Teaching Assistant (Maternity Cover)

Acorn Care and Education; Rawtenstall; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education provider in Rawtenstall seeks a compassionate Teaching Assistant for maternity cover. This role involves supporting pupils emotionally and socially, assisting teachers, and promoting positive relationships. Ideal candidates will have good literacy and numeracy skills, a calm approach, and a commitment to safeguarding. Competitive salary and exceptional benefits offered.

Benefits

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Mental health support services

Flexible Benefits Platform

Cycle to Work Schemes

Electric Car Purchase Scheme

Critical illness cover

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Qualifications

• Compassionate and dedicated individual.
• Experience working with secondary-age pupils is desirable but not essential.
• Strong team player confident in working independently.

Responsibilities

• Support pupils' emotional, social, and behavioural wellbeing.
• Assist in developing and implementing individual education plans.
• Provide in-class support for individual pupils and small groups.

Skills

Calm approach

Experience with secondary-age pupils

Ability to build relationships

Literacy and numeracy skills

Team player

Commitment to safeguarding

Education

GCSE Grade C/4 or above in English and Maths

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Teaching Assistant

Location: Belmont Secondary School, Rawtenstall, BB4 6RX

Salary: £20,906.25 per annum (not pro rata)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week | Monday to Friday

Contract: Fixed Term (Maternity Cover) | 12 months from start date

Working Pattern: Term Time Only

Start date: November 2025

This role does not offer sponsorship