The Fermain Academy, Macclesfield, UK

The Fermain Academy, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 8JF

4 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  25 September 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  21 September 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Key stage 3
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: 23,074 - 24,087

What skills and experience we're looking for

Location: The Fermain Academy, UK

Salary: £22,188 - £23,162

Contract Type: Permanent

Education Phases: Secondary;

Job Roles: Teaching Assistant;

Application Deadline: Friday, 25th September 2026

Interview Date: 2nd October 2026

Expected Working Start Date: As soon as possible

Visa Sponsorship Available: No

Is a Shared Job: No

About us

The Fermain Academy is a safe and stimulating place of learning for students who, for whatever reason, have become disengaged from mainstream education. With facilities to cater for up to 90 students aged 13-16, we offer a structured and positive learning experience, and an outstanding dedicated team able to provide emotional support in a safe and supportive environment. You will be supported to work with our students; all our teaching and learning groups are between 4 and 8.

Job Description

To work collaboratively with the class teacher in order to support outstanding lessons and student’s emotional health and wellbeing.

As an Academy our key focuses will be:

A Re-engagement, raising aspiration and motivating

• Recognising that personal and emotional development, independent living and decision-making skills and discovering meaningful interests and goals are essential to educational success.
• A personalised curriculum including specific engagement activities based on the interests of each individual learner.
• Positive and trusted adult role models in the form of Teaching Assistants and qualified teachers recruited for their enthusiasm for working with disconnected young people and their ability to understand and adapt, in order to meet the needs of the students.
• Opportunities to support social and emotional needs through individual programmes and a varied curriculum.
• The curriculum will determine the knowledge and skills students will learn at each stage. It is planned efficiently to Support exceptional lessons where students make outstanding progress, and are able to relate their learning to the wider world.
• Individual learning programmes, based on the interests and skills of the students and which draw upon the diverse range of pastoral, vocational, engagement and personal and social development activities.
• Small groups of students (max 1:8) with capability to offer 1 to 1 student support.
• Practical application of English and Maths to develop skills that prepare for accreditation and work towards independence and social integration.
• Positive learning environments with praise for success and recognition of achievement.
• Regular liaison with parents and carers to involve them fully in the education of their children including weekly progress telephone calls.
• Celebration of success through: weekly celebrations with students and staff; rewards for targeted elements; and high profile annual celebration events.
• Relevant vocational learning that broadens the curriculum offer to students providing the opportunity to support their classroom learning by gaining practical skills in the workplace and ultimately allowing them to achieve recognised qualifications.

B Unlocking every child’s potential

C Recognising and celebrating achievement

Teaching Assistant Job Description

Key Priorities;

Support teachers and Learning Mentors to deliver an engaging specialist curriculum within the academy

Support the vision and direction of the school

Support effective learning and teaching throughout school

• Ensure effective pastoral care and behaviour support throughout the school

Teaching and Learning;

As a Teaching Assistant of The Academy you will support teaching staff to ensure effective teaching and learning throughout the academy. You will:

Support teaching staff to ensure high quality teaching is delivered to students.

Support teaching staff to provide and maintain an environment and a code of behaviour and discipline which promotes and secures good teaching, effective learning and high standards of achievement

To support the curriculum and its assessment; work with the teachers and Learning Mentors to monitor and evaluate it in order to identify areas for improvement

To support students with their emotional health and wellbeing

To develop key relationships with students and parents and carers

To engage in outreach to ensure all our students needs are met

Ensure that the relevant interventions are delivered to support improvements in literacy, numeracy and emotional wellbeing.

Partnership Working;

Seek opportunities to invite parents and carers, into The Academy to enrich student experience and to promote The Academy’s value to the wider community

Collaborate with staff, to actively promote the British values, academic, spiritual, moral, social, emotional and cultural well-being of students and their families

Health and Safety / Child Protection;

To help ensure that health and safety standards meet statutory requirements, monitoring health and safety matters within the school, particularly ensuring that all members of the staff take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others

To help ensure that Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures and Department of Health assessments of Children in Need are rigorously complied with, and that the welfare and health and safety of students are of prime consideration

To promote the safety and well-being of students and staff

To ensure good order and discipline of students and staff

Extra CPD Opportunities

Engage with CPD opportunities in order to effectively fulfil your role and achieve the best possible outcomes for our students.

