Higher Level Teaching Assistant

HIGHER LEVEL TEACHING ASSISTANT

Salary              Actual salary £24,503 to £26,713

Contract           Full-time, 39 weeks (fixed term)

Closing date    22 September 2026

Start date         As soon as possible

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Who we are:

School:                         Pathways Education, Churt, Surrey

Learners:                    Young people aged 9-16 with SEMH as a primary need; all hold an EHCP

Our approach:            Small, relational, trauma-informed, personalised and project-based

Our ambition:            Meaningful adult lives, with a presumption of employment for every learner

The opportunity:       To help shape a developing school and a distinctive model of specialist education

Pathways Education exists for young people who have not always found a home in formal schooling. Many have experienced difficult educational journeys before they arrive with us. They are at the heart of everything we do, not simply the reason we exist, and we build their voice and agency into how we shape both their own learning and the school around them. Our whole community is built around three values: Wellbeing, Connection and Empowerment.

Human flourishing is becoming the model at the centre of everything we do here, not something we apply to one part of school life alone. Our curriculum is one expression of it, built on the project-based, trauma-informed approach that already sits at the heart of what we do.

For many of our learners, the adult who's actually in the room with them day to day, noticing, adapting, staying calm, building trust, is the person who makes flourishing possible in practice, not just in principle. This role sits at the heart of that: leading learning directly, evidencing progress that matters, and being one of the most consistent, trusted adults a learner encounters.

If that sounds like the kind of work you want to do, we would love to hear from you.

Responsible to: Headteacher

You will provide high-quality, trauma-informed support to learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), promoting inclusion, progress and wellbeing. The role involves supporting and enhancing the teaching and learning process, covering lessons when required, and contributing to the planning and delivery of differentiated, responsive learning experiences.

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As a leader of learning, you will actively contribute to learner progress by generating, articulating and using high-quality evidence to inform next steps, helping to create the psychologically safe, nurturing and relational environment that reflects the ethos and values of Pathways Education.

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We are looking for someone who aligns more with the idea of a coach than a traditional teaching assistant: someone who asks good questions, builds independence rather than dependence, and helps a learner find their own way to an answer rather than simply providing it.