Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)

Employment details

Job title : HLTA Teaching Assistant

Reports to: Headteacher

General duties

·      Assist teaching staff to prepare classrooms for lessons and activities.

·      Assist with school trips, events and activities.

·      Encourage pupils to interact with others and engage in activities led by teaching staff.

·      Supervise pupils’ work and offer support where necessary.

·      Provide administrative and clerical support to teaching staff and other TAs regarding lesson planning and resources.

·      Monitor the needs and behaviour of pupils, and report these to teaching staff where appropriate.

·      Undertake pupil record keeping as requested, e.g. taking registers.

·      Assist teaching staff and other TAs with creating and maintaining displays throughout the school.

·      Establish and maintain constructive relationships with pupils’ parents and deliver pastoral support as required.

·      Be a good role model to pupils in terms of behaviour and attitude.

·      Provide teaching cover as and when required.

·      Take a lead role in supporting pupils with SEND.

·      Work independently and collaboratively with teaching staff in the planning and preparation of resources and delivery of the curriculum.

·      Advise, demonstrate and assist in the safe and effective use of specialist equipment and resources.

·      Be proactive in managing pupil behaviour.

Supporting the school

·      Contribute to the ethos, value and aims of the school.

·      Comply with all relevant legislation and school policies, including those relating to safeguarding, health and safety and data protection.

·      Promote inclusion and acceptance of all pupils.

·      Assist with the supervision of pupils out of lesson times, including before and after school and at lunchtimes.

·      Maintain good working relationships with other staff members and keyholders, including parents and external agencies.

·      Share expertise and skills with other staff members.

·      Participate in meetings as required.

·      Undertake any duties which may reasonably fall within the level of responsibility and the competence of the post, as directed by the headteacher.

·      Work with line managers on timetable arrangements.

Teaching and learning

·      Develop a secure knowledge of the learning support needs of individual pupils.

·      Identify where pupils are struggling, e.g. engaging with a particular topic, and support them in understanding the information and complete the work.

·      Support the use of ICT and computing in learning activities, and develop pupils’ competence and independence in its use.

·      Undertake activities set by teaching staff with individuals, or groups of pupils, to support pupils’ learning.

·      Assist teaching staff to implement a variety of teaching strategies that support pupils in achieving their learning goals.

·      Assist teaching staff and the SENCO with the creation of individual learning plans for pupils.

·      Provide new and ongoing support for individuals or groups of pupils who need extra interventions to achieve their potential.

·      Provide support to pupils in specialist areas of learning as required.

·      Implement individual support for pupils based on their needs and circumstances, e.g. deliver support in line with a pupil’s EHC plan.

·      Determine the need for specialist equipment and resources to support pupils’ learning.

·      Modify teaching and adapt activities to suit pupils’ individual needs.

·      Identify ways to improve pupil performance.

·      Assess, record and report on the progress of pupils and use this information to extend their learning. 

Communication and coordination

·      Work closely with teaching staff, other TAs and the SENCO to close the attainment gap between individual pupils, groups of pupils, and their peers.

·      Assist the SENCO in the production of a timetable that ensures pupils are not repeatedly missing the same lesson to join interventions.

·      Contribute towards pupils’ annual reviews and report on the effectiveness of the interventions in place.

·      Assist in arranging extra time and access arrangements, as appropriate, where external examinations or tests are administered.

·      Liaise with the SENCO regularly to review the progress of individual pupils with SEND and the overall SEND provision in the school.

·      Assist in the coordination and provision of interventions for named pupils or groups of pupils.

Professional development

·      Participate in training and other professional development as required.

·      Provide the school with feedback on any training or professional development undertaken.

·      Report professional development progress to an assigned mentor and set goals for further professional development.