Higher Level Teaching Assistant Outdoor Education and OPAL Lead

About the job

Key information

Actual Salary £21,235
32.5 hours per week: 8.30am – 3.30pm with ½ hour unpaid lunch break for 38 weeks
Permanent position

The Academies for Character and Excellence has twenty Primary Schools across Devon & Somerset, making up a dynamic and innovative learning organisation.

We live our mission and return to this constantly to help guide every action. At the heart of all we do is the pursuit of excellence; we want to grow an exceptional Trust comprised of excellent schools. We are achieving this through our shared core values of collaboration, community, equity, and of course uncompromising excellence.

We are truly collaborative, and we work together within and across our schools to ensure that all our children and staff members achieve their potential. Together we work to create a full and rich curriculum offer allowing everyone to flourish – we translate our vision of excellence into our everyday practice. We are proud of our outcomes, but we aspire to achieve more than just academic excellence for our children. We also want our children to become healthy thinkers, curious explorers, caring citizens, knowledgeable participants and confident individuals.

We aim to serve our communities, and our schools make every effort to connect with families, local community groups and organisations to ensure that our children and families are nurtured, supported and provided with opportunities through our schools.

Our value of equity leads us to want the very best of every child and every staff member. The Academies for Character and Excellence believes in ‘Personal Growth for All’, and we are committed to tackle inequalities and overcome disadvantage and to provide bespoke opportunities for professional learning for all.

What will I be doing?

The main focus of this role is to lead primary groups in outdoor learning. This will involve taking whole classes from Reception to Year 6, on a weekly basis.
Your job will be to deliver a fun and engaging outdoor curriculum. Though this is not pure Forest School or Outdoor Learning, we are looking to develop a progressive curriculum which links to classroom learning, practical skills and a connection to nature, closely linking our character curriculum and developing ‘learning to learn skills.

You will co-ordinate the OPAL provision at break and lunchtimes and be included in the training of this initiative.

The site is an amazing space with a woodland area, large field and wildlife habitats.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

For Holy Trinity C of E Primary School, we are looking to appoint an exceptional candidate who has:

• A Level 3 qualification in Forest School/Teaching/Outdoor Learning or other relevant qualification, or, be willing to undertake this.
• Current First Aid and Safeguarding qualifications or be willing to undertake training.
• Initiative, self-starter and a positive, can do-attitude.
• Experience of behaviour strategies and SEN would be an advantage.
• Fun and drive to be part of a developing team.
• A passion for nature and getting children outdoors.
• Flexibility: occasionally due to changes in the school programme, you need to be able to think on your feet and respond to sudden changes to plans.
• Drive to develop yourself within the role, a commitment to the role and being able to deliver the core hours.

In addition:

• Will be enthusiastic, flexible and highly motivated to prepare and deliver lessons to individuals, groups and whole classes in the planned absence of the teacher, i.e. for PPA or leadership duties.
• Will work collaboratively with teaching staff and assist teachers in the whole curriculum planning cycle and the management/preparation of resources.
• Will need to be able to cover classes across the school.
• Will be expected to show a high degree of initiative and be able to react to given solutions with integrity and compassion.
• Can inspire and motivate children and enable them to be the best that they can be.
• Has the ability to encourage every child to learn, aspire and achieve.
• Has the enthusiasm, skill and desire to make a difference.

We welcome applications from highly motivated individuals who will work effectively as part of our excellent team and contribute to wider school life, building positive relationships with all members of our community. We are looking for applicants who are dedicated to making a difference to children’s lives and to ensuring every child has the opportunities they deserve

DBS check

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Therefore, an enhanced DBS clearance is required for this post.

Supporting documents and information

For further information, please contact our HR Advisor andrea.johnson@acexcellence.co.uk or to arrange a visit of the school you can contact the school direct on 01823 284128.

An application form is available to download either from our website or below.

Applications must be completed and emailed to recruitment@acexcellence.co.uk by 9am Friday 17 July with interviews to take place the following week.

*We reserve the right to close this advert early if sufficient and suitable applications received

Apply now