Bilingual Learning Assistant (Tamil) - fixed term contract or secondment from September 2014 - July 2015 Ref no: 2342

Salary: £15,610 - £16,709 pro rata (£8.09 - £8.66 per hour) depending on experience

6 hours per week (ideally 2 mornings, weekdays, term-time only)

All posts in the EMAS team are term-time only working and holiday restrictions apply with term-time posts.

Education - Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS)

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. It is also committed to promoting quality childcare across the City that works to improve outcomes for children.

DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children's Board safer recruitment procedures.

The Team

We are a team of Bilingual Learning Assistants, Bilingual Support Officers and Advisers working with the Education team. We work in partnership with schools to meet the needs of bilingual learners and ethnic minority pupils at risk of under-achievement. We support pupils across both primary and secondary age phases, as well as in nursery settings.

What is the role?

• Provide a support service complementary to teaching activities, primarily through first language or bilingual communication. • Act as a classroom assistant, working in partnership with the class/subject/EMAS adviser, supporting bilingually the language and learning needs of pupils, particularly in their access to the national curriculum. • Support the class/subject/EMAS adviser in providing a stress-free 'settling-in' period for new entrants, recent arrivals or returnees from extended stays in country of origin. This may include involvement in admission/induction/assessment/placement procedures e.g. parent/pupil conferences. • Assist in monitoring progress and assessing performance including: early profiling of new arrivals; teacher assessment and records of achievement. • Communicate important information to teachers about the child's full language repertoire, including details about first language in both spoken and written format. • Assist in the production of bilingual language/curriculum support materials. • Assist in pastoral support systems and alert school/EMAS staff to pupils' bicultural needs, including sensitive religious and cultural information e.g. dietary requirements, clothing appropriateness etc. • Assist in the promotion of home-school links/parental partnership e.g. contributing to the reporting process by interpreting at parents' evenings, translating home/school communications etc. • Respect and maintain confidentiality in negotiations with parents, pupils, teachers and community representatives. • Support school/EMAS adviser in liaising with other educational agencies/services. Who is the person?

You will have:

• good numeracy and literacy skills in English and first language • experience of working with children at home and/or in a school setting • spoken skills in two languages for effective interpretation • experience of interpretation and translation (formally or informally) • excellent communication and organisational skills • the ability to deal with different situations in a sensitive manner particularly when working with children, families and schools. • to work as part of an effective team • to support school staff effectively in the classroom • an understanding of the need for confidentiality in working with children, school staff and parents • to promote diversity within the school setting (including religious, cultural and language) • a positive and flexible approach to work AND be able to adapt to the needs of the service. • to remain calm and focussed when working under pressure • the willingness to learn and develop additional skills required by the service • good interpersonal skills • to be mobile enough to work at locations city wide as required by the service.

Closing time/date, noon on the 1st September 2014 Applications received after this may not be considered. Interviews to be 4th September 2014