Teaching Assistant (Key Stage 3 & 4)
£25,583–£28,142.00 · Full-time (31–32.25 hours a week)
The Oaks School is a new independent special school for pupils aged 11–16 specifically designed to meet the needs of children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. We are committed to creating a calm, nurturing and purposeful environment, with a broad therapeutic curriculum to enable every student to thrive, regardless of background and educational journey. Our ethos “Believe you can achieve” underpins everything we do, to ensure the children in our care have a safe place to belong.
We are now recruiting an inspirational and caring Teaching Assistant to join our growing team. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a small specialist school in its foundational year, to collaborate with like-minded professionals and support the delivery of a holistic curriculum which will meet pupils’ individual learning needs. We are looking for an enthusiastic practitioner who understands the importance of adaptive support and positive relationships and can support pupils to engage successfully with learning across Key Stages 3 and 4. We welcome applicants of all experiences who are seeking a genuine opportunity to make a difference.
About the role
As a Teaching Assistant at The Oaks you will:
- Support pupils’ learning across Key Stages 3 and 4 under the direction of teaching staff
- Provide individual and small-group learning and interventions within lessons as directed
- Support literacy, numeracy, Functional Skills and targeted EHCP interventions
- Support teachers and HLTAs with curriculum delivery, adaptation and differentiation
- Support teaching staff with data tracking to support pupils to meet individual EHCP outcomes
- Promote regulation, engagement and positive behaviour with consistent application of the Behaviour, Regulation and Rewards Policy
- Work closely with teachers, pastoral staff and multi-agency professionals to enhance opportunities and outcomes
- Foster positive relationships with pupils and families to support engagement and wellbeing
- Join a collaborative, innovative and relational team
Person specification
Training & qualifications (essential)
- Relevant Level 2 qualification or equivalent experience
- Good standard of literacy and numeracy
Training & qualifications (non-essential)
- Level 3 Teaching Assistant or equivalent qualification
- Trauma-informed or therapeutic practice training
- First Aid qualification
Experience
- Supporting children and young people within an education, care or similar setting
- Supporting learning individually and/or in small groups
Professional knowledge
- Strong understanding of adaptive teaching, differentiation and effective classroom practice
- Understanding of SEND, SEMH and relational approaches
- Understanding of EHCPs and individual pupil outcomes
- Confident with ICT for teaching and learning
- Knowledge of relevant national policies and statutory frameworks
Personal attributes
- A desire to make a difference
- A calm, regulated and patient outlook
- Ability to motivate and engage reluctant pupils and adults (including parents/carers)
- Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills
- Highly organised with effective time management
- Resilient, reflective and committed to specialist SEMH education
Why join The Oaks School?
At The Oaks, your work will make a real difference. We are building a strong, supportive and collaborative team with high aspirations, respect, creativity and acceptance. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the school from the ground up and help support pupils to re-engage with learning, develop resilience and help them discover self-efficacy and a desire to succeed.
How to apply
Please submit a CV and cover letter explaining why you would be an ideal candidate to Nikki at nikki@associatedwellbeing.co.uk.