Teaching Assistant Level 2

The Mercian Trust; Pelsall; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Discounts Eden Red

Cycle to work

Blue Light Card

CPD opportunities

Job summary

Oakwood School, part of The Mercian Trust, is seeking a Teaching Assistant Level 2 to support pupils and families in a specialist provision for children aged 3–15 with complex needs. You will work under staff direction to deliver learning activities and promote inclusive practice.

The role emphasizes safeguarding, ICT-supported learning, and collaborative school life within a forward-thinking trust that values progression and high-quality education.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 in Supporting Teaching and Learning or equivalent.
• Completion of the TDA induction programme for teaching assistants.
• Good numeracy and literacy skills.
• Ability to use ICT to support learning.

Responsibilities

• Support pupils' learning and personal development under staff guidance.
• Assist with IEPs and Behaviour Plans as required.
• Promote inclusion and positive pupil behaviour.
• Maintain safe, orderly learning environments and assist with planning activities.

Skills

ICT for learning

Teamwork

Behaviour management

First aid awareness

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools

TDA induction for teaching assistants

Tools

Video equipment

Photocopier

Job description

Are you ready to embark on a rewarding journey within an educational community that values increasing opportunities, improving outcomes for our students. We are looking for a Teaching Assistant Level 2 to join our team. Reporting to the Head of School you will undertake:

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Work under the instruction and guidance of teaching and senior staff to support pupils' learning, care and personal development programmes.
• Supervise and provide particular support for pupils, including those with special educational needs, ensuring their safety and access to learning activities.
• Assist with the development and implementation of Individual Education Plans, Behaviour Plans and Personal Care programmes.
• Establish positive and constructive relationships with pupils, interacting with them according to their individual needs.
• Promote the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils, encouraging independence, self-esteem and positive interaction with others.
• Provide feedback to pupils in relation to progress and achievement under the guidance of the teacher.
• Attend to pupils' personal needs, including social, health, physical, hygiene, first aid and welfare matters as required.
• Support the teacher in creating and maintaining a purposeful, orderly and supportive learning environment.
• Assist with planning learning activities and use agreed strategies to support pupils in achieving learning goals.
• Monitor pupils' responses to learning activities and accurately record achievement and progress as directed.
• Provide regular feedback to teachers on pupils' achievement, progress and any issues arising.
• Promote positive pupil behaviour, responding promptly to conflict and incidents in line with school policy.
• Establish constructive relationships with parents and carers.
• Undertake structured and agreed learning activities and teaching programmes, adapting activities according to pupil responses.
• Support pupils' use of ICT and help develop their competence and independence when using technology.
• Prepare, maintain and use equipment and resources required for learning activities.
• Comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, confidentiality and data protection.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work and aims of the school.
• Participate in relevant meetings, training, learning activities and performance development as required.
• Assist with pupil supervision outside lesson times, including before and after school and at lunchtime.
• Accompany teaching staff and pupils on visits, trips and out-of-school activities, taking responsibility for a group under the supervision of the teacher.

Pay range: Grade 5, SCP 9-17

Requirements and Skills

• Effective use of ICT to support learning.
• Ability to use other equipment and technology, including video and photocopier equipment.
• Understanding of relevant policies, codes of practice and awareness of relevant legislation.
• General understanding of the national/foundation stage curriculum and other basic learning programmes and strategies.
• Basic understanding of child development and learning.
• Ability to self-evaluate learning needs and actively seek learning opportunities.
• Ability to relate well to children and adults.
• Ability to work constructively as part of a team, understanding classroom roles and responsibilities.
• Awareness of, and commitment to, equality of opportunity.
• Experience of working with or caring for children of relevant age.
• Good numeracy and literacy skills.
• Completion of the TDA induction programme for teaching assistants.
• NVQ Level 2 in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools, or equivalent qualifications or experience.
• Training in relevant learning strategies, for example literacy.
• First aid training or willingness to undertake training as appropriate.

Oakwood School is a specialist provision for children and young people aged 3 - 15 years with complex educational needs. The school is commissioned for 294 places (September 2026).

We pride ourselves in providing a safe, stimulating and nurturing learning environment where we help our pupils to learn in bespoke and innovative ways to ensure optimum progression.

Our highly qualified staff coupled with our forward-thinking approach to resources and technology, allow learners to communicate and participate in the world around them.

We promote a wide range of high-quality learning experiences, catering for all learning styles so that no learner is ever left behind.

At Oakwood everyone is valued and treated with respect and is encouraged to be the best they can possibly be.

Our Vision

At Oakwood School we are nurtured to grow and flourish.

We promote a culture of positivity, ambition and resilience through pupil centred learning to engage, motivate and empower learners in all areas of their lives.

Learners are at the heart of our school. Together with their families, we foster strong supportive teams around them to build on strengths and overcome barriers, embracing creativity, innovation and technology.

Recent Achievements

• Sustainable Growth - becoming one of the largest and most diverse trusts in the region
• Social Mobility & Social Justice - National recognition for the Trust's two selective grammar schools who the most successful on the number of local disadvantaged students passing the entrance and joining the schools
• Increasing Opportunities - Opening brand-new purpose-built campus in Walsall Town Centre including an alternative provision for students at risk at permanent exclusion from mainstream schools alongside a Digital Skills Hub to provide professionals and employers
• Pioneering Spirit - National recognition for pioneering work around youth mental health, including establishing an in-house multi-disciplinary team of clinicians and allied health professionals delivering interventions and providing support to vulnerable students
• Outward Looking - Organising and hosting the region's first Youth Suicide Conference (2023) and Youth Violence Conference (2024) at Villa Park
• Innovation and Improvement - A multi-million-pound investment in the digital infrastructure of Trust schools and our Digital Skills Hub underpinning the ongoing transformation of how staff teach, students learn, leaders lead and the whole Trust operates in readiness for the AI-supercharged careers and workplaces of the future.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more

What can we offer you

Benefits

• Financial, Health and Lifestyle
• discounts on everyday purchases (Eden Red)
• a comprehensive free of charge health plan (UK Health Care)
• a cycle to work scheme via Halfords
• Access to the Blue Light Card
• For further benefits including education sector leading CPD

The Mercian Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.