Teaching Assistant

FirstGroup plc; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Your Wellbeing Matters

Vista benefits

Discounts

Cycle to Work

Critical illness cover

Family Growth Support

Job summary

Underley Garden School is seeking a Teaching Assistant to support the personal, social and academic development of students with complex needs. The role involves working with teachers and pastoral staff across a 24-hour curriculum, building supportive relationships and promoting wellbeing.

Location is Kirkby Lonsdale; the position is permanent and term-time only, starting January 2027. Salary is £23,638 per annum with travel allowance, and applicants should be willing to drive as part of the

Qualifications

• Compassionate, patient and resilient.
• Able to build positive, trusting relationships with young people.
• A team player who communicates well with colleagues and families.
• Willing to support all aspects of school life - from learning to personal care to enrichment activities.
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people.

Responsibilities

• Build positive relationships and provide pastoral guidance to promote wellbeing and independence.
• Encourage positive behaviour and apply behaviour support strategies in line with school policies.
• Assist with out-of-school learning, trips, events and enrichment activities.
• Help monitor and record progress, contributing to assessment and supporting the completion of student paperwork.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive learning environment across the school day and wider curriculum.

Skills

Compassionate

Relationship-building

Team player

Flexible support

Safeguarding commitment

Driving licence

Job description

Teaching Assistant

Location: Underley Garden School, Kirkby Lonsdale LA6 2DZ

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

Salary: £23,638 per annum (not pro rata) + Travel allowance

Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only

Start: January 2027

UK applicants only - no sponsorship available

About the Role

Empowering Young People. Transforming Futures. Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of young people with complex learning difficulties and disabilities? Do you thrive in a supportive, collaborative environment where every day brings new opportunities to inspire, guide and empower? If so, we'd love to hear from you. We are seeking a dedicated Teaching Assistant to join our vibrant school community. In this role, you'll work closely with teachers and pastoral staff to support the personal, social and academic development of our young people across a 24-hour curriculum.

What you will be doing

• Building positive relationships and providing pastoral guidance to promote wellbeing and independence.
• Encouraging positive behaviour and applying behaviour support strategies in line with school policies.
• Assisting with out-of-school learning, trips, events and enrichment activities.
• Helping monitor and record progress, contributing to assessment and supporting the completion of student paperwork.
• Contributing to a positive, inclusive learning environment across the school day and wider curriculum.
• Supporting teachers with learning activities, helping individuals and small groups to engage, progress and achieve.

What you will bring

• Compassionate, patient and resilient.
• Able to build positive, trusting relationships with young people.
• A team player who communicates well with colleagues and families.
• Willing to support all aspects of school life - from learning to personal care to enrichment activities.
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people.
• Driving licence is required

About Us

Underley Garden School is a large school with small class sizes, focusing on students, aged 5-19, who have a range of complex needs associated with autism and learning disabilities, including complex communication, sensory and behavioural needs associated with their disabilities. Our School adopts a holistic, person-centred approach to the development of our students and endeavours to ensure that they achieve as high a standard as possible. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of education and therapy to meet the individual requirements of students with complex special educational needs. We have developed our own curriculum pathways, to support the diverse needs of our young people, allowing each student to reach their full potential.

At Underley Garden, we aim to make a positive difference to the personal, social and learning lives of the people entrusted to our care. Located near the market town of Kirkby Lonsdale on the edge of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. We are in a commutable distance from areas within Lancashire, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.

For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care. We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a 'Great Place to Work' for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place students and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

Benefits include:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• 'Your Wellbeing Matters' - mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including: Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

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