Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Join Our Team at The Forest School! Are you an experienced practitioner passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people? The Forest School is looking for a dedicated, resilient and highly skilled SEN Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) to join our supportive team.

The Role

As an SEN Higher Level Teaching Assistant, you will play a pivotal role as part of a professional team to organise, support and deliver teaching and learning activities. You will work closely with teachers to make decisions on work plans and you may take on specific responsibilities for managing other classroom support staff (GTAs and ATAs). This is a physically demanding yet incredibly rewarding role within a special school setting. You will support pupils with complex, challenging and varying needs including severe learning, behavioural, communication, social, sensory or physical difficulties, to help them overcome barriers to learning.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lesson Delivery & Planning: Use teaching objectives to plan, evaluate and adjust lessons or work plans. Deliver specified learning activities, modifying them to meet the needs of pupils.
• Specialist Support: Provide tailored support to pupils using careful questioning to develop their thinking and learning skills. Assess, record and report on pupil progress and attainment.
• Care & Wellbeing: Carry out vital personal care duties (including toileting, hygiene, dressing and feeding) and administer daily or emergency medication while maintaining meticulous records.
• Therapy & Physical Support: Work directly with pupils on therapy or care programmes overseen by professionals, assisting with moving and handling using specialist equipment.
• Leadership & Team Management: Manage, allocate, and monitor the work of other classroom support staff, participating in performance management, appraisals and training.
• Safeguarding & Communication: Maintain strict professional boundaries and confidentiality while liaising effectively with external agencies, professionals, staff and parents/carers.

What We Are Looking For

• An advanced understanding of child development, inclusive practices and complex associated needs.
• Proven experience working with children with learning difficulties, including multiple and complex behavioural or physical needs, within an education setting. Line management or supervisory experience is highly desirable.
• A Level 3 qualification (or equivalent) demonstrating strong numeracy and literacy skills. HLTA status or a willingness to achieve this within two years is required.
• Excellent communication, observational and risk‑assessment skills, alongside demonstrable ICT capabilities to support learning.
• Emotional resilience when managing challenging or complex behaviours and the ability to find solutions under pressure.
• An absolute commitment to safeguarding, professional boundaries, equality and diversity.

Why Join The Forest School?

The Forest School is a well‑established and highly regarded special school in Knaresborough, catering to pupils aged 3 to 16 with a range of complex special educational needs. We are committed to providing the highest quality education within a happy, caring, and safe environment where every individual is valued and encouraged to reach their full potential.

If you would like a role where every day is different, where the opportunity to make a difference to the life of our young people is appealing to you and if you would like to join a team of inspirational practitioners, then we would like to hear from you.

The Forest School and the wider Trust places a huge emphasis on professional development and invests significantly in staff training at all levels. This means that, although experience of working in an SEND setting would be an advantage, specialist support and training will be provided for outstanding candidates wishing to make the career fulfilling move into special education.

If you would like to discuss or find out more about this post, please contact.

Wellspring Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils. All posts are offered subject to enhanced DBS checks. References will be taken up and an online search carried out for shortlisted candidates, prior to attendance interview.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to promoting diversity. We want our people to reflect the diversity of our communities, and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, especially from under‑represented groups, including those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

If you are currently living overseas or have lived/worked overseas in the last five years please be aware that you will be required to provide an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in, if you are the preferred candidate for the post.