Teaching Assistant

Orchard Hill College & Academy Trust; Hambledon; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS or TPS pension

Salary Sacrifice Schemes

Wellbeing & flexible working

Discounts for staff

Job summary

St Dominic’s School, part of Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust, seeks a classroom assistant for 32.5 hours per week during term time. You will support teaching, supervise pupils, and help record progress alongside the teaching staff.

Experience with children and with special needs is required; GCSEs in maths and English are expected. The role includes Trust-wide benefits, progression pathways, and a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children is required.
• GCSE or equivalent in maths and English.
• Experience working with children with special needs is preferred.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for classroom assistance to promote effective teaching and learning.
• Support and supervise pupils and students throughout the school day.
• Assist in recording events and progress and raise concerns with the class teacher.
• Keep records of pupil progress and report achievements per policy.

Skills

Experience with children

GCSE Maths & English

Special needs experience

Team Collaboration

Initiative

Education

GCSEs in Maths and English

Job description

Salary: Grade S3, scale point 20.1 – 23; FTE £28,637.00 - £30,484.00; Actual: £22,137.77 - £23,565.59; Dependent on qualifications and experience

St Dominic’s School is a highly regarded special school in Surrey, set within 56 acres of serene, wooded grounds offering plenty of space for recreational activities. The school caters to pupils and Sixth Form students from 7 to 19, supporting a diverse range of academic abilities and complex needs.

Our school is proud to offer a comprehensive range of in-house therapeutic services, including Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Sensory Integration, all delivered by a team of qualified professionals. This extensive therapeutic support ensures that each student can access the curriculum at a level that suits their individual needs, helping them reach their full potential. Additionally, we provide purpose-built medical facilities with qualified nursing staff on site every day.

St Dominic’s has earned recognition for its commitment to excellence, achieving Advanced Autism Accreditation, the prestigious Arts Council ‘Artsmark’ Silver Award, and the prestigious Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) which celebrates our commitment to excellence in primary science.

Working alongside teachers, therapists and other support staff, you will provide support to groups and individuals. You will help to improve their engagement in learning, remove barriers to learning, improve attainment and promote their self-confidence and emotional well-being.

Working Pattern: 32.5hrs/week Term Time Only

Key Responsibilities:

• To take responsibility for classroom assistance in order to help promote effective teaching and learning for pupils and students.
• Support and supervise pupils and students throughout the school day.
• Assist the teacher in keeping a record of events and progress, bringing issues of concern to the class teacher to ensure full pupil/student data is available to inform assessment and future planning.
• Assist in keeping records of pupil/student progress and report achievement in line with school policy

Key Requirements:

• Experience of working with children
• GSCE or equivalent in maths and English
• Working with children with special needs
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team
• Confident and self-motivated in exercising appropriate initiative

OHCAT is an exciting, forward-thinking organisation, and we offer many benefits to attract and keep our staff, contributing towards maintaining and improving wellbeing, and encouraging our required behaviours, achievements, values, and skills. Below is just a selection of the benefits available to our employees:

• Pathways for progression within the trust, ensuring you can grow and thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.
• Pension Scheme - you will be enrolled in either the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), both offering life cover and financial protection for your family.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes (Cycle Scheme, Employee Car Lease Scheme and Home Electronics Scheme)
• Employee Wellbeing - We support employee wellbeing with access to counselling, mental health support, generous leave, flexible working, and enhanced parental leave including Employee Assistance Programme, MyGym Discounts, Corporate Eyecare Scheme
• Employee Discounts (Blue Light Card, Costco Membership, Discounts for Teachers, and more)
• Other (Season Ticket Loan and Employee Referral Scheme)
• Virtual GP appointments - Health Assured’s Virtual GP Service is managed by Livi, who offer remote GP consultations and medical advice via a smartphone app or website.

Find out what makes Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust a truly rewarding place to work – visit our ‘Work for Us’ page to learn more about our values, opportunities and the difference our staff make every day.

St Dominic’s School is part of Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust. We are a family of specialist education providers from pre-school through to further education across London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire and fully represent all designations of special education needs and disabilities (SEND). To find out more about us, and what makes us a special place to work please visit our website.

We are committed to promoting and advancing equality of opportunity by attracting and retaining the most diverse range of students, staff and partners.

Working together to transform lives is what we do and across the whole organisation we have a range of experts and practitioners who advocate for children and young people with SEND to ensure they receive the best possible opportunities to achieve their full potential.

As a large specialist education provider, we employ over 1500 people across our schools, college and central support team. There is a wide range of job roles available, ranging from teaching and therapy to business support roles and significant career progression opportunities.

It is an exciting time to be part of OHCAT and we are keen to recruit talented people who can play a key role in realising our mission and who want to make a difference. In return, we offer training and development, competitive pay and benefits in a positive and inclusive working environment.

If you wish to discuss this opportunity before or after submitting an application form, please get in touch with the School directly. Visits to the School in advance of applications are encouraged.

Your application form will be scored according to each of the requirements laid out in the person specification for this role. Please demonstrate in your statement how your experience, skills and knowledge match the criteria that are required for the role.

To ensure a fair opportunity for all applicants, candidates who have applied for this position in the past 6 months will not be considered.

Closing Date: 13 September 2026

Interviews will take place: the following week

To help us manage applications effectively, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient suitable applications are received.

Safeguarding Statement

Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Appointments made will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace for all.