Job Description:

Teaching Assistant
Care First: Further Education - Great Barr Campus
Salary: £22,160.62 per annum (not pro rata)
Hours: 37.5 hours per week | Monday to Friday | 8.30am – 4.30pm
Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only
Eligibility: UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

Help Young People Build Confidence, Discover Their Strengths and Take Their Next Steps Towards Independence!

Are you passionate about supporting young people to achieve their potential? Looking for a rewarding role where your encouragement, patience and enthusiasm can make a genuine difference?

At Care First – Great Barr Campus, we're looking for a caring, motivated and resilient Teaching Assistant to join our Further Education team, supporting learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, autism and associated challenges.

This is much more than a classroom support role. You'll help learners develop the confidence, independence and practical skills they need to prepare for their future, while supporting them to overcome barriers and celebrate their achievements.

Working alongside teachers, therapists and our wider support team, you'll play an important part in creating a welcoming, inclusive and engaging learning environment where every learner feels valued and encouraged to succeed.

With permanent, term-time-only working, this is a fantastic opportunity to build a rewarding career while enjoying more time for life outside of work.

Your role will include:

• Make learning accessible by providing individual and small-group support, helping learners engage with lessons and achieve their personal goals.
• Build confidence and independence, encouraging learners to develop practical, social and emotional skills for everyday life.
• Create positive learning experiences, working alongside teachers to prepare resources and deliver engaging activities.
• Support emotional wellbeing and positive behaviour, helping learners develop self-regulation skills and overcome challenges.
• Celebrate individual progress, contributing to personalised learning plans, behaviour support strategies and accurate progress records.
• Provide practical and pastoral support, including daily routines and personal care where required.
• Encourage learning beyond the classroom, supporting educational visits, off-site activities and opportunities to develop new skills.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with teachers, therapists, families and other professionals while maintaining high standards of safeguarding and student wellbeing.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who brings compassion, enthusiasm and a genuine desire to help young people achieve more than they thought possible.

You'll be someone who:

• Has a patient, caring and positive approach, with the resilience to support learners through challenges.
• Can build strong, trusting relationships and communicate effectively with learners, colleagues and families.
• Is adaptable, proactive and able to tailor support to meet individual learning and development needs.
• Has good organisational and basic IT skills, with the ability to maintain accurate records.
• Understands the importance of safeguarding, inclusion and positive behaviour support, including the SEND Code of Practice.
• Is enthusiastic about learning new skills and willing to work towards relevant teaching or support qualifications.
• Enjoys working collaboratively and is committed to helping learners develop confidence and independence.
• Holds a valid driving licence and is willing to travel between sites when required.

Experience in education or another learner-facing environment would be valuable. Previous experience supporting learners with SEND, SEMH or behaviours that challenge, and a Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning or equivalent, would be an advantage.

About Us   At OFG Education, we believe every student deserves an education designed around who they are. Through high expectations, deep expertise and truly personalised education, we help students realise their potential and prepare for successful futures.   Building on more than 20 years of experience, we are bringing our approach to more students and communities around the world. Across the UK, Iberia and the Gulf, our schools combine the strength, expertise and high standards of an international education group with the individuality of each school and the communities they serve.   Whatever your role, joining OFG Education means contributing to our shared ambition: empowering every student to success through truly personalised education.

Why Join Care First?

Care First provides person-centred education and day provision for young adults with learning difficulties, autism, mental health needs and complex needs. Our tailored programmes help learners develop life skills, build independence and thrive within their communities.

We are proud to be a part of OFG Education who in 2025 were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place students and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
• Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

OFG Education is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, OFG Education does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.

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