What skills and experience we're looking for
We are seeking a friendly and enthusiastic Learning Support Assistant to join our growing team at Laurus Ryecroft. In this rewarding role, you'll play a vital part in supporting students with a variety of learning needs. You'll work alongside teachers to provide one-on-one or small group support, and empower students to reach their full potential.
Here at the Laurus Trust we are able to provide a cutting-edge SEND provision that has a positive impact on our young people, and we are currently looking to recruit caring and dedicated individuals to join our SEND team. You will play a vital role in enhancing students progress whilst promoting their independence, self-esteem and social inclusion. A comprehensive offer of professional learning is in place and we ensure that all schools have designated work spaces for staff. A broad range of training in SEND is in place across all our schools focused on whole school SEND issues as well as specific training for SEND teams.
This position is contracted on a 34.5 hours per week Term Time Only basis. This means you will mainly work when the school is open to pupils and will not need to work during the school holidays unless the contract requires you to do so. In total you will be in work for a minimum of37out of 52 weeks.
Job Purpose (For further details on the role, please find the Job Description below)
• Work with Teachers to enhance student progress, whilst also promoting their independence, self esteem and Social inclusion.
• Support identified students within the classroom environment, within small group situations and on a one to one basis
Key Skills and Experiences
• Sound Educational background including GCSE's in Maths and English (A*-C) or equivalent
• Experience of working with young people who are vulnerable and/or who have a special educational needs
• Experience working in a school environment would be an advantage
Closing date: Wednesday 12th March at 9am.
We reserve the right to interview prior to the closing date.
What the school offers its staff
Laurus Ryecroft is an oversubscribed secondary school for 11 to 18-year-old students in Tameside. In our very first Ofsted inspection in January 2023, Laurus Ryecroft was judged Outstanding in every category.
'Students at the school respond extremely well to the exceedingly high expectations that leaders have set for them. Their behaviour is impeccable and they achieve highly.' – Ofsted, 2023
The school is run by the Laurus Trust and replicates the outstanding education offered by the Trust’s founder school, Cheadle Hulme High School (CHHS), based in Stockport. CHHS is a hugely oversubscribed school and has been named as one of the UK’s top-performing schools in The Sunday Times, ranking as the 15th non-denominational comprehensive school in Manchester and the North West in the annual Parent Power Survey for 2022 and this year, was awarded ‘Northwest Comprehensive School of the Year 2024’.
Laurus Ryecroft is a non-selective, non-denominational free school. It opened in September 2018 and we moved into our new school building with access to state-of-the-art facilities in 2020. We now have students in years 7 – 13. Our sixth form opened in September 2023 and we currently have a total of 1148 students on roll.
Laurus Ryecroft is a vibrant, warm and exciting place to work and learn in. We are proud to be ‘Unashamedly Academic’ and have the highest aspirations for all of our students. Our Cornerstones – Academic Aspiration; Culture Creativity and Rhetoric; Leadership and Service; Competition and Physical Endeavour – detail how we develop and prepare our students to acquire the knowledge and develop the qualities which will open the door to the future of their choice.
In 2024, 81% of our students attained a 4+ in both their English and Maths and the whole school community could not be prouder. An outstanding 85% of all GCSEs awarded were a grade 5 or above, and an incredible 27% of grades were 7-9, the top achievable results. We are also incredibly proud of our Year 12 Sixth Form students in their inaugural AS results. In Further Mathematics, an incredible 83% of students achieved the highest grade attainable on the course, with is a grade A. Furthermore, students studying Core Maths (Level 3) all achieved a pass rate, underscoring the Sixth Forms commitment to broadening the curriculum and ensuring students develop the knowledge and skills that will open the door to the future of their choice.
We are a true learning community and value the acquisition of knowledge and believe it to be truly empowering. Our teachers are passionate about their subject and the students they teach. We pride ourselves on the quality of our learning environment and on the relationships within school. Our state-of-the-art facilities are valued and respected by all members of our school community. Laurus Ryecroft is a place of mutual respect. Our students display excellent behaviour for learning and a true thirst for knowledge.
Commitment to safeguarding
The Laurus Trust is an inclusive Equal Employment Opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We welcome and encourage applications from all individuals regardless of individual background or circumstance. As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we strongly encourage applications from all persons with a known disability, and we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants, that meet the minimum criteria for a role, will be offered an interview and given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills.