Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
Walsall Studio School, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 1RL4 days remaining to apply
Job start date
2 March 2026
Closing date
4 February 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
28 January 2026
Job details
Job role
- HLTA (higher level teaching assistant)
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time: 37 hours per week, term time only
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- Grade 6 SCP 15 - 23 (£25,939 - £29,749)
What skills and experience we're looking for
Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
Job Title: Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
Salary: Grade 6 SCP 15 - 23 (£25,939 - £29,749)
Responsible to: Assistant Headteacher / SENDCo
Responsible for: Teaching Assistants / Students with SEND
Role Type: Support Staff
Contract Type: 37 hours per week, term time only
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm
Job Purpose
This is a unique opportunity to work with our students with social, emotional and mental health needs, communication and interaction needs, and anxiety.
As HLTA you will take a leading role in delivering high-quality, personalised support for students at WSS, while also coordinating the work of a small, dedicated team of Teaching Assistants and Therapeutic workers. You will work collaboratively with teaching staff, the wider SEND team, external agencies, and parents/carers to ensure that every student at WSS receives the individualised support they need to thrive in school and in the wider environment.
This role combines high-level classroom and pastoral support with leadership responsibility and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable young people.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver targeted small group and 1:1 interventions across a range of subject areas and social/emotional needs, in line with student EHCPs.
- Support students in accessing learning in mainstream lessons, promoting independence, confidence, and engagement.
- Adapt resources and approaches to meet the specific learning profiles of students.
- Use assessment for learning techniques to track and respond to student progress.
- Work closely with teaching staff to implement support strategies and differentiate appropriately.
- To cover and deliver sessions in the absence of teaching staff
- Work with a team of Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Therapeutic Workers within the main school, overseeing their day-to-day deployment, support, and development.
- Contribute to meetings, support staff briefings and contribute to SEND planning and reviews.
- Lead by example in upholding the school’s ethos, expectations, and trauma-informed practices.
- Provide coaching, modelling and in-role support for the team to ensure consistently high-quality practice.
- Work with the Assistant Headteacher SENDCo to evaluate provision and contribute to strategic development planning.
- Act as a key adult and trusted figure for the caseload of WSS students.
- Implement trauma-informed and attachment-aware approaches to behaviour, communication, and regulation.
- Support students in managing their emotions, transitions, and relationships in school.
- Liaise with parents/carers and external professionals to ensure a coordinated support plan is in place.
- Contribute to risk assessments, pastoral plans, and the safe management of crisis situations.
- Champion inclusive practice and student voice within the wider school community.
- Ensure that safeguarding, confidentiality, and data protection policies are upheld at all times.
- Maintain accurate records and support statutory processes (EHCPs, annual reviews, etc.).
- Promote student attendance, punctuality, and readiness to learn.
- Engage in regular CPD linked to SEMH, autism, anxiety, neurodiversity, and inclusive education.
- Contribute to the development of others through mentoring, training, or sharing of best practice.
- Maintain HLTA status and undertake any additional qualifications or training as agreed.
Safe Working Practices for Adults Working with Children All staff at Walsall Studio School are expected to model and uphold the Trust’s ethos of safe, respectful, and professional conduct when working with students. The post holder must act in line with safeguarding principles and actively promote a culture of vigilance and care.
Safeguarding Statement Walsall Studio School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, and other relevant employment checks.
The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment Policies can be found on our website. This position is subject to appropriate vetting procedures including a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) which will require you to disclose details of all unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions as part of the recruitment process.
What the school offers its staff
Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
Job Title: Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
Salary: Grade 6 SCP 15 - 23 (£25,939 - £29,749)
Responsible to: Assistant Headteacher / SENDCo
Responsible for: Teaching Assistants / Students with SEND
Role Type: Support Staff
Contract Type: 37 hours per week, term time only
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm
Walsall Studio School and Sixth is a deliberately small, forward-thinking school serving young people aged 14 to 19 who are passionate about creative pathways in performance, music, and media. We offer a unique learning environment that looks and feels like a modern creative workplace rather than a traditional school, with flexible studio spaces and industry-standard facilities that reflect the real world our students are preparing to enter.
At the heart of our mission is a commitment to inclusion, aspiration, and professional standards. We believe in treating our students as young professionals, helping them to thrive both personally and creatively through high expectations, trauma-informed practice, and a deep understanding of the individual. Our culture is one where every student is known, seen, and supported.
As a founding member of The Mercian Trust, we are proud to be part of a family of schools that share our belief in partnership, collaboration, and community. We work closely with industry partners, creative professionals, and local organisations to ensure our students gain not just qualifications, but authentic experiences that prepare them for the world beyond education.
If you share our values and want to help shape the next generation of creative professionals, we would love to hear from you.
Safe Working Practices for Adults Working with Children All staff at Walsall Studio School are expected to model and uphold the Trust’s ethos of safe, respectful, and professional conduct when working with students. The post holder must act in line with safeguarding principles and actively promote a culture of vigilance and care.
Safeguarding Statement Walsall Studio School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, and other relevant employment checks.
The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment Policies can be found on our website. This position is subject to appropriate vetting procedures including a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) which will require you to disclose details of all unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions as part of the recruitment process.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Studio School & Sixth is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A copy of the ‘Safeguarding Policy’ is available to view or download by logging onto the School website: https://walsallstudio.school/
This position is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check (formerly CRB) under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Further details regarding this check are available from the school or by visiting www.crb.gov.uk.
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 Walsall Studio School
- School type
- Free School, ages 14 to 19
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 185 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 14 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Walsall Studio School website
- Email address
- avneet.bhullar@merciantrust.org.uk
Studio School & Sixth is a specialist 14-19 non-selective school and founding member of The Mercian Trust.
Located in the heart of Walsall town centre, our unique small school and sixth form offers an immersive professional experience; supporting academic, vocational and personal excellence for students starting Year 10 or Year 12 who seek a creative and digitally rich curriculum.
Vocational learning is really important here, but it would be wrong to think that this means our students focus purely on practical work. There’s plenty of theory to learn and we strike a good balance between the academic and the vocational. Above all, we challenge our students to be the very best they can be in their chosen fields.
Back in the Renaissance, more than 400 years ago, ‘apprentices’ studied under the guidance of ‘masters’ and it’s this model that has influenced the way Studio Schools operate today. Of course, much has changed and now, thankfully, those ‘masters’ and ‘apprentices’ are just as likely to be women and girls as men and boys.
Studio School & Sixth has almost 300 such ‘apprentices’. It’s one of only a handful of Studio Schools in the country and opened its doors in 2013. Its students go on to universities, conservatoires and high-quality apprenticeships. The school focuses on the creative, health and digital industries, which means students have careers as paramedics, therapists, software engineers, actors, dancers, teachers and much else besides.
Arranging a visit to Walsall Studio School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email avneet.bhullar@merciantrust.org.uk.
School location
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