Term Time Only Plus 5 INSET days
2 days per week
The School
Gordano School, part of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership, is a large and successful 11-18 comprehensive secondary school approximately eight miles outside Bristol. Our school includes a thriving Sixth Form of nearly 400 students that is strongly integrated into the life of the school and offers significant opportunities for sixth form teaching in over 30 courses. We are the sole secondary school serving the popular town of Portishead and benefit greatly from being a central part of our community.
We view education as something bigger than just academic achievement. We have a record of considerable academic success but wholeheartedly believe that a student's education should be about preparing young people for their future lives in the complete sense, developing our young people’s key skills and behaviours that set them up for a successful future pathway. As well as consistently strong outcomes at GCSE and A Level, we place great emphasis on the opportunities available to our students including developing student leadership across our student body, offering an unparalleled extra-curricular programme and ensuring clear guidance for students when considering progression to their next steps of their educational journey.
We pride ourselves on high-quality support for colleagues at all stages of their career through internal and external CPD, including our membership of the Lighthouse Schools Partnership, with staff involved in a range of developmental opportunities across schools in the Trust as well as supporting staff in bespoke training such as completing different levels of the NPQ programmes. We maintain significant involvement in Initial Teacher Training and deliver a comprehensive ECT induction in association with the Five Counties Teaching School Hubs Alliance and Ambition Institute. Our very large staff body allows regular opportunities for progression into leadership roles at all levels.
Importantly, beyond the wider experiences on offer to our student body, we seek to be a very happy school community with a big heart. This has never been more evident than through our recent work in delivering our core principles of ‘Dream big, do your best, give back’, fostering a community filled with kindness and respect.
The Role
The successful candidate will play an important part in ensuring that students with an identified social, emotional and mental health needs, particularly those with a complex profile, can access the curriculum and wider school experience. It is a role of advocacy, specialist guidance for teaching and pastoral staff, along with specialist intervention where needed.
To be considered for this position you will have experience working closely with vulnerable young people who have difficulties in accessing the mainstream curriculum. You will ideally have experience of delivering a personalised support, both one to one and in small groups, to students with identified SEMH needs (including ADHD, Autism and anxiety). You will have experience of the positive difference this makes for students with complex profiles. You will also demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and be able to engage with young people who have difficulties with emotional regulation and resilience.
You will be able to demonstrate that you are a strong advocate, and that you are passionate about finding ways to support inclusion within a learning community. You may have had some experience working with professionals such as speech and language therapists and have been able to integrate their advice into practical support in the classroom. You must be able to provide a strong and caring focus for young people with identified SEMH needs and support them to work towards their individual or group outcomes whilst helping them to celebrate each step of success.
The postholder will engage in regulated activity as the role will involve supervising and contact with students.
Gordano School offers an excellent benefits package including contributory pension scheme, a comprehensive employee assistance programme and benefits (offering discounts on shopping), cycle to work scheme and on-site parking.
Closing date: 23:59 on Wednesday 29th January 2025Interviews: w/c 3rd February 2025
Early applications are encouraged. Gordano School reserves the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date of the advertisement, should the School be able to identify an appropriate candidate.
Gordano School supports Equal Opportunities Employment.We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly those from under-represented groups.
Safeguarding StatementThe Lighthouse Schools Partnership - Gordano School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all in its community to share this commitment. Suitability to work with children and young people will form part of the selection process. As part of the shortlisting process an online search will be carried out. All appointments will be subject to vetting, including an enhanced DBS check.
A copy of the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, Disclosure Policy and Recruitment Policy can be found on the Lighthouse Schools Partnership website.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
Please note that for all roles that require regulated activity it is an offence to apply if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity.
The LSP Privacy Notice for Job Applicants can be found at www.lsp.org.uk/policies