Graduate Teaching Assistant
Harris Academy Orpington, Kent, BR5 4LG13 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
23 November 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
10 November 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teaching assistant
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time, term time: Actual salary £25,566.11 - £25,931.85 (37.5 hours per week, 38 weeks per year)
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- £30,408 - £30,843
Pay scale
- Grade 3 (Outer London)
Additional allowances
Annual Loyalty Bonus + Pension Scheme (LGPS) + Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan + Additional Harris Benefits
What skills and experience we're looking for
Harris Academy Orpington is looking for a Teaching Assistant to support individuals and groups of students at the academy, including those with SEND.
This will involve supporting learning in the classroom and attending to students' personal needs where required, including social, health, physical, hygiene, first aid and welfare matters.
The actual salary for this role will be £25,566.11 - £25,931.85 (37.5 hours per week, 38 weeks per year) .
The successful candidate will have:
- Qualifications to degree level or equivalent
- Basic knowledge of SEND and learning barriers
- Some knowledge of strategies in working with young people with challenging behaviours
- Knowledge of some of the social issues facing students from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Awareness of Health and Safety issues in the workplace
- Experience of working directly with young people in an education or training environment, supporting the learning of students
- Experience of establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with a range of stakeholders, at all levels
- Experience of managing and being responsible for own workload
- Good literacy and numeracy skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, with an excellent standard of written and spoken English
- Good administrative and organisational skills
- Ability to interest, encourage, motivate and engage children
- Ability to work effectively with team members across a wide range of levels and responsibilities
- Good ICT skills, including a working knowledge of Microsoft packages and the ability to update records and databases.
- Ability to work using own initiative, exercising good judgement where unsupervised
- Flexibility of approach to work
- Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercising tact and diplomacy
What the school offers its staff
Harris Academy Orpington opened in September 2016, joining the highly successful Federation of Harris academies in London. We are on our journey to outstanding and are ambitious and looking forward to an exciting future as we highlight our work as aHealth Science Specialistschool, with students being given access to recognised professional qualifications and careers.
At HarrisAcademy Orpington, we have the most incredible facilities, staff and students and we are very proud of the work that our students do here. We have developed a curriculum that is ambitious and broad. We believe people need to nurture an appreciation of human creativity and achievement and have designed a curriculum that does just that.
We aim to ensure that every student is inspired and supported to achieve his/her personal best and learning comes first. Our motto is “Together We Can” and if you are interested in joining us, we would be very pleased to meet you.
Benefits
In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance (usually £2,000 for Inner London and £1,500 for Outer London), an Annual Loyalty Bonus, Teachers Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, Employee Assistance Programme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.
Flexible working opportunities
We are committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. We understand that each individual's circumstances are unique, which is why we offer flexible working options that can be adapted to meet the needs of both the academy and our employees.
Further information about the job
Your responsibilities will include:
- Supervising and supporting identified students in 1:1, group or whole class situations, ensuring their safety and access to learning in a purposeful and supportive learning environment.
- Assisting in developing resources, schemes of work and teaching strategies, working with the teacher to ensure the provision supports learning needs.
- Assisting in evaluating identified students' progress and providing feedback on their achievements, progress and needs.
- Leading small group sessions and interventions as appropriate.
- Attending to students' personal needs where required.
- Supporting with behaviour management.
- Undertaking learning activities/teaching programmes, adjusting activities to ensure achievement of learning goals.
- Assisting with the supervision of students out of lesson times, including playtimes and undertaking lunchtime duty.
- Supporting students with their learning and development in respect of local and national learning strategies.
- Preparing the classroom for lessons, clearing afterwards and assisting with the display of students' work.
- Preparing and maintaining resources and assisting students in their use.
- Undertaking record keeping as requested.
- Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with parents/carers, gathering and reporting information as directed.
- Providing administrative support as required.
- Accompanying teaching staff and students on visits, trips and off site activities as required.
Commitment to safeguarding
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Harris Academy Orpington
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 499 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- careers@harrisfederation.org.uk
- Phone number
- 01689 819219
Harris Academy Orpington opened in September 2016, joining the highly successful Federation of Harris academies in London. We are on our journey to outstanding, we are ambitious and looking forward to an exciting future. We believe that every student can and should achieve their full potential and our commitment is one of ensuring our students develop a love of learning, a passion for enquiry and a dedication to being the best that they can be.We aim to ensure that every student is inspired and supported to achieve his/her personal best and learning comes first. Our motto is “Together We Can” and if you are interested in joining us, we would be very pleased to meet you.
School location
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