Pastoral Support Assistant

Job Introduction

Opened in 1887, Fairfields Primary is the oldest school in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Parents, grandparents and great grandparents all have fond memories of their time at our school.

Everything that we do is based on our four Core Values; Love, Respect, Honesty and Celebration. Our aim is to develop resilient and confident children who are highly skilled and able to adapt to an ever-changing landscape.   

OUR VISION: To prepare the children of today to thrive and meet the challenges of tomorrow, by developing independence and resilience through a forward thinking and evolving curriculum, proudly reflecting our diverse community, inspiring and celebrating all achievements.

OUR MISSION: We are a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community, fostering a culture of learning and resilience, through a creative and pupil-centered curriculum where children are encouraged to take risks and learn from their mistakes, all within a supportive environment. 

We are seeking to appoint a Pastoral Support Assistant to join our team to support the welfare of pupils. The successful applicant will assist the staff in pupil management, wellbeing, safeguarding and pastoral care, in particular mental and physical first aid.  

This includes support during transition times before school and at the end of the day as well as breaktimes. 

 Role requirements for operational effectiveness. 

• Knowledge and understanding of the problems and issues families/parents face which affect and inhibit the educational progress of children, particularly those children with challenging behaviour. 
• Knowledge of child development– Understanding of Thrive and ELSA as possible interventions even if not fully trained.
• Experience of working with children and young persons. 
• Excellent communication skills which enable positive resolutions of difficult situations. 
• Ability to listen effectively.
• High level of self-motivation and the ability to work on own initiative. 
• Flexibility to adapt practice and work based on needs of pupils and staff in the school.
• Support vulnerable pupils at break and lunchtime as directed.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to establish good working relationships. 
• Experience of working with key agencies to resolve situations. 
• Knowledge of child protection / safeguarding procedures.   
• Responsibility to ensure appropriate level of professional supervision, thus ensuring work practice is monitored and remains within the ethical framework.
• Potential to cover whole class teaching as directed by the class teacher when required. 

 Person Specification

• You will be an organised individual with the ability to work under pressure with conflicting deadlines and be able to demonstrate a high level of administrative skills including dealing with confidential and sensitive material. 
• NVQ level 3 in Learning Support or equivalent required (or be willing to undertake this for the right candidate)
• You will need high resilience and an ability to ask for help and support when needed.
• You will have the confidence to deal with parents, attending meetings and other matters relating to the role. 
• You will have prior experience of working as a coach or mentor for pupils as either a learning support assistant or similar role.
• The successful applicant will be flexible in their approach and have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Applicants should be computer literate and have worked with MS Word, Outlook and Excel. A qualification in GCSE English and GCSE Maths at grade A-C or equivalent is essential. 
• The successful candidate will hold a First Aid qualification, or be willing to work towards this. 

What Fairfields Primary School can offer you? Excellent professional development opportunities including ELSA training and Thrive Practitioner Accreditation.

For further details including an application form please see https://www.fairfields.hants.sch.uk/home/working-with-us

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.