Teaching Assistant

Salary: Support Staff Pay Scale D: £20,862 to £21,193 pro-rata per annum (Actual) (£25,583 - £25,989 full time/full year equivalent)

Part Time: 34.5 hours per week over 5 days from Monday to Friday

Working Weeks: 39 Weeks

An October start is preferred, subject to completed onboarding checks.

This role will be based at Hethersett Academy, Queen's Road, Hethersett, Norwich, NR9 3DB.

Teaching Assistant - Supporting Every Child to Thrive

Are you passionate about helping young people develop their skills, confidence and creativity? We have an exciting opportunity for a Teaching Assistant to join our committed and hardworking team at Hethersett Academy, supporting our students to achieve their full potential.

We are seeking a caring, proactive and organised individual to support students within our SEND Room. The successful candidate will play a key role in creating a calm, inclusive and supportive environment where students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities can access learning, build confidence and develop independence. Responsibilities will include providing targeted academic and pastoral support, helping students regulate emotions and manage anxiety, liaising with teaching staff, and contributing to the implementation of individual support plans. This is a rewarding opportunity for someone who is passionate about helping young people overcome barriers to learning and achieve their full potential within a secondary school setting.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Supporting pupils’ learning and development through structured activities, interventions and targeted support programmes.
• Working with individuals and groups of pupils, including those with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) or English as an Additional Language (EAL), to help them access learning and achieve their potential.
• Monitoring pupil progress, recording achievements and providing feedback to teachers and the SEND team.
• Delivering agreed interventions focused on areas such as literacy, numeracy, speech and language, emotional literacy and social skills.
• Supporting positive behaviour through effective classroom management and the use of appropriate de-escalation strategies.
• Assisting teachers with classroom activities, resource preparation and the effective use of ICT and learning technologies.
• Supporting pupils during assessments, examinations, trips and other activities as required.
• Building positive relationships with pupils, parents, colleagues and external professionals to support pupil wellbeing and inclusion.
• Maintaining accurate records of support provided and contributing to SEND reviews and pupil progress discussions.

About You:

You will be a caring, patient and committed individual who enjoys working with children and supporting their educational journey. You will have the ability to build positive relationships with pupils and adults, work effectively as part of a team and adapt your approach to meet individual needs. You will also be enthusiastic about helping pupils develop confidence, independence and practical learning skills, while ensuring they receive the support they need to thrive.

Experience of working in a secondary education setting would be an advantage.

Essential:

• Good numeracy/literacy skills.
• Experience of working with or caring for children of relevant age.
• Basic understanding of child development and learning.
• Understanding of safeguarding responsibilities, confidentiality and the importance of supporting pupil wellbeing.
• Ability to evaluate learning needs.
• Ability to relate well to children and adults and build positive relationships.
• Ability to use ICT effectively to support learning.

Desirable:

• NVQ Level 2 or equivalent qualification in Teaching Assistance, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience or training in delivering specific interventions, such as literacy, numeracy, speech and language or emotional wellbeing programmes.
• Experience of working with pupils with SEND.
• First aid training or experience supporting pupils with medical needs.

Hethersett Academy is one of East Anglia’s top-performing schools, rated Outstanding by Ofsted in all areas. Inspectors have highlighted how much pupils value their education at the academy - "Pupils flourish at this school. They attend regularly, arrive on time and present themselves impeccably. Pupils respect each other and their surroundings. Bullying is rare. Pupils know that if bullying does happen, staff deal with it effectively and promptly. Pupils have very high expectations of their own and others’ behaviour. They value every minute of learning time."

A growing village school with a strong history in the local community, Hethersett Academy is conveniently located just off the A11, making it a popular choice for families in Wymondham, south Norwich, and the surrounding areas.

We are part of the Inspiration Trust; a thriving family of schools across Norfolk and North Suffolk, recognised nationally for pupil progress and excellence in teaching and leadership. We believe every young person deserves the best education, regardless of background. Inspiration Trust specialises in transforming schools in disadvantaged areas and taking academies from failing to outstanding.

The Trust offers extensive networks and opportunities to collaborate with a diverse range of schools and partners. We are committed to delivering outstanding professional and learning opportunities for all staff, supported by a rich programme of continuing professional development led by some of the country’s leading educational thinkers and practitioners.

For information on what it is like to live and work in Hethersett, click here. Hethersett Academy is rated Outstanding by Ofsted. The academy inspected in January 2016 when it was ranked as Outstanding in every area assessed. Since then, the school has doubled in size and a Section 8 inspection in September 2022 resulted in another Outstanding rating.

Next Steps

Before applying, please read the attached Recruitment Pack and Job Description, for more details about the role. We ask that you read this pack carefully, especially the “Planning your application” section from page 11. This will support your application ensuring you have the opportunity to tell us about your relevant skills, experience and qualifications that relate to the job description and person specification in addition to details of your references covering the last 5 years.

If you would like to know more about this exciting opportunity, then please contact Kristina Fisher, PA to Principal (kristinafisher@inspirationtrust.org).

To apply for this role please click the Apply button to complete the online application form.

When you start your application, you will receive several emails from our application provider, Vacancy Filler. Please be aware that some email providers may mistakenly mark these messages as spam. To avoid missing important updates, we recommend checking your spam or junk folders regularly throughout the application process and marking these emails as safe.

Closing date for applications: 12noon on Thursday 17th September 2026

Interview date: Thursday 1st October 2026

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities

Inspiration Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All staff appointments are subject to satisfactory references and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. We are an equal opportunities employer.