19 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    September 2026

  • Closing date

    22 June 2026 at 9am

  • Date listed

    3 June 2026

Job details

Job role

  • Teaching assistant

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Part time, full time

Contract type

Permanent

Full-time equivalent salary

£30,518.00 - £33,699.00 Annually (FTE) Actual Salary – £22,682 £25,046 p.a.

SEND Support Worker (SEMH) - HLTA job summary

SEND SUPPORT WORKER - SEMH (HLTA)

Commencing - September 2026

Term Time Only

32.5 hours per week

Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 3:30pm

Salary - £30,518 to £33,699 FTE

Actual Salary - £22,682 £25,046 p.a.

Are you motivated by helping vulnerable students regulate, reconnect and thrive in school? Can you take ownership of a specialist provision and ensure it runs smoothly day to day?

The Role

Watling Academy is seeking a highly skilled and empathetic SEND Support Worker to lead the day‑to‑day operation of our SEND Base Reset Area and provide specialist support for students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. You will create a safe, calm and structured environment where students can regulate, reflect and re‑engage with learning, using evidence‑based approaches to help them build resilience and develop positive coping strategies.

Working closely with the SENCo, pastoral team, teaching staff and external agencies, you will deliver targeted interventions, contribute to EHCP reviews, support reintegration into mainstream lessons and model SEMH‑informed practice across the Academy. You will also play a key role in developing staff understanding of SEMH needs, sharing expertise and promoting a whole‑school culture of empathy, consistency and emotional safety.

This is a role for a confident practitioner who can combine emotional intelligence with professional rigour, and who is committed to improving outcomes for some of our most vulnerable learners.

About Watling Academy

Watling Academy is an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ secondary school situated on the western edge of Milton Keynes, encompassing the Whitehouse and Fairfields developments. Opening in September 2020, our school is a new and vibrant learning community for students aged 11-18. We are excited to have opened the Watling Academy Sixth Form to our first cohort of Year 12 students from September 2025, which will provide further educational opportunities. Our core values of Respect, Responsibility and Kindness embody the ‘Watling Way’ and are integral to the way we interact, learn and grow together as a community.

For more information about our school, please explore our website: www.watlingacademy.net

Learn more about why you should join us by downloading the attached Watling Academy Recruitment Pack

About The Alliance Schools Trust

The Alliance Schools Trust is driven by our mission of Care, Education and Opportunity. We prioritise care by ensuring that no student or staff member ever feels anonymous. Everyone is recognised, valued and supported, creating a strong sense of belonging within our community. Our commitment to education is reflected in our proven track record of academic success, consistently outperforming both Milton Keynes and national averages. We offer opportunity through supportive and dynamic learning environments, where every student can thrive and be well-prepared for future success in higher education or employment. For staff, we offer extensive opportunities for professional development and progression within our growing network of schools, empowering you to advance your career within a united, forward-thinking Trust.

We are recognised as leaders in raising educational standards both within our Trust and in the schools we support. We are proud to appoint motivated, highly qualified staff who thrive in a culture where collaboration and the spirit of partnership are central to everything we do.

How to Apply

Due to our commitment to safer recruitment practices, we can only accept applications through My New Term. Please do not submit CVs.

The Alliance Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check is required for all successful applicants.

E-mail: hr@tastrust.org.uk

Headteacher: Mrs Emma Anderson

Closing date for applications: Monday 22nd June 2026, 9am

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.
Visas cannot be sponsored.
If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

View advert on external website (opens in new tab)

About Watling Academy

School type
Free Schools, None, ages 11 to 18
Education phase
Secondary school
School size
1500 pupils enrolled
Age range
11 to 18
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report

Watling Academy is a purpose-built secondary school in its second year of operation, located within the Whitehouse development on the western expansion area of Milton Keynes. The Academy will have 1800 students when at full capacity. Watling Academy is part of the Denbigh Alliance MAT.

School location

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