Benefits

• A teaching day that ends at 14.30
• Small class sizes
• Fantastic classroom support
• Access to training and CPD including further professional qualifications.
• Specialist training where required
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible and supportive approach to work
• Free lunch at school
• Free parking (including charging stations on most sites)
• Nursery benefits
• Perkbox - vouchers, discounts and wellbeing

Desired Criteria

Criteria

Desirable

Qualifications/

Education

• Recognised behaviour / curriculum / SEMH qualification

Experience

• Experience of having worked with SEND/ SEMH children

Professional /Personal Skills

• Evidence of coaching and/or mentoring
• Able to effectively resolve personnel issues
• Training and understanding of child protection
• Training and experience of working with students with a variety of mental health needs

Knowledge and understanding

• Knowledge and experience of current good practice and development in special education provision.
• Knowledge of how to promote independence for young people with complex needs.
• Knowledge of Mental Health needs.
• Behaviour management training

Essential Criteria

Criteria

Essential

Qualifications/

Education

• NVQ2 for Teaching Assistants or equivalent in related area
• GCSE Maths & English grade A* - C or level 2 or above of the National Qualification Framework
• Ability and willingness to participate in training

Experience

• Minimum of 1 year working in a classroom setting with students
• Evidence of having taken advantage of training opportunities in previous positions

Proven ability to:

• Support in the delivery of well-structured lessons
• Communicate and work effectively
• Ability to motivate and inspire

Professional /Personal Skills

Proven ability to:

• Generate enthusiasm for new ideas
• Communicate effectively to groups and individuals, orally and in writing
• Resolve conflict through active listening and negotiation
• Demonstrate a flexible approach and a willingness to listen to others
• Good organisational skills
• Provide advice and guidance to parents and carers in a positive and clear manner
• Remain calm when working under pressure.
• Ability to show patience and empathy
• Ability to establish and develop good relationships with all involved in the school.
• Commitment to the school’s wider community.
• Ability to inspire all in a love of learning
• Ability to support students emotional, personal and social development.
• Respect for students’ individual difference
• Be reliable and have integrity.

Knowledge and understanding

• Demonstrate a good level and understanding of ICT
• Knowledge of how to deal with safeguarding issues in school.
• Know how to develop effective rapport with students, this being based on high expectations and establish a purposeful learning environment.
• Commitment to one’s own continuing professional development

Other Requirements

• Positive recommendation from present employer
• Ability to meet safer recruitment requirements – including a confidential health check, verified references, on line check and satisfactory DBS.

What the school offers its staff

In addition to a rewarding and meaningful career, we offer:

• Access to high-quality CPD and professional qualifications
• Flexible and supportive working arrangements
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee wellbeing support and counselling services
• Perkbox benefits platform
• Car salary sacrifice scheme
• Electric car charging points
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free parking
• The opportunity to work alongside exceptional leaders in a growing Trust with a genuine focus on people development and culture

Flexible working opportunities

Flexible Working

We recognise that attracting and retaining the highest quality candidates means offering a flexible working environment. We consider a variety of flexible arrangements, including part-time roles, job-sharing, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid opportunities where appropriate. By adopting a flexible approach, we empower our staff to bring their best selves to work every day, fostering creativity, commitment, and resilience. Our teams remain diverse, motivated, and aligned with our vision of transforming children's lives through world-changing education. We believe that by investing in the wellbeing and professional fulfilment of our staff, we are also investing in the futures of the communities we serve.

Candidates are encouraged to discuss flexible working from recruitment onwards, in line with the statutory "day one right" principle, and ensuring equal opportunities for all groups of prospective employees

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

Youth Engagement Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. All positions will require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and registration with the DBS Update Service together with all other relevant recruitment checks.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About The Fermain Academy

• Organisation type: Free School, ages 13 to 16
• Size: 21 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 13 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: The Fermain Academy website
• Email address: j.crouch@theyestrust.org
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-fermain-academy

The Fermain Academy opened as a brand-new Alternative Provision free school in September 2015 and underwent a £1.6m building project to extend and refurbish the entire building. The academy now has facilities to cater for up to 90 students aged 13-16 at any given time, and is a safe place of learning for those who, for whatever reason, have become disengaged from mainstream education.

Whatever the amount of time a student spends at The Fermain Academy, they are guaranteed a structured and positive learning experience, and an outstanding dedicated team able to provide emotional support in a safe and supportive environment.

At The Fermain Academy we live by the following core principles, which run through everything we do:

• We are Child Centred
• We build Authentic Relationships with young people
• We are Adaptive and Sensitive to need

School location

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