True Nature Sudbury School are at a very exciting chapter preparing to open our doors to students for the first time in March 2023.
We are delighted to be inviting applicants to apply for positions as staff members, to join our new school community. We currently have two paid positions of 20 hours per week with an hourly rate of €12. We hope in the future this hourly rate will increase when the school is more established and there are more students attending.
We envisage the school will open with approximately 20 students with four paid staff and several volunteer staff. The student staff ratio will be approximately 12 to 1 staff.
Staff will always work in pairs for child safe -guarding reasons. These positions are term time posts, running from March to the end of June, then with a break of July and August. We hope to reinstate staff with a new term time contracts in September 2023 to June 2024. We also have several volunteer posts of 5 plus hours per week which we are open to take applications for.
Staff’s main job is to ensure the smooth running of the school and be a resource to students. They hold the space so students can have freedom within the boundaries of safety and respect. Staff members will always be available to help students if, and when, asked. They will (along with students) care for the environment, ensuring it is rich with learning possibilities, providing opportunities for curiosity and inspiration. Staff at TNSS consider themselves helpers not judgers which creates opportunities for respectful relationships with students.
Additionally, here at TNSS we have a key worker system. Each student will pick a staff who they would like as their key worker. They will meet with them each week (or more frequently if needed) to provide a private space for the student to reflect on their time in school, explore learning goals, talk about their relationships with others in the school, and any other issues that may be important to them and their school life.
TNSS staff come from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of qualifications, experience, and training. Most importantly they are adults who believe in the democratic educational approach, enjoy working with children and young people and are life-long learners themselves, passionate and inspired.
All TNSS staff will receive training in First Aid, Child Protection, Respectful Communication and Restorative Practice and will be Garda Vetted before taking up their post at TNSS.
All staff will also have an annual review, where students and other staff will offer feedback on their part in the school community. This is intended as a reflective tool and to give students a voice by seeking their opinions.
TNSS staff are expected to:
- Take responsibility for certain areas of school operations.
- Be available to students, upon request, as facilitators, guides, helpers, etc.
- Act as experienced peers to students
- Act as dependable stewards of the school
- Part- take in promoting the school and building the school community through school events.
- Share their knowledge/ skills with the school community if requested.
At this time, we are placing special emphasis on the following skill set/ knowledge:
Carpentry and building skills
A successful candidate demonstrates:
- A solid knowledge and commitment of the school’s educational philosophy.
- Open to learning and being challenged to grow.
- Passion and engagement with personal interests
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to respectfully communicate with parents, and students of different age groups, developmental levels, and backgrounds.
- Excellent interpersonal skills including practicing active listening, empathy and cultivating a positive outlook.
- Strong self-management skills, including high levels of initiative and a can- do-attitude.
- Ability to work well in a group decision-making organization.
- Ability to work with neuro-diverse populations.
Beneficial Experience:
- Experience of a democratic education environment would be highly beneficial whether as a student, staff member or in another capacity.
- Experience of Self-Directed Learning or Unschooling could also be beneficial.
- Working with children ages 5-18 in any capacity
Application process:
Interested applicants should submit their application, C.V. and covering letter by email to:
truenatureudburyschool@gmail.com
Applicants will be reviewed, and suitable candidates will be offered an appointment to attend interview.
If you are interested in becoming part of our team and joining this new education movement in Ireland…. Please apply!
