teaching strategies such as PECS
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to liaise with staff at all levels
- Have enthusiasm, reliability and resilience
- Strong sense of team work
- Understand the importance of confidentiality and safeguarding

Working pattern – 30 Hours
Monday & Friday: 8.45 am – 3:15 pm 
Tuesday – Thursday: 8:55 am – 3:15 pm
  
How to apply
To apply, please complete the application form on www.springwellschool.net and return to Rachel Ambrey, HR Lead, by email to recruitment@springwellschool.net. Alternatively, please post your completed application to HR at Springwell School, Hinkler Road, Thornhill, Southampton, SO19 6DH. We do not accept CV’s.

Interview process
If successfully shortlisted, you will complete an observation in class prior to a 2-panel face to face interview. 

Safeguarding
Springwell School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Offers of employment will be subject to the full Safer Recruitment process including an enhanced disclosure and barring service check and a full online check of social media platforms as per the updated guidance in KCSIE 2022.

If you do not hear from us regarding your application unfortunately this means that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion. We thank you for your interest and wish you every success in your future applications.

Please note that we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date if we receive applications that meet the criteria. We may also interview candidates at a mutually convenient time before the closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.