Teaching Assistant in Cornwall

Are you a Life Changer? Do you want to lean in and transform the life of a child? Compass Community puts children first through our therapeutic, innovative approach. Integrity, Courage and Care shape how we work. We listen deeply, challenge each other and fix what needs fixing, together. This is the work. And we’d like you to be part of it.

Who we are: Compass Community School Vicarage Park is an innovative new provision for 8-18 year‑old pupils with Special Educational Needs located in Kidderminster. We are part of a passionate, well‑respected and progressive family of schools, where everyone is valued and encouraged to reach their potential, regardless of their starting points or barriers to learning. We are a small independent special school, which provides a personalised education for up to 14 pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD). All of our pupils have complex needs, behaviours which challenge, and many will have suffered significant trauma and adverse childhood experiences. As a trauma‑informed organisation, all staff are provided with extensive therapeutic training and support.

The Role: Teaching Assistants at our school know that no two days are the same and that no two children are the same either. Our children require very special adults who can support children with complex and challenging behaviours. TAs in our schools will understand that our children require lots of attention, just the right sort of communication, consistency and flexibility in equal measure, and a non‑judgemental approach. They need to be resilient, persistent and solution‑focused to meet the needs of our pupils and, to do so, need to wear a lot of hats and be prepared to change them at a moment’s notice!

• Support teaching and learning
• Work with children 1:1 or delivering sessions with small groups of students
• Manage classroom resources
• Take children on educational trips and visits
• Have their lunch with children who struggle socially
• Have a good basic understanding of English and Maths
• Keep children safe when they are experiencing heightened behaviours with strong behaviour management skills and excellent communication
• Create, play and teach games to pupils to develop their social skills or further learning
• Create amazing displays which support teaching and create an exceptional learning environment
• Celebrate success
• Participate in therapeutic training sessions or reflecting on difficult periods

Our TAs are highly valued members of our team. We want our TAs to be part of the decision making that drives our school, provides outcomes for children and advocates for every child. We welcome their input in developing both the academic curriculum and the opportunities in our extra‑curricular offer – bringing their own interests and passions to the table.

Benefits and Rewards:

• The opportunity to develop and grow your career within Compass Community
• Competitive salary
• Extensive training and professional qualification opportunities
• Small class sizes with specialist TA support
• The chance to be part of an expanding, national organisation that recognises skill, effort and potential and grows its own leadership teams
• Flexible pension
• Regular therapeutic and supportive supervision
• Employee benefit service with access to wellbeing services, salary sacrifice schemes

We regularly review applications and reserve the right to close an advert early if we identify suitable candidates.

Safeguarding: Compass Community Schools are highly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All staff will be expected to hold or be willing to obtain an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced check for Regulated Activity with the Disclosure.