IAP Teaching Assistant

Teaching Vacancies; Bacup; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

The Valley Leadership Academy in Bacup is seeking a dedicated Teaching Assistant to support pupils' learning and well-being, focusing on SEMH challenges and inclusive education. The role emphasizes teamwork, safeguarding, and building positive relationships with students, parents and staff.

You will contribute to an outstanding learning environment, collaborate with colleagues, and help deliver a knowledge-based curriculum and leadership development programme.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 Teaching Assistant or A Level or equivalent.
• Experience of working with children in a secondary school or other setting.
• Experience of supporting students who have SEMH difficulties.
• The ability to maintain positive relationships with students, parents and staff.
• The ability to work effectively within a team.

Skills

Teamwork

Relationship building

Education

NVQ Level 3 Teaching Assistant or A Level or equivalent

Experience of working with children in a secondary school or other setting

Experience of supporting students who have SEMH difficulties

Job description

What skills and experience we're looking for

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for a dedicated individual to provide tailored support to our pupils. You will be committed to making a positive difference to young people’s lives and in supporting and developing their learning. Your intervention will help enable an outstanding learning environment for our young people, providing the support they need to succeed.

The successful candidate will be a committed team player with excellent organisational and technical skills. You will have the ability to effectively support learning and teaching, and to develop relationships across our school and the Star community.

You will have:

• A NVQ Level 3 Teaching Assistant or A Level or equivalent.
• Experience of working with children in a secondary school or other setting.
• Experience of supporting students who have SEMH difficulties.
• The ability to maintain positive relationships with students, parents and staff.
• The ability to work effectively within a team.

What the school offers its staff

About The Valley Leadership Academy

The Valley Leadership Academy is a secondary school for 11 to 16-year-olds in Bacup. We joined Star Academies in 2019 and, like all Star schools, we have a leadership specialism.

When inspected by Ofsted under the new framework and ‘report card’ grading system in April 2026, the school secured its best-ever outcomes. We achieved ‘Expected standard’ in three areas and ‘Needs attention’ in the remaining three areas, reflecting the significant progress made since the previous inspection.

We are a rapidly improving school with high ambitions and expectations for all our pupils. We provide a knowledge-based academic curriculum alongside a rich and diverse leadership programme that grows character and inspires charitable and social action. Our pursuit of educational excellence is based upon our fundamental belief that every pupil has the capacity to become a successful and inspirational leader.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.