THRIVE Practitioner
Location: Rockshaw Road, Chaldon, Surrey
Contract Type: Permanent
Actual salary: £27,713 - £30,250 dependant on qualifications Plus £2000 Welcome Bonus for candidates with SEN Experience* Hourly rate: £15.51 - £16.93 per hour
Hours: 40 hours per week - Term Time only - Start time 8.15am - Finish time Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday 4.45pm. Thursday 5pm and Friday 4pm
Start date: As soon as possible Aurora Chaldon School
As part of our growth strategy, The Aurora Group are really pleased to be opening a brand new SEND Secondary School in September 2025 in Chaldon, Surrey for young people aged 11-16 who require support with social communication, emotional regulation and sensory processing, typically associated with Autism. All our students have access to a broad and exciting curriculum, allied to the national curriculum, personalised to meet their needs, interests and passions. With a model of small classes, high levels of classroom support and a supernumerary multi-disciplinary intervention team we are able to give students “every opportunity to achieve”
We are looking to recruit Higher Level Teaching Assistants to join our team at Chaldon School. This is an exciting opportunity to join the school at the start of their journey. You will be based at Aurora Chaldon school with a requirement to work out of our satellite site Caterham when required.
The main purpose of the role:
The purpose of the THRIVE practitioner is to support the Pastoral Lead and SENDCo (and relevant staff) in the day to day running of a THRIVE provision to support the development, social, emotional and behavioural needs of students improving their active engagement in their social and academic environments and access to learning.
Key duties:
Use specialist skills, training, or experience to support pupils’ emotional development and behaviour needs.
To support the day to day running of a Thrive provision ensuring that pupils are effectively supervised, implementing timetables, planning, strategies and activities to meet the individual needs of pupils
Establish positive relationships and partnerships with young people, acting as a role model and responding to the needs of each individual student.
Provide play and arts-based enjoyable experiences that give young people the opportunity to learn through experience rather than through cognitively based learning.
Deliver 1:1, small groups and class group sessions
Establish constructive relationships and partnerships with parents and families and participate in feedback sessions as directed.
Actively promote inclusive practice across the school to ensure acceptance of all pupils.
Raise the profile of positive solutions to working with learners at risk.
Provide the teacher and teaching staff with accurate and objective feedback on pupil progress and other matters, ensuring the availability of supporting evidence.
To work alongside the lead to actively assess pupil’s progress and create up to date action plans through regular Thrive assessments
Ensure students and parents are provided feedback in relation to developmental, social and emotional progress.
Keep statistical data as requested by THRIVE lead / coordinator
Supervise and support other staff, who work with children’s emotional and behavioural development
Contribute to the Annual Review process as required
Support and contribute to the delivering of staff training in order to implement and embed the Thrive Approach model across the school.
Duties will vary, you must expect to diversify and lend a hand wherever is required. Qualifications:
GCSE Maths and English Language qualification minimum Grade 4 or equivalent is essential.
Up to date training relevant to post
Desirable: THRIVE training or willingness to undertake practitioner training
Desirable: Norfolk Steps or Team Teach trained or willingness to undertake training
Knowledge and Experience
Understanding of the Safeguarding principles and Child Protection procedures
Relevant knowledge and experience of pupils with SEN, SLD/PMLD, ADHD and ASD
Knowledge of children’s social and emotional development/attachment theory
Working with children and young people with challenging behaviour
Experience of working with children in an educational setting
Experience of working within a multi-cultural, inclusive setting
Experience of supervising groups of pupils
Good understanding of the principles of child development and the learning process
Desirable: Experience of running nurture groups/social skills groups Benefits and Additional Information
Be part of our successful team and also benefit from a generous package that includes:
Life assurance
Enhanced Pension* Welcome bonus is payable in 2 payments - 50% following successful completion of probation and 50% after one year service
Perkbox - offering high street discounts
Employee assistance programme
Car lease scheme
Fully funded training and qualifications
Bike to work scheme
Free membership to our Health cash back plan - Claim back money on services such as dental, optical, physio and many more.
Free parking How to apply:
Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details. Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.
This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled.
Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.