Job Introduction

We are looking for a bright, caring and enthusiastic individual who will relish the opportunity to support a specific pupil with a physical disability, which limits their mobility within the classroom environment, and with movement around the School.

Where time allows, the successful candidate should also be willing to support with the teaching and learning of other pupils, as directed by the class teacher or with other specific pupils who need support by the Head of Learning Development.

There are normally twenty-two pupils in each class and the staff body is warm and supportive. Both pupils and teachers are exceptionally motivated and the School and classrooms are rewarding, interesting places to be. Pupils work significantly above their chronological age on a variety of interesting tasks across all subject areas.

This role may be of particular interest to (though not exclusively limited to) people who might be exploring a career in education and/or SEND.

Role Responsibility

Responsibilities for Working with a Specific Pupil

The Learning Support Assistant will be required to:

• Help a specific pupil who needs physical assistance around the main school buildings and wider school campus, as well as on trips. There is usually one residential trip per year.
• Build and maintain co-operative relationships with the designated pupil, being sensitive to their needs, e.g., needing less direct and more discreet input as they move up through the School, whilst being firm but fair.
• Give direct physical assistance to a specific pupil to the nearest exit in the event of a fire or fire drill.
• Gather work from subject teachers if and when the specific pupil requires time away from school.
• Communicate well with parents of the specific pupil as and when needed, including the writing of short reports where appropriate.
• Liaise with the Head of Learning Development regularly with regard to the specific pupil’s needs, academic attainment and pastoral development as well as any changes to their normal routine.

Wider Responsibilities

Although the first priority is always to assist with the pupil who needs physical assistance, this should allow time to assist in the Learning Development Department. To an extent this role can be tailored to specific interests, but is likely to encompass the following:

• Assist with nurture groups of small groups of children, e.g., during sessions such as breakfast and board games, small groups of children requiring additional maths and english support, etc.
• Liaise with the Head of Learning Development (SENDCo) regarding pupils with diagnosed or emergent special educational needs;
• Provide general assistance to the main class teacher within lessons when required.
• Attend all assemblies, In-Service Training (INSET), staff meetings and other functions as reasonably required by the Master and the wider Senior Management Team
• Be available to parents for advice and discussion regarding their child, each day;
• Ensure that the right level of discipline is maintained in the classroom and that the designated pupil(s) follows the school rules;
• Play a full part in the life of the school, be flexible and aware of what is happening throughout the school. Undertake pastoral and supervisory duties in the school as required.
• Write reports at the end of each term on the child as required, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and achievements;
• Develop a good understanding of the Key Stage 2 curricula and keep abreast of developments in current educational thinking and practice;
• Support good order, discipline and respect for others among pupils; to promote understanding of the school’s rules and values; to safeguard health and safety; and to develop relationships with and between pupils conducive to optimum learning;
• Liaise with the Head of Learning Development (SENDCo) regarding pupils with diagnosed or emergent special educational needs;
• Accompany trips and workshops;
• Undertake any administrative and other tasks related to the post, either at the direction of the Master/ Deputy Master/ line manager or through using his or her initiative;

Pastoral Care

The Learning Support Assistant, like all members of staff, will be required to:

• Be actively involved in promoting the wellbeing of all pupils;
• Put pupils at the centre of everything you do, taking a pastoral interest in all pupils around the school environment so that they feel valued and cared for.
• Motivate pupils through praise while being firm but fair.
• Support to maintain the high standards of behaviour and uniform of pupils in the classroom and in all school locations and activities.
• Adhere to the Staff Code of Conduct

Hours of work

Work hours are appropriate to the designated pupil, usually 8.00 until 16:00, Monday to Friday, with a 30-minute lunch break. This is a term-time only role.

There will be some reasonable adjustments to this, e.g., on a Games day when the session finishes later, however, the latest possible time to finish is envisaged to be 17:00 in the evening on an occasional basis, with additional time worked given in lieu during the normal working week at a mutually agreeable time. Assisting with one residential trip a year is expected, and out of hours work for this will be paid at a pre-agreed rate.

This role is envisaged to start as soon as possible, until the second week of July 2025 (the end of the 2024 - 2025 academic year).

Any questions should be directed in the first instance to the Head of Learning Development, Danielle Jones by emailing danielle.jones@westminster.org.uk

The Ideal Candidate

Please refer to the person specification below.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster Under School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Package Description

Required for: as soon as possible

Location: Vincent Square - Westminster Under School

Contract: full-time, term-time only. This is a fixed-term contract until July 2025.

Salary: £21,087 pro rata equating to £28,157.35 FTE.

The closing date for applications is midday on Monday 15th April. Interviews will follow shortly after the closing date.

About the School

Working at Westminster Under School

Westminster Under School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of 292 pupils, 43 teaching staff and 50 support staff.

Westminster Under School is a friendly and welcoming place to work. There is a real sense of community here and staff members quickly become part of the rhythm of life, both inside and outside the classroom. Social events are regular and varied, with plenty of opportunity to socialise outside working hours. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending a concert or a sports fixture.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster Under School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster Under School is a great environment for happy and purposeful pupils, and for all the staff who support them. Our aim is to produce well-rounded individuals with a love of learning and an enthusiasm for life, and who relish coming into School each day. All members of staff play an important role in ensuring that day-to-day processes at the School run smoothly, and in turn helping each and every pupil to enjoy and benefit from all that the School has to offer.

The Under School is a day school with approximately 292 pupils aged between 7 and 13. The School was founded in 1943 in the precincts of Westminster School in Little Dean’s Yard, just behind Westminster Abbey. The 17 boys with whom it began rapidly became 60 in  number and by 1950 there were 80 boys in the Under School. The boys had to compete for space with the senior school pupils who had returned from evacuation at the end of the war, but in 1951 the Under School acquired its own premises in Eccleston Square. Numbers of pupils continued to rise during the 1960s and 1970s and in 1981 the School moved once again to its present site overlooking the Westminster playing fields in Vincent Square. A stone’s throw from the same Square is the striking Art Deco Sports Hall, which is used by both Westminster Under and Westminster Great School pupils.

To this day, the Under School enjoys a strong and important bond with Westminster Great School. Both schools foster a deep sense of the importance of independent thought and the ethos of a liberal education, giving them a unique shared identity. It is usual for Under School pupils to be offered a place at the Great School, and the vast majority accept their offers, continuing on until they leave the School in Year 13.

Westminster School