Teaching Assistant (Specialist SEND Support)

Worksop College and Ranby House; one community set across two schools - educating children from age two to eighteen. We're proud of being a broad-ability school with a focus firmly on progress, recognising that every child has their own set of skills and abilities, whether it be academic, sporting, musical or otherwise. We believe that education is about more than the flight towards academic success, but about human flourishing. We want our students to be the very best version of themselves. If they are destined to attend an established University, here is where they will flourish, or if they are an outstanding sportsperson, here is where they will hone their skills. Perhaps they are a talented artist or musician, here is where they’d perfect their craft, but if these talents are yet to be revealed, here is where they’ll be discovered. We are a remarkable school, in a stunning setting, with exceptional facilities and a talented teaching staff. At our school, what matters is the individual, their aspirations and their future.

Worksop College is seeking to appoint an experienced, compassionate and adaptable Teaching Assistant (Term-Time Plus) to support a student with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) within the Senior School.

The successful candidate will work closely with teaching staff and the Learning Support Department to help ensure the student can access learning, develop confidence and engage positively in school life.

This role requires a skilled practitioner who can build positive professional relationships, recognise barriers to learning and respond with sensitivity, flexibility and sound professional judgement. The post holder will provide tailored support that promotes independence, emotional wellbeing and successful participation in both academic and wider school activities, as is required.

Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and we reserve the right to close this vacancy early.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the student's engagement, wellbeing and participation throughout the school day.
• Develop a positive and trusting relationship that promotes confidence, resilience and independence.
• Work alongside teaching staff to facilitate access to learning and implement agreed support strategies.
• Support the student's understanding within lessons by adapting, clarifying and reinforcing learning where appropriate.
• Monitor academic engagement, emotional wellbeing and readiness to learn, responding appropriately to changing needs.
• Support the use of personalised learning approaches and assistive technology where appropriate.
• Encourage self-advocacy, independence and the development of effective learning habits.
• Contribute to the implementation and review of EHCP provision and outcomes.
• Provide support for agreed examination access arrangements when required.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, parents and external professionals to support student progress and wellbeing.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for an experienced SEND professional who understands that effective support is built on trust, consistency and professional judgement. The successful candidate will know how to foster independence whilst remaining attentive to when guidance, reassurance or intervention may be needed. They will be confident supporting a young person with a complex SEND profile, committed to helping them flourish both academically and personally, and able to work collaboratively with colleagues, parents and external professionals to secure the best possible outcomes.

Statutory requirements & equal opportunities

Safeguarding & Child Protection

For this post applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including, but not limited to, reference checks with previous employers, online searches, prohibition checks and a criminal record check via the Applicants Disclosure and Barring Service (including Barred List Check). All offers of employment are conditional upon the satisfactory outcome of child protection screening checks.

Disclosures

We will appoint, train, develop and promote on the basis of merit and ability alone. It is a stipulation of the Governors and a statutory requirement that members of staff appointed to Worksop College should be shown not to have any criminal record, which might prevent them accepting a post at the College. Accordingly, the College requires permission from all members of staff to make an appropriate investigation. Offers of employment are subject to a satisfactory outcome of this enquiry.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitations of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are “spent” unless they are “protected” under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Equal Opportunities

Worksop College is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to a policy of treating all our employees and job applicants equally. It is our policy to take all reasonable steps to employ and promote employees on the basis of their abilities and qualifications without regard to age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, marital or civil partnership status, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation, trade union membership, religion or belief.

Working at Worksop and Ranby House is as much about a lifestyle choice as it is about pursuing a satisfying career path. We have high expectations of our staff and reward with an attractive benefits package, which includes:

• Fee concessions for your children
• Workplace pension scheme
• Access to gym, sports hall and swimming pool
• Free meals provided when on duty
• Free onsite parking

• Experience supporting students with emotionally based school avoidance.
• Experience of trauma-informed practice.
• Experience working with students with EHCPs.
• Knowledge of assistive technologies used to support literacy and learning.
• Confidence supporting literacy and numeracy development across the curriculum.
• Experience of supporting students during internal and external examinations.
• Relevant Teaching Assistant, SEND or pastoral support qualification.

• Significant experience working with children or young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
• Experience of supporting students with complex learning, emotional and/or pastoral needs.
• Good understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety-based barriers to learning.
• A sound understanding of child development, learning processes and the factors that affect how young people learn.
• Ability to develop positive professional relationships whilst promoting student independence.
• Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.
• A proactive, organised and solution-focused approach to supporting students and colleagues.
• A calm, patient, emotionally resilient and reflective approach.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.