Academic Support Assistant

About Us

Harris Clapham exists to serve the communities of South London, taking young people from being not much more than children at the end of Year 11 to being ready to face the adult world with the qualifications, skills and character needed to face those challenges successfully. The key role for staff in this, as well as teaching the academic and vocational subjects students will be examined in, is modelling and encouraging the Clapham Character as we develop young people with the Courage to take on new challenges and to do the right thing even when it's the hard thing, the Commitment to persevere through hard times and to support friends and classmates loyally, and the Confidence to use their voices to create a community that is welcoming to all. Our teachers are subject experts with a passion to share their knowledge and skills of communication; our support staff are flexible and enthusiastic with specific expertise in their areas of responsibility; and our leaders are here to enable staff to do their jobs well and students to make that great step into adulthood

Summary

We are seeking an engaging and enthusiastic individual to join our team as an Academic Support Assistant. This vital role supports students' learning and wellbeing across the school, providing both in-class and one-to-one assistance to help every student reach their full potential.

As a key member of the support team, you will work closely with teaching staff, pastoral leads, and students to deliver tailored academic support, monitor progress, and contribute to a positive and inclusive learning environment. You will need a calm, professional manner, excellent communication skills, and a genuine passion for helping young people succeed.

This is an exciting opportunity if you thrive in a busy, student-centred environment and are committed to making a meaningful difference in the educational journey of every learner.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing daily pastoral care to students aged 16-19, supporting their wellbeing, engagement and academic success
• Delivering targeted interventions to improve attendance, punctuality, behaviour and academic performance
• Assisting with administrative tasks and system updates
• Supervising independent study spaces to maintain a focused and aspirational learning environment
• Supporting students in developing effective study habits, time management and revision strategies
• Collaborating with teaching staff to identify and support underperforming students through tailored interventions
• Recording mentoring sessions and tracking student progress
• Acting as a first point of contact for students facing personal or emotional challenges, offering guidance and referrals
• Monitoring attendance and behaviour, implementing early interventions to support re-engagement
• Working with staff, parents/carers and external agencies to provide cohesive student support
• Contributing to wellbeing initiatives, enrichment activities and safeguarding procedures

Qualifications & Experience

We would welcome your application if you have:

• GCSE (C grade or above) qualifications in English and Mathematics
• A level qualification(s) or equivalent
• Understanding of the importance of students achieving their full potential
• Working with a range of students with behaviour needs
• Good knowledge of working with parents/carers and external agencies and delivering intervention programmes to individual groups of students
• Demonstrable experience of working with young people aged 11-16
• Experience of working with parents/carers in meeting their child's needs
• The ability to encourage and inspire young people to achieve
• Good organisational skills
• Good ICT skills and a willingness to learn more
• Effective team worker
• The ability to behave professionally in all circumstances
• The ability to use own initiative
• Highly effective skills in communicating clearly both orally and in writing

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Rewards & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Next Steps

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.