About Us
Oak Grove College is a community generic special school providing special education for 276 students with learning difficulties/disabilities from Year 7 to Year 14. We are part of the Thrive Federation of Schools which also includes Palatine Primary School, Herons Dale School and Cornfield School.
We are immensely proud of our college and our community. We are committed to providing the very best for young people while they are with us, helping them to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and aspiration to succeed throughout their lives. We have a staff team of about 180 people, and we believe in looking after everyone well. We know that our staff team make the college what it is today and are the key to a successful future.
Staff are well supported by the leadership team and are offered opportunities to progress. We know that each and every one of our staff have a pivotal role to play and we believe in supporting everyone to achieve their potential. We have been awarded the Gold School Mental Health award, and our staff wellbeing and mental health is paramount to the success of Oak Grove College. Oak Grove College is a rewarding place to work, and staff report high levels of job satisfaction.
We know that our staff work hard to do their very best each day for our students and we believe in looking after them well in return. We pay for an extensive health and welfare support service for all our staff which includes physiotherapy, counselling, mindfulness support, menopause support, chronic illness support, weight management and much, much more.
Oak Grove College has convenient road and rail links with good public transport available. It is a 15-minute walk from Durrington-on-Sea train station, there is a bus stop just by the entrance, a large car park for those travelling by car and good pedestrian access for those on foot. West Sussex County Council staff can also obtain 15% staff discount on Southern Rail daily, weekly, monthly and annual tickets and are entitled to a range of other travel discounts and incentives too.
As part of our growth and commitment to providing exceptional educational experiences for all our students, we are excited to announce plans to open a new satellite site less than 2 miles from our existing campus. Candidates joining our team should be ready to embrace the unique opportunities the new location will offer and be prepared to work at both sites. This is a fantastic chance to be part of an innovative chapter in our school’s development allowing us to continue to make a positive impact on student’s lives across our community.
New employees joining Oak Grove College are guaranteed a warm welcome from the community. Our motto is that ‘Everyone matters, every day counts’ and we strongly believe that this should include our entire college community. We look forward to getting to know you better and helping you to play your part in providing the very best to our young people.
Job Details
Salary: £13.26 - £13.47 per hour, £25,583 - £25,989 pro rated, term time only.
Contract Type: Temporary until July 2026 with extension to December 2026 and beyond
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 3.30pm, term time only
Location: Worthing
Interviews: 19/06/2026
To work with Teachers as part of a professional team to support teaching and learning.
Providing learning support to students who need particular help to overcome barriers to learning. Students may have a range of moderate, severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties and/or behaviour, social, communication, sensory or physical difficulties.
Key Duties:
- Take part in developing and maintaining resources to assist in teaching.
- Under the direction of class teachers, following agreed lesson plans, assist with the teaching and learning of individuals/ groups of pupils, using support strategies appropriate to the needs of pupils, providing feedback and liaising with colleagues over problems.
- Prepare, develop, maintain and deploy appropriate learning aids, materials and equipment, including IT, to assist in teaching under the direction of the Teacher.
- Support the teacher in the monitoring, recording and assessment of pupil progress, arranging and contributing to specialist assessments as required. Ensure there are detailed and reliable records of individual’s progress. Assist teachers/line managers in the evaluation and revision of lessons and work programmes for individuals and groups of pupils.
- Provide feedback to pupils in relation to attainment and progress under the guidance of the teacher.
- Contribute to the development of a purposeful working atmosphere and implement and monitor the school’s behaviour and any related policies and procedures. Administer and invigilate tests and examinations as directed.
- Support pupils in social and emotional well-being, reporting problems to the teacher as appropriate.
- Co-ordinate, initiate and develop liaison with parents, carers and outside agencies, ensuring effective communication throughout.
- Work collaboratively with other agencies and professionals, as necessary, including educational psychologists, health professionals, and education welfare officers, to meet the personal and educational needs of individual pupils.
- Support specific projects or activities as well as whole school events as required.
- Understand and support independent learning and inclusion of all pupils.
- Work with pupils on therapy or care programmes.
- Attend to pupils’ personal needs including toileting, hygiene, dressing and eating as well as help with social, welfare and health matters, reporting problems to the appropriate person. Physically assist pupils in activities including lifting/hoisting where mobility is an issue.
- Take part in swimming lessons.
- Administer medication in accordance with agreed plan under the direction of the healthcare professional.
- Escort and supervise pupils on educational visits and out of school activities.
- Maintain/update confidential pupil records.
- Break time supervision including facilitating games and activities.
- Advise and assist pupils in the use and deployment of complex personal learning aides and equipment.
- Provide Clerical support to the teacher.
- Ability to work across the school as required, including allocation to other teaching teams and departments.
- Attend relevant training courses and meetings.
- Be aware of and comply with school policies and procedures.
- Any other reasonable direction from the Headteacher.
What You Need to Succeed
To be successful in this role you will need to:
We are currently recruiting for additional Teaching Assistants. Teaching Assistants form an important part of our staff team, working together to support pupils with their learning.
We are looking for individuals with some of the following skills, knowledge and experience:
- able to employ a wide variety of communication strategies
- experienced in providing personal care
- experienced in supporting people with mental health issues
- experienced in supporting people with social and emotional barriers to learning
- able to engage and motivate students
- flexibility to work across the whole college as required
- excellent organisational skills
- able to use initiative and work effectively in a team
Further Information
Oak Grove College and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.
How to Apply
To apply for this role please download the job description and application form below. Complete the application form and ensure that you outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the job description). Once complete please return this to [email protected]
Should you have any questions regarding the role or the application please feel free to email us or contact us on 01903 708870
NOTE TO CANDIDATES - Please do not select the ‘Apply online’ button as the School processes your applications directly rather than through this site.
The reference number for this role is SCHO02457.
Job Reference: SCHO02457
