Woodland Learning Support Assistant – South Brent

Each group of six to seven learners at The Outdoors School has a core staff team comprising a Curriculum Tutor, a Pastoral Tutor and a Learning Support Worker. In addition, some of our learners have a 1:1 Support Assistant according to their specific needs.

The Woodland Learning Support Assistant will work with all the groups on their site to support their Woodland, tool based and forest school curriculum activities; in addition to providing 1:1 support for learners as required across all subject areas.

Special Demands

• Resilience to working outside in all weathers
• Resilience to working in an emotionally challenging environment
• Resilience to work with dysregulated learners

Duties and Responsibilities 

The duties outlined in this job description are in addition to those covered by The Outdoors School policies and procedures. They may be modified by the Headteacher, with your agreement, to reflect or anticipate changes in the job, commensurate with the salary and job title.

• Develop resources to support learning and development of outdoor learning skills.
• To create sessions and projects to extend learners learning in line with the school curriculum and ethos.
• Work with other staff and specialists to engage learners creatively and effectively.
• Have a practical understanding of how to develop scientific and environmental projects.
• Provide a focus on the support and development of practical skills.
• Create and deliver outdoor learning sessions that are linked to key school outcomes. 
• Work with staff to deliver sessions that link with the wider community.
• Create and deliver sessions that link with the school’s curriculum outcomes based on The Outdoors School aims.
• Provide support for other staff requiring support
• Ensure opportunities to meet EHCP targets
• Ensure opportunities are provided for learners within their individual learning style
• Use creative ways to assess and record progress
• Safeguarding duties
• Updating/maintaining records eg School Pod
• Ability to be flexible to the learning environment/ taking people off on the 121
• Able to implement a reflective or restorative process with individual learners 
• Building rapport and understanding with individual learners
• Proactive work spotting the signs and trends of an individual’s behaviour
• Engage in staff supervision and appraisal process
• Engage in critical reflective practice and participate in CPD opportunities, developing and sharing ideas and best practice for training and delivery.
• Ensure that learners experience a supportive and positive staff team at all times
• Ensure that you play alongside learners for at least two hours a week to experience a supportive and positive place of learning for all

The Woodland learning support role is an innovative role where you will work with learners and staff to create and deliver sessions that aims to support learners creatively, with responsibility, and instilling a sense of challenge and growth mindset for learning and life.

The sessions are based around outdoor activities, team building and problem-solving challenges that will extend into qualifications as learners progress through the school.

Training and development will be key, and the right candidate should be actively engaged in further training to ensure the best offer for learners is available. There is an expectation that all staff will engage in professional development resulting from appraisal. 

If you are interested in joining our motivated team to work in a new innovative setting, in the outdoors, we look forward to receiving your application.

This post requires a DBS check & PRICE Training. (PRICE Training is provided as part of the induction process)