Teaching Assistant
Rivers Education Support Centre, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0AA20 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 June 2026
Closing date
12 April 2026 at 7pm
Date listed
23 March 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
- £18,901.00 - £23,311.00 Annually (Actual) H5 Salary (4 days £18,901, 5 day £23,311)
Teaching Assistant job summary
We are seeking a compassionate, adaptable, and proactive Teaching Assistant to join our dedicated team. Your role will be to support pupils across KS3 & KS4 (individually and in small group), helping them access learning, regulate behaviour, and develop strategies to manage social and emotional challenges.
You will work closely with teachers, pastoral staff, and external agencies to ensure every pupil receives consistent, high-quality support. This role is ideal for dedicated professionals who have a passion for supporting young people who face difficulties in mainstream education.
Supporting our young people who have been through challenging times, is rewarding as we see them develop and succeed in reaching their full potential, gaining educational outcomes, and returning to mainstream wherever possible.
There is a high staff to pupil ratio - classes are small (max of 5 pupils). We offer a supportive management team with “an open door SLT”, Rights to Disconnect policy, & offer opportunities for staff to effect real change, and grow professionally.
Rivers ESC works with a varied cohort of pupils including children classed as missing education, permanently excluded from mainstream schools, and many of the pupils have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD).
Key Responsibilities
Provide tailored in‑class and out‑of‑class support to pupils with social, emotional, and behavioural needs
Assist teachers in delivering engaging and accessible learning activities
Build positive, trusting relationships with pupils to promote engagement and wellbeing
Support the development and implementation of behaviour strategies and personalised plans
Help create a calm, safe, and inclusive environment
Contribute to the monitoring of pupil progress and the maintenance of accurate records
Work collaboratively with staff to promote positive behaviour, attendance, and motivation
About You
We are looking for someone who is:
Patient, emotionally resilient, and committed to supporting vulnerable pupils
A strong communicator with the ability to model positive behaviour
Able to remain calm and consistent in challenging situations
Skilled at building rapport and maintaining professional boundaries
A team player with a flexible, solution-focused approach
Experienced in working with children/young people with SEMH & SEN needs (desirable but not essential)
What We Offer
A supportive and experienced team
Ongoing training in behaviour management, safeguarding and SEND
Opportunities for career development within the ESC and wider education settings
A role that makes a real difference to young people’s lives
The duties and responsibilities listed in the job description are as present. The post holder is expected to accept any reasonable alterations that may from time to time be necessary.
Rivers ESC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding screening appropriate to the post, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, 2 employment references, medical, and online/social media checks.
We welcome visits to our school from potential applicants. Please contact HR Manager heather.dunne@riversesc.herts.sch.uk to arrange.
We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications irrespective of race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation and/or age. We value the individuality and creativity that every worker potentially brings to the workforce.
H5 Salary (4 days £18,901, 5 day £23,311).
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
The safe recruitment of staff is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in education.
Rivers ESC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects anyone applying to work in our school to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to pre-employment checks, including a satisfactory enhanced criminal record with Barred List check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS check), health check, employment reference checks and online/social media checks.
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 Rivers Education Support Centre
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, ages 5 to 16
- School size
- 29 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 5 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Rivers Education Support Centre website
Rivers Education Support Centre provides educational programmes to support pupils who are at serious risk of permanent exclusion, or who have been permanently excluded from their mainstream school.
The Centre’s vision is to inspire and enable pupils to:
•Become confident, independent and successful young people
•Excel in Learning
•Engage positively with the community
•Be ambitious for their futures.
Key Stage 3
At the Key Stage 3 centre in Hertford, pupils either attend for an agreed period of respite or for a longer period while next steps are arranged. Pupils are provided with a broad curriculum and barriers to education are identified. Pupils are supported to find strategies to overcome these barriers to support them to be successful in school. Once a mainstream school has been identified, pupils are supported to reintegrate by the Rivers ESC outreach team. Where appropriate, statutory assessments are conducted for pupils in Key Stage 3 to identify additional support that may be required and in some instances to support the process towards a placement in an alternative/specialist provision.
Key Stage 4
The Key Stage 4 centre in Hoddesdon provides education for year 10 and 11 pupils. Many pupils are supported to reintegrate back into mainstream school once it has been identified that they are likely to be successful. Rivers ESC works with the Fair Access team in Hertfordshire to choose the new school placement and to plan how to meet the additional needs of the pupil who is reintegrating.
KS4 pupils complete a wide range of exam based and vocational qualifications to work towards future aspirations and chosen career pathways. Some KS4 pupils may work on learning pathways which include attendance at alternative provisions supported by centre staff. Pupils have access to a broad range of subjects at a variety of levels and are guided to be highly aspirational with the courses they select. Pupil outcomes are outstanding.
The safe recruitment of staff is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in education.
Rivers ESC is committed to safeguarding children, young people and promoting the welfare of the pupils in its care and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. We welcome visits from potential applicants.
School location
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