Learning Support Practitioner

Role: Learning Support Practitioner

Location: Central Bedfordshire College

Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £25,585 and £30,915 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays,People’s Pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.

Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week | 52 weeks per year

Contract Type: Full-Time, permanent

This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.

About the role:

We are currently seeking a Learning Support Practitioner to join our Foundation Learning and Additional Learning Support at The Bedford College Group.

As a Learning Support Practitioner, you play an important role in the success of our students through:

·SEND Support & Student Success – Provides tailored support for students with SEND, helping them overcome barriers to learning, develop independence and achieve positive educational outcomes.

·Support Planning & Review – Creates, implements and reviews individual support plans, working with curriculum teams and students to ensure strategies remain effective and responsive to needs.

·Staff Guidance & Inclusive Practice – Advises and supports staff on SEND needs, inclusive teaching approaches and effective support strategies, promoting best practice across the College.

·Student Mentoring & Quality Assurance – Offers mentoring and guidance to students, conducts classroom observations and monitors the effectiveness of support arrangements to drive continuous improvement.

·Collaboration & Professional Responsibilities – Builds strong relationships with students and staff, provides advice on Additional Learning Support services, supports college events, and upholds safeguarding, EDI, health & safety and CPD commitments

About you:

·Qualifications & Professional Development – Educated to Level 2 in Maths and English with a relevant Level 3 qualification (or willingness to achieve), supported by a commitment to continued professional development, SEND-related training, safeguarding and equality & diversity awareness.

·SEND Knowledge & Experience – Strong understanding of the SEND Code of Practice, safeguarding, equality legislation and post-16 education, with experience supporting young people with SEND, liaising with curriculum teams and external agencies, and working within educational settings.

·Communication & Student Support Skills – Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to work effectively with students, staff, parents and external professionals, while producing high-quality reports, support plans and guidance.

·Organisation & Professional Practice – Strong organisational, administrative and IT skills, with the ability to manage priorities, maintain confidentiality, use tracking systems effectively and work collaboratively or independently to deliver positive outcomes.

·Personal Attributes & Flexibility – Positive, adaptable and student-focused, committed to safeguarding and professional boundaries, willing to work across all sites, contribute positively to teams and support learners through an inclusive and responsive approach.

For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.

Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:

• Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
• Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
• Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
• Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
• Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
• Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.

Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.

Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.

Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.

Terms and Conditions - BCPS

• 37 hours per week (1.0 FTE)
• 27 days annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays
• Peoples Pension
• Retail and leisure discounts