Teaching Assistant

Witherslackgroup; Lancaster; On-site; GBP 20,000 - GBP 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational charity in Lancaster is looking for dedicated Teaching Assistants to support children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Social, Emotional, and Mental Health needs. You will help develop their self-esteem and life skills while working in a nurturing environment. The role offers ongoing support, a competitive salary, and comprehensive benefits, including training and holiday. If you're passionate about making a difference, this is an excellent opportunity to join a committed team.

Benefits

Full school holidays

Contributory pension (matched up to 5%)

Medical cover

Training and development

£1,000 bonus for recommending a friend

Qualifications

• Experience working with children is beneficial but not required.
• Ability to engage and encourage young people of diverse backgrounds.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting welfare of children.

Responsibilities

• Assist children with learning and emotional development.
• Create a positive and inclusive environment.
• Work collaboratively with teachers and therapists.

Skills

Support for children with special needs

Resilience

Team player

Passion for teaching

Ability to inspire

Job description

Our Teaching Assistants are fulfilled by the idea of making even the smallest positive changes in our young people, so we celebrate the little things. There’s lots of ups and downs, and to some of our young people, sitting through a lesson can be a big win. We call these huge small victories and whilst they may seem small on the surface, they add up to make a big difference.

You’ll be working with children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. You’ll be there to help them learn, develop their abilities and raise their self-esteem. You will need to be resilient and dedicated, but those huge small victories that you achieve will be something you’re really proud of.

It can be a tough journey, but the positive steps forward will more than make up for it. As a Teaching Assistant at Witherslack Group, you’ll get all the support you need to succeed. Your colleagues will be the best at what they do, the school environments will be well-resourced and we’ll be with you every step of the way, helping you build a rewarding teaching career.

One of the best environments in SEND

Enabling young people to progress and succeed is part of the DNA of Cedar House School and this is achieved by a commitment to truly celebrating the individuality and talents of every young person.

The primary provision ensures that a nurturing environment and extensive therapeutic support allows a seamless transition to a secondary school that boasts a broad curriculum and far-ranging vocational offer. In addition, the state of the art residential offering enables those young people who reside at the school to benefit from the 24-hour curriculum, while living in a truly homely and personalised environment.

The result is that each young person develops the skills and confidence to achieve both academic and life successes, where they are given the launchpad to release their potential and leave ready to live life to the full. We were recently recognised as Good by Ofsted.

What we do for you

We know you’re going to do great things. For your hard work and commitment, we reward you with the best salary and benefits package in the education sector. With us, you’ll get to bring learning to life and make a genuine difference to the lives of our young people – plus you’ll get:

Training: A full induction and on the job training

Holiday: You’ll work hard at WG, so you’ll be rewarded with full school holidays

Progression: If career development is your thing, most of our head teachers and leaders have been promoted from within our group

Flexible benefits: meaning you can increase/decrease benefits such as life insurance – check out our benefits here

Wellbeing: a host of wellbeing tools and advice including employee assistance

Medical cover so you can claim back the cost of things like an opticians or dentist appointment and a host of high-street discounts

Beautiful working environments with the very best facilities – check out our schools here

A recommend a friend scheme that offers a £1,000 bonus every time

Contributory pension (matched up to 5%)

Bring your whole-self to work

Our young people come from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds and with different needs – and our workforce reflects that diversity, so that our teams can engage, encourage and inspire our young people to be themselves. You’ll be more than a Teaching Assistant, you’ll be able to connect with our pupils because of:

Your ‘can do’ attitude – a team player who rolls up their sleeves to help others

Ideally you’ll have experience working in a classroom, but if not, we can provide you will all the relevant training

Your genuine passion for supporting children to learn and the impact it can have on their lives

Your enthusiasm and expertise to support the teacher and work closely with our therapists

Interested in joining us?

At Witherslack Group, inclusion is part of who we are. We’re committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and that they truly belong.

As a specialist provider of education and care for children and young people with special educational needs, we understand the importance of embracing individuality and championing difference- especially when it comes to neurodiversity. We celebrate diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and the unique strengths that each person brings to our community.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. We are proud to be recognised as an inclusive employer and are committed to making our recruitment and workplace practices inclusive and accessible. If you need any adjustments to support you through the recruitment process or in the workplace, we’ll be there every step of the way.

By building a diverse and inclusive team, we’re better able to support the children, young people and families we serve and ensure every member of our team can thrive, grow, and be their authentic self.

The Witherslack Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check (we will cover the cost) and an online search. We are an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.

For a full job description and person specification, please click here

To view our ex-offenders policy please click here

To view our Child Protection Policy, please visit the Parents and Carers section of this School/Learning centre. You can find all our Schools here

Special Education / Careers in Care / Careers in Special Education / Working with Children / SEMH / SEN / ASD