Job Description:

Teaching Assistant (Specialist SEND Support)

Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire

Working pattern: Full-time, term time plus, permanent

Start date: As soon as possible

Closing date: Friday 16 October 2026

About the role

Worksop College and Ranby House is a single school community spread across two sites, educating children aged two to eighteen. The school has excellent facilities in a beautiful setting, and it values every pupil's individual strengths, whether academic, sporting, musical or creative.

The school is looking for an experienced Teaching Assistant to support a Senior School student who has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). You'll work closely with teaching staff and the Learning Support Department to help the student access learning, build confidence and take part fully in school life.

The role suits someone who can build trusting professional relationships, recognise barriers to learning and respond with sensitivity, flexibility and good judgement. Your support will encourage independence and emotional wellbeing, and help the student take part in both lessons and wider school activities.

What you'll be doing •

• Supporting the student's engagement, wellbeing and participation throughout the school day •

• Building a positive, trusting relationship that develops confidence, resilience and independence •

• Working with teaching staff to put agreed support strategies in place •

• Adapting, clarifying and reinforcing learning in lessons where needed •

• Monitoring engagement, wellbeing and readiness to learn, and responding as needs change •

• Supporting personalised learning approaches and the use of assistive technology •

• Encouraging self-advocacy, independence and good learning habits •

• Helping to deliver and review EHCP provision and outcomes •

• Supporting agreed exam access arrangements when required •

• Working with colleagues, parents and external professionals to support the student's progress and wellbeing

What you'll bring

The school wants an experienced SEND professional who knows that good support is built on trust, consistency and sound judgement. You'll know how to encourage independence while recognising when guidance, reassurance or intervention is needed.

Essential: •

• Significant experience working with children or young people with SEND •

• Experience of supporting students with complex learning, emotional or pastoral needs •

• A good understanding of autism (ASD), ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety-based barriers to learning •

• A sound understanding of child development and the factors that affect how young people learn •

• The ability to build positive professional relationships while promoting independence •

• Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills •

• A proactive, organised and solution-focused approach •

• A calm, patient, emotionally resilient and reflective manner •

• The ability to work well as part of a multidisciplinary team •

• A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people

Desirable: •

• Experience of supporting students with emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) •

• Experience of trauma-informed practice •

• Experience of working with students who have EHCPs •

• Knowledge of assistive technology for literacy and learning •

• Confidence supporting literacy and numeracy across the curriculum •

• Experience of supporting students in internal and external exams •

• A relevant Teaching Assistant, SEND or pastoral support qualification

What's on offer •

• Fee concessions for your children •

• Workplace pension scheme •

• Access to the gym, sports hall and swimming pool •

• Free meals when on duty •

• Free onsite parking

Additional information

Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, and the school may close the vacancy early, so please apply soon.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

The school is committed to safeguarding children. All offers of employment depend on satisfactory child protection screening. This includes references, online searches, prohibition checks and an enhanced DBS check with a Barred List check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants must declare all convictions and cautions, including those that are spent, unless they are protected under the DBS filtering rules.

Worksop College is an equal opportunities employer. It appoints, trains and promotes people on merit and ability, regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, marital or civil partnership status, race, sexual orientation, trade union membership, religion or belief.

You may have experience of the following: SEND Teaching Assistant, Learning Support Assistant, 1:1 Teaching Assistant, SEN Teaching Assistant, Special Needs Teaching Assistant, Learning Support Practitioner, Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Pastoral Support Assistant, Inclusion Support Assistant, Autism Support Assistant