Main Purpose of the Role
Pupils Support Assistant opportunities are offered to support pupils with additional needs within the school setting. The role focuses on helping learners access the curriculum under the direction of teachers and senior managers, including supporting positive behaviour, personal learning plans, and, when required, assisting with intimate care, lunchtime supervision, and school activities.
Position
Pupil Support Assistant (Fixed Term until 16 August 2026) - PKC13015
£17,067 - £17,988 (27.5 hours per week, Term-time only) – The Community School of Auchterarder
An exciting fixed-term opportunity to join our Secondary School team.
Please note that this is a fixed-term post until August 2026.
About the School
The Community School of Auchterarder is an all-through school, comprising Nursery, Primary and Secondary departments serving the community of Auchterarder and surrounding district. The school has a roll of approximately 1,100 children and young people across all sectors. It is situated in a rural location about 14 miles south of Perth with good road networks to Perthshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the central belt. Associated Primary Schools are Aberuthven, Blackford and Dunning. The school motto is Strive to Excel, and, working together, we encourage all learners to aspire to be the best they can be. Our aim is to build a community of learners who are: Happy, Engaged, Ambitious, Respectful, Trustworthy.
Children and Young People can have a range of needs that are short lived or more long term. The PSA role is varied and may include supporting children and young people who present with needs which may include: Social and Emotional Learning, Communication, Physical, Personal Care. The role may involve supporting access to the curriculum and participating in positive behaviour management programmes and contributing to personal learning plans. Other duties may include active learning, assisting pupils with intimate care routines when required, and supervising pupils at lunchtimes and playtimes, including in the playground or at out-of-school events.
Responsibilities
As a Pupil Support Assistant, you will:
* Support children and young people with additional support needs to access the curriculum under the direction of teachers and senior managers.
* Contribute to personal learning plans and participate in positive behaviour management where required.
* Assist with active learning and support for pupils with complex needs, including those with challenging behaviour.
* Provide support for intimate care routines when required and supervise pupils at lunchtimes, playtimes, and during school events or activities.
Skills & Experience Required
We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate:
* A genuine interest in the development of children and their wellbeing
* Kindness, empathy, patience and an ability to engage with children and young people
* Confidentiality in relation to children, young people and their families
* Experience (paid or voluntary) of supporting children and young people with additional support needs
Working at Perth & Kinross Council
Our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours.
Find out more about Perth & Kinross Council and you could soon be joining our team!
Benefits
* A generous annual leave package
* 6 days public holiday and an additional discretionary day
* Eligibility to join our pension scheme
* Family friendly and positive work/life balance policies such as Flexible Working, Maternity, Paternity & Adoption Leave, time off for volunteering and our Wellbeing Framework
* Access to a range of benefits
* We recognise there can be benefits to flexible working and, where individual jobs allow, we seek to support this. You are encouraged to discuss potential options with the recruiting manager if this is of interest. A healthy work-life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and, where possible, flexible working arrangements to help you achieve that balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.
Next Steps
We would love to hear from you and would encourage you to get in touch with Karen Nicol, Principal Teacher of Support for Learning, on 01764 662 182 or email tcsoacontact@pkc.gov.uk to find out more.
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External candidates are required to provide contact details for 2 references, including email addresses. One must be your current or most recent employer.
We welcome applications from everyone and, as a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to interview applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential requirements of the post. Please contact the hiring manager above or the Recruitment Team on (01738) 475555 or recruitment@pkc.gov.uk to discuss any reasonable adjustments. Appointments are based on evidence supplied during the selection process.
Diversity is important to us and although some roles may be perceived as traditionally gender specific, we welcome applications from everyone and encourage you to apply if you meet the job requirements. This includes welcoming applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills gained during a military career can be transferred to a local government role.
Working with children and/or protected adults is a regulated role and under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 you will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. If you have lived overseas for a period of 12 months or more within the last 10 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check.
A confirmed offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of these mandatory pre-employment checks (including references) and will also include eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and fitness to undertake the post.
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