Teaching Assistant

How would you like to be paid for five days but only work four*?

Our colleagues’ wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at OFG, so we’re always looking for new ways to improve everyone’s work/life balance. We’re taking part in a trial of the 4-Day Working Week, meaning that you could be working one day less a week (or equivalent).

4DWW will be rolled out within our school, when we have a full complement of staff, and within the next year – so there’s never been a more exciting time to join us #teamOFG!

Job Tile:  Teaching Assistant 

Location: Willow Park School, Milton Keynes, MK14 6LJ

Salary:    £22,300 per annum

Hours:    40 hours per week, Monday to Friday 8.00am - 4.00pm

Contract:  Permanent, Term Time only

UK Applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

As part of our continued growth, we now have a fantastic opportunity for a Teaching Assistant to join our close-knit team at Willow Park School located in Milton Keynes.

About the role

Enjoy a rewarding education career and have a real impact on pupils’ lives. Join an amazing team creating supportive, nurturing environments where our pupils achieve far more than they ever expected.

As a Teaching Assistant, you will connect directly with the brilliant pupils we care for, helping to make sure they get the very best from their education. Each individual has varied and complex needs and so much potential - they will rely on you to guide their learning journeys bespoke to them.

You will help prepare learning materials and run classroom activities, with plenty of hands-on experience and some supervision too. You will take responsibility for their emotional and physical needs, supporting them to develop as individuals and engage with the world.

You will face challenges and overcome them as you flourish and thrive, sharing your skills and learning from others as your career takes you as high as you always dreamed you could go.

Every day will be different, but you will have all the support you need, with lots of skills and experience to draw on along with valuable advice and guidance too.

Who we are looking for

The successful applicant will be adaptable and ready to work in a variety of classroom roles, both indoors and outside according to individual need. Taking a responsive and caring approach, you may be running classroom activities, leading outdoor experiences, or supervising pupils as they explore further afield. Our schools are built on great teamwork and mutual support.

About us

Willow Park School is a brand new 55 place SEN school for pupils with complex needs including SEMH and Autism. A co-educational provision with entry from 9 years to 16 years old. Willow Park School is an exciting addition to the Acorn portfolio based in Milton Keynes.

We are part of Acorn Education and can promise you plenty of challenges, and a rich variety of opportunities to develop your career. Acorn Education is the UK’s leading independent provider of specialist education for vulnerable pupils and young people. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Why join Acorn Education? 

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks

And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support. 

And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to 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.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

*You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit

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.