Teaching Assistant
Highfield School, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 9BS8 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
16 December 2025 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
8 December 2025
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
- Part time: 31 hours 15 minutes per day, Monday to Friday 0845-1530, term time plus inset days
Contract type
- Permanent
Actual salary
- £19,159 - £20,421
Pay scale
- Grade 5
Hourly rate
- £13.69 - £14.59
What skills and experience we're looking for
We are looking for enthusiastic and caring SEN Teaching Assistants to support our students. We provide a student-centred curriculum, delivered in an inclusive environment, where students develop their communication, independence and social skills. Students benefit from our highly specialised teaching, outstanding pastoral care and the wide range of specialist support services and interventions we provide through our personalised programmes.
Ideally, you will have a good understanding of our pupils' special educational needs and/or prior experience of working in education. The successful candidates should be:
- committed to safeguarding, child protection and the welfare of children and young people
- committed to providing the best opportunities and ensuring outstanding outcomes for learners
- an ambitious team player with excellent communication skills
- an excellent classroom practitioner with high expectations of self, pupils and the community we serve
- able to maintain a positive approach when faced with challenges
- able to motivate, inspire and encourage learners to strive for excellence in all areas
Duties include, but not limited to:
- Creating a safe, engaging and supportive learning environment
- Working alongside teachers, SENCO to monitor and celebrate pupil progress
- Supporting behaviour management strategies and encourage positive social and emotional development.
- Adapting classroom resources and activities to meet individual student needs and EHCP targets
- Attend to student needs including social, health, physical, hygiene and personal care
What the school offers its staff
You will join a team of hardworking, friendly and committed staff, governing body and engaged parents. We offer a well-resourced environment and good opportunities for professional development. We can offer:
- A comprehensive induction process
- Automatic enrolment into the West Yorkshire Pension Scheme
- Automatic enrolment into our Employee Wellbeing Programme
- Motivated and hard-working students
- A School which is ambitious and aspirational for all
Further information about the job
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 job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Highfield School
- School type
- Special school, ages 11 to 19
- School size
- 208 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Highfield School website
- Email address
- psayle@highfield.wakefield.sch.uk
- Phone number
- 01924 264240
We are a local maintained school providing education for pupils with severe learning needs. Our pupils come from all over the Wakefield area and some from further afield, to benefit from our specialised teaching, excellent pastoral care and the wide range of specialist support services and interventions we provide through our curriculum offer.
Our ambition is to ensure that every pupil is well prepared for the next stage of their education and for adult life, be that finding meaningful employment, continued education, supported or independent living.
At Highfield school we provide a student-centred curriculum, delivered in an inclusive environment. Students develop their communication, independence and social skills to make good or better personal progress towards their EHCP outcomes. We prepare them for the responsibilities and experiences of adult life, building resilience opportunities throughout the curriculum.
Our school vision statement ‘maximising potential for confident and independent futures,’ is embedded through our six-strand curriculum across four pathways in year 7 to 11. These are, semi-formal, formal and blended and SCERTS. The SCERTS curriculum pathway introduced in September 2022, which is a comprehensive intervention model for students with autism and their families. In Post 16 we have three pathways which are, Moving on, Futures and City Futures, which was introduced in September 2022.
Highfield is a school which caters for students with severe and complex learning difficulties and autistic spectrum conditions. A significant number of our learners have associated complex needs relating to visual, hearing and speech impairment, social and emotional difficulties, communication difficulties, a range of chromosomal difficulties and in some cases, physical difficulties.
The development of our fantastic green field site has seen the inclusion of a purpose built Post 16 facility, a sensory room, a library, a fitness suite and the refurbishment of the main entrance, administration office spaces and our Emotional Health and Well- being area. We also have a wide range of outdoor facilities including a wildlife area which supports our Forest School status, a poly tunnel for horticulture, Animal Unit and well maintained sports facilities that contribute to the positive learning experiences of our students. Visitors to our school comment very positively on the warm welcome they receive and the quality of the provision, as well as the outstanding attitudes and behaviour of our fantastic students, of whom we are very proud.
We have a large, well-qualified and committed staff group who work very effectively in teams. All staff members are well supported through supportive appraisal processes to improve their practice and are encouraged to develop professionally. There are clear progression pathways identifiable within the school.
The school has grown significantly during the past five years and has made substantial changes to its model of leadership and curriculum in order to better meet the needs of our pupils. Our most recent Ofsted, November 2023, found that the school was Good overall with outstanding personal development, behaviour and welfare.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Horizons Level 1 Teaching Assistant
John Smeaton Academy
Barwick Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 8TA
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in West Yorkshire