About Us 

Ochil Tower School is a thriving educational and residential community, where 27 children and young people, aged 8-21, with special and complex additional support needs live, learn and grow together.

The aim is always to create a beautiful and calm experience. Ochil Tower School is set in seven acres of stunning Perthshire countryside. This enables its children and young adults to feel more relaxed and better able to forge relationships with peers and staff. They are then more able to build self-esteem, confidence, and their capacity for resilience.

The School provides excellent care and education and is not short on ambition. In October 2018, it opened a new Life Skills Centre. This facility is for young adults aged 18 – 21 and is designed to help them so that they are better prepared for the challenges of living an independent adult life by developing their skills in learning, life, and work. OTS has also been focussed on extending the residential provision to 52 weeks. The Board of Trustees have a commitment to further enhancing and developing the opportunities for the young people, the residential houses, and their plans to build new educational facilities for the school.

In response to the pupils' high social and educational needs, the school focuses on creating imaginative and flexible approaches to develop self esteem, confidence and an interest in broad learning and educational aims. This is facilitated by a flexible social pedagogical approach which combines care and education as mutually affecting arenas of lifelong learning. It is the task of the educator to recognise and build on the individual strengths of each young person and use their interests to help them engage in their learning. We are a Camphill community which incorporates the ethos of Waldorf education and Camphill values into our 24h curriculum which is based on the Curriculum for Excellence. 

The Role 

We are seeking a motivated, creative and skilled individual to lead a class of 4-6 young people with complex additional support needs, of mixed abilities and ages, and to provide the pupils with an individual, balanced and enriching educational experience. 

Our delivery of education is highly individualised both with the BGE and the Senior Phase. You will be providing a wide variety of lessons, among others - baking, arts and crafts, PE, woodwork, apple juicing, outdoor work and gardening. You will deliver topic lessons in line with our termly school themes and focus on individual math and literacy tasks with each young person. You will

have experience in working with Augmentative and Alternative Communication and in setting up a variety of resources. You will deliver coursework such as the ASDAN Transition Challenge, New Horizon and Towards Independence Courses, SQA National 1 or 2 courses, Dynamic Youth Awards and DoE Awards. 

You will be an active part of a team of teachers, will be supportive of others and collaborative with all members of the teachers’ group. You will work closely with the care team that supports each young person in your class to ensure a holistic approach to education and care across 52 weeks of the year. 

You will be resilient, robust, flexible, creative and reflective on your practice and will engage in Continuous Professional Development and Professional Update, with the objective of delivering the best possible outcomes for all learners. You will be capable of addressing a variety of challenging behaviours in an imaginative and supportive manner to create a safe, nurturing and stable environment. You will know how to set limits and boundaries whilst being able to recognise each young person’s own limits. 

You will provide support, supervision and guidance to both new and established class assistants and international volunteers working alongside you in your class.. 

If you think you are the person we are looking for and are interested, please provide a cover letter with a personal statement summarising your skills and experience, along with your CV.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Degree level in Education or equivalent 

Desirable: 

• PGCert/Dipin Inclusive Practice or equivalent 

• Knowledge and experience of using a wide range of augmentative communication 

Registration

GTCS Registration and continuing to uphold your registration through engagement with the GTCS standards and taking part in an annual PRD with the Head of Education as stated in our Professional Update and Professional Review & Development Policy. 

This post requires PVG membership in relation to working with children/adults. 

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 ( Exclusions and Exceptions) ( Scotland) Order 2013 applies to this post. 

Experience

Substantial teaching experience of complex Additional Support Needs and challenging behaviour.

Requirement

Driving Licence

What we Offer:

• 8 hours shifts Monday to Thursday, 6 hours Friday
• 13 Weeks annual leave
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced maternity pay
• Employee assistance program
• Cycle to work scheme
• Opportunity to develop professional skills and knowledge
• Workplace pension scheme

If you need further information regarding this vacancy please contact Miriam Puccianti (Head of Education) on miriam.puccianti@ochiltowerschool.org.

Interviews are scheduled for 1 May and 2 May 2024 between 9.30am and 12.30pm