Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Our colleagues’ wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at OFG, so we’re always looking for new ways to improve everyone’s work/life balance. We’re taking part in a trial of the 4-Day Working Week, meaning that you could be working one day less a week (or equivalent). If the trial is a success, we’ll be rolling the 4DWW out across the Group – so there’s never been a more exciting time to join #teamOFG!

Location: Ryecroft School, Walsall, West Midlands WS2 7BH

Salary: £23,000.00 per annum (not pro rata)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4.00pm

Contract: Permanent, Term Time Only

UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

As part of our continued growth, we now have a fantastic opportunity for a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant to join our close-knit team at Ryecroft School, part of Options Autism.

About the role

As a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant, you will support our teachers in taking a creative approach to teaching pupils according to their educational needs, maximising pupils’ achievement, and ability to develop. This is a great opportunity for a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant who is looking to continue their career in Education and is motivated to inspire learning in pupils with varied and complex needs. Your work will be challenging and rewarding in equal measure, and you will be working in a school where we maintain a strong safeguarding culture, where pupils are listened to, respected and involved in as many decisions as possible. You will be calm, engaging, resilient, enjoy working as part of a team, be confident in leading classes and small groups, and be genuinely motivated by helping every pupil to reach their potential.

Job purpose

• To lead and model positive behaviour management with proactive and solution focused approaches.
• To contribute to the preparation and planning of lessons including developing resources and opportunities for young people to learn in school and out-of-school contexts in accordance with lesson plans and in response to young people need.
• To prepare and deliver lessons, under the direction of the teacher, including covering for teacher absence.
• To share the school’s responsibility to support and promote the learning, personal development, safeguarding and well-being of all young people.
• To ensure recording and reporting across the school is completed to a high standard.

Essential

• Previous experience of working in an SEN/ASC environment (highly desirable)
• Level 2 functional skills Maths and English or equivalent (further education studies in relevant field would be desirable)

About Us

Our New Options School - Ryecroft School has capacity for 60 pupils, opened in September 2024 and caters for pupils with Autism and complex needs. The school is located in Walsall, West Midlands. It is located 9 miles north-west of Birmingham, 7 miles east of Wolverhampton and 9 miles from Lichfield. For over 16 years Options Autism have provided care and education to pupils and adults with autism, complex needs and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care. We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Why join Options Autism?

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks
• A market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:
• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the pupils in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit.