** PLEASE NOTE WE ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO OFFER SPONSORSHIP POSITIONS OR SPONSORSHIP SWAPS FOR ANY APPLICANTS *
A full UK driving licence, access to your own vehicle and business-use insurance are essential requirements for this role.
Teaching Assistant – Alternative Provision
Gloucester | 3 or 4 days per week | 8:00am–6:00pm
A full UK driving licence, access to your own vehicle and business-use insurance are essential requirements for this role.
This isn't your typical Teaching Assistant role...
If you're looking for rows of desks, a traditional classroom and a standard 9–3 school day, this probably isn't the role for you.
But if you believe children and young people can learn through play, exploration, experiences, relationships and doing things differently, you might fit right in.
We are an Alternative Provision in Gloucester, supporting children and young people aged 4 to 25 who, for a variety of reasons, may not thrive within mainstream or specialist education settings.
We are not currently a registered school. However, our ambition is to become one, and successful applicants will have the opportunity to be part of our team as we grow and work towards that journey.
What does the role actually involve?
As a Teaching Assistant, you will work 8:00am–6:00pm across either 3 or 4 days per week.
This is not a traditional classroom-based Teaching Assistant role. Our young people are generally supported on a 1:1 or 2:1 basis, depending on their individual needs.
Our Teachers use each young person’s EHCP outcomes and targets to create their learning plan. As a Teaching Assistant, you will then support the young person to engage, explore, learn and work towards these targets in a way that works for them.
A Teacher will not always be present during your sessions. They are based within the same provision and are available for guidance and support when needed, but you will be expected to confidently deliver the planned activities and support.
Learning with us can happen anywhere – through play, exploration, sensory activities, independence skills, community activities and individual interests. That’s what makes us different from a traditional school.
Driving is an essential part of the role. At times, you may be required to collect a young person from their home and support them to access the provision or activities in the community. This will vary depending on the young person you are supporting. For this reason, you must have a full UK driving licence, access to your own suitable vehicle and appropriate business-use insurance.
We also want to be realistic about the challenges
The children and young people we support are with us because traditional approaches haven't always worked for them.
We therefore support a wide variety of needs and behaviours. Some young people may become distressed, dysregulated or display behaviours that challenge, and there will be days that require patience, emotional resilience and the ability to remain calm when things don't go to plan.
We don't want to hide that part of the job.
This can be an incredibly rewarding role, but it isn't always an easy one. You need to be prepared to build relationships at the young person's pace, adapt your approach, manage challenging situations professionally and come back the next day ready to try again.
You do not need previous experience to apply. What matters to us is your attitude, resilience, willingness to learn and genuine desire to make a difference.
Training and support
You won't be expected to manage challenging situations without training and support.
We provide a comprehensive induction and ongoing training relevant to your role. This includes Team Teach training, with a strong focus on understanding behaviour, prevention and de-escalation. Where required for the role, you will also learn appropriate techniques for responding safely to more serious incidents.
You will be supported by our Assistant Head of Education and SENDCO, Head of Education and wider team, and you'll be joining a growing organisation where there are opportunities to develop professionally.
We also schedule INSET days throughout the year. These provide dedicated time for training, development, team building and staff wellbeing.
Who are we?
We were established in 2020 by Jack, who experienced significant challenges within the education and care system himself as a child. Those experiences shaped his determination to create the type of service he felt was missing.
Our Gloucester provision has been developed to give young people different opportunities to engage and learn. Our facilities include an IT suite, games room, library, independence kitchen and sensory spaces, alongside opportunities to learn and develop through activities and experiences outside the provision.
We're proud that we're different, but we're also upfront about what that means.
Every day can look different. What worked with a young person yesterday might not work today. You'll need to be flexible, patient, creative and resilient, while maintaining professional boundaries and putting the young person's safety and wellbeing first.
What we're looking for
We're looking for someone who:
- Genuinely wants to support children and young people who may have struggled elsewhere.
- Can work 8:00am–6:00pm over 3 or 4 days per week.
- Holds a full UK driving licence and has access to their own vehicle with business-use insurance.
- Understands that this is not a traditional classroom-based TA role.
- Is patient, adaptable and able to remain calm during challenging situations.
- Is willing to learn and complete all required training.
- Can work positively as part of a team.
- Is comfortable supporting young people across a broad age range.
- Wants to contribute to an organisation that is continuing to develop and grow.
What we offer
We can offer you a contract, based on your needs, with a competitive salary. We are able to offer a term time only contract, with your salary split over 12 months (if you wish).
Alongside your salary and contract, staff can access:
- Monthly pay.
- Workplace pension.
- Full induction and ongoing training.
- Team Teach training.
- Professional development and qualification opportunities.
- Scheduled INSET and team-development days.
- Early-pay access.
- Statutory sick pay.
- Bike to work Scheme
- Monthly Employee Raffle - There are many prizes up for grabs, this can be a box of chocolate or a holiday abroad!
- Opportunities to progress as the organisation grows.
- Access to our employee Perks scheme if you choose to subscribe, including a 24/7 private GP, mental health support and retail discounts, with benefits also available to members of your household.
Does this sound like you?
We're not looking for someone who simply wants a traditional Teaching Assistant job.
We're looking for someone who can build relationships, think creatively, remain resilient, celebrate the small wins and understand that every young person learns differently.
Some days will challenge you. Other days you'll see a young person achieve something they may never have believed they could do.
If supporting young people to learn through play, exploration and experiences sounds like your dream job, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and come and see what makes our provision different.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From £13.22 per hour
Expected hours: No less than 37.5 per week
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Employee mentoring programme
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:
- Special education: 1 year (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Full UK Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
