Teaching Assistant

Full Job Description

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Job Title:  Teaching Assistant
Location:  Higford School, Near Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 9ET
Hours:      40 hours per week | Monday to Friday | 8am - 4pm
Salary:      £23,638 per annum (not pro rata)
Contract:  Permanent | Term Time
Start:        September 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available

About the Role

At Higford School, part of Options Autism, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to succeed in a supportive, nurturing and inspiring environment. As part of our continued growth, we’re looking for a passionate and caring Teaching Assistant to join our close-knit team and help transform the lives of pupils with autism and additional needs.

This is more than a classroom role — it’s a chance to build confidence, inspire independence and make a genuine difference every single day.

As a Teaching Assistant, you’ll work closely with pupils to support their learning, emotional wellbeing and personal development — helping them engage with the world around them and achieve more than they ever thought possible. You’ll help create engaging learning experiences, support classroom activities, encourage positive social interaction and provide the guidance pupils need to flourish both inside and outside the classroom.

What you’ll do:

• Supporting pupils with autism and additional needs in their learning and development
• Assisting with engaging classroom activities and personalised learning experiences
• Providing emotional and practical support tailored to individual pupils
• Helping pupils build confidence, independence and social skills
• Supporting both indoor and outdoor learning activities
• Building positive relationships with pupils, families and colleagues
• Working collaboratively as part of a supportive and passionate team
• Helping create a safe, nurturing and inclusive learning environment

Who we’re looking for:

• Have experience in educational, childcare, or SEN settings
• Can remain calm and positive when supporting pupils with complex needs
• Work effectively as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team
• Driving Licence required

About Us

Options Higford is a specialist school set in 28 acres of beautiful Shropshire countryside. We provide a high quality, holistic education for up to 60 autistic students who also have associated behavioural needs. Class groups have five students in with at least 1:1 staffing. We provide personalised curriculums for each student based on their individual needs and aim to support them to make progress academically, socially, with skills for life, regulating their emotions and accessing the community.

For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place pupils 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 pupils 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.

Outcomes First Group 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, Outcomes First Group 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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