Teaching Assistant

National Autistic Society; Meopham; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension - Auto-enrolled pension

Training - induction and autism培训

Discounts - staff discounts

Cash plan - cash plan for permanent

Life Assurance - 2x base salary

Flexible benefits

Employee Assistance Programme

Mindfulness - Headspace access

Blue Light Card discounts

Job summary

National Autistic Society's Helen Allison School in Meopham is seeking a Teaching Assistant to support autistic pupils during the school day.

You will help pupils access the curriculum, assist with classroom routines, and maintain records under teacher guidance with a calm, supportive approach.

This permanent, term-time role is 37 hours per week with inset days; experience with autism or education is desirable and a passion for helping pupils reach their potential is essential.

Qualifications

• Good written and verbal communication with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
• Non-confrontational approach to meet individuals' needs.

Responsibilities

• Support children to access the curriculum during the school day.
• Maintain daily records of assessments as directed by the teacher.
• Help with class organisation at start and end of day.

Skills

Written and verbal communication

Team collaboration

Non-confrontational approach

Job description

To protect our autistic pupils and young adults within the National Autistic Society, all employees will be required to complete the relevant safeguarding checks which will include additional references and criminal background checks.

Join Us as Teaching Assistant

At the National Autistic Society, we offer many services to support autistic children and young people. We work to improve education, care, and experiences so they can reach their full potential.

About the School

Helen Allison School is a welcoming and inclusive independent National Autistic Society day school. We cater for children on the autism spectrum aged 5-19 who have an Education, Health and Care plan. We are a small school that can take up to 83 pupils and on average has around 6 pupils per class.

Helen Allison School has been recognised with Beacon Status following Autism Accreditation and Good with Outstanding features from OFSTED.

About the Role

We are looking for individuals who have a passion to work in an organisation that specialises in autism, supporting autistic children and adults on the autism spectrum to live the lives they choose. This role is based in our school, the main part of your role will be to support our pupils during the day.

What You’ll Do

• Support the children to access the school’s curriculum within the school day
• Maintain daily records of assessment as directed by the teacher
• Support with class organisation at the start and end of each day

What We’re Looking For

• Good written and verbal communication skills with excellent attention to detail
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team
• Ability to work in a non-confrontational way to ensure individual’s needs are met

Contract, Working Hours & Location

This role is a permanent, term time position for 37 hours per week (Term Time + 1 week Inset Days). Salary: Not specified. Hours: Full-time. Location: Meopham, DA13 0EW. Job type: Permanent. Posting date: 30 Oct 2026. Closing date: 29 Nov 2026.

Benefits

• Pension - Auto-enrolled pension scheme.
• Training - Great induction and training, including autism training.
• Discounts - Online staff discount scheme for shopping, cycling, tech, and more (e.g., Asda, Tesco, Nike, Apple).
• Cash plan - Cash plan for permanent staff.
• Life Assurance - 2x your base salary.
• Flexible Benefits - Options like private health, dental insurance, holiday trading, enhanced pension.
• Support - 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme and counselling.
• Mindfulness - Free Headspace app for you and up to 3 family/friends.
• Blue Light Card - Eligibility for discounts.

Application Process

When you write your supporting statement:

• Look at the job description and person specification.
• Tell us how your skills and experience match the role.
• Give examples if you can.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer and part of the Disability Confident Employer scheme. Applications for this job are sought from anyone who is suitably qualified and experienced for the role but particularly welcome from autistic people.

Safeguarding

The National Autistic Society is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and adults who use our services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant safeguarding checks. Please note the National Autistic Society are unable to provide sponsorship for Visas.

AI

The National Autistic Society may use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist our recruitment team with reviewing applications for this role. All application decisions are made by people and are not determined automatically by AI.