Leigh Academy Tonbridge

Leigh Academy Tonbridge has an exciting opportunity to appoint an enthusiastic and reliable Teaching Assistant (Apprentice) to join their dedicated team. If you are seeking to join a highly successful academy and wish to provide high quality teaching support to our students, this is the perfect role for you! Our successful candidate will provide support for pupils who have a range of specific needs; an opportunity to make a real difference to their development. Applicants should be adaptable, personable and committed to providing an excellent service on behalf of the school and wider Trust, and above all else our appointed candidate will have a positive work ethic and can-do attitude. The main aim of this role is to support our teachers to deliver academic excellence, day in, day out, with professionalism and enthusiasm. This will involve providing a comprehensive support service to the Academy including:

• Assisting students with their educational and social development, on an individual and group basis
• Providing support for individual students inside and outside the classroom to enable them to fully participate in activities
• Assisting teachers with the maintenance of student records
• Building and maintaining successful relationships with students, whilst treating them with respect and consideration
• Provide expertise to deliver a personalised curriculum for each pupil's learning
• Work together with families and other agencies to ensure every pupil is valued, challenged and supported
• Have the highest expectation that every pupil will make sustained academic and personal progress
  
  Essential entry qualifications: GCSEs A - C, Maths and English (desirable)
  
  Joining us at Leigh Academy Tonbridge: Building on the strengths of our legacy school, Hayesbrook Academy, Leigh Academy Tonbridge will open our doors to the first cohort of year 7 students, including boys and girls, for September 2023.
Hayesbrook Academy first opened in 1964. Having always been an all-boys school, our history before then is closely linked to the old Sussex Road Boys School, where records go back to the early 1900's, and so we have a strong tradition of education provision in Tonbridge. The modern day academy has always been an 11-18 comprehensive school with a mixed sixth form, serving the local community. Since being the first school in West Kent to gain Academy Status in 2010, the academy led the way in achieving excellent standards and in creating a multi-academy Trust. We were graded 'Excellent' by Ofsted in 2005, 2008 and 2009. The academic success and high standards have continued and inspections in 2013, 2017 and most recently in December 2022, found the school to be 'good' overall but recognised students' behaviour and attitudes as 'exceptional' (graded as 'outstanding'). Furthermore, the inspection recognised strengths in reading and literacy; careers provision; teachers' subject knowledge; the support provided by the trust and the governing body; as well as identifying the 'meticulous' arrangements for safeguarding. The report also recognised "Senior leaders are relentless about raising standards and maintaining high expectations…".. Our press release and the full Ofsted report can be accessed here. The Academy grows, adapts and thrives with each new cohort of students that are welcomed here every September and our recent move to Leigh Academies Trust has strengthened the academy's ability to deliver the very best for our pupils. Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st September 2024, our Trust comprises 33 geographically organised academies (17 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating more than 24,000 students and employing 4,000 talented staff. Currently, 14 of our academies are considered to be "Outstanding" which is nearly 50% of those which have been inspected whilst part of the Trust. The Trust is establishing three 'clusters' of academies: LAT Central; LAT West; LAT North. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region's biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider. Our future plans are found in our Vision 2030 document available on our website. As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Annual wage: Actual salary £10,369 per annum (£13,725 full time equivalent) Working weeks: Monday - Friday, Term Time + 1 week inset Total hours per week: 32.5 (including the 20% training element of the Apprenticeship) - start and finish times to be agreed Apprenticeship duration: 12-18 months approx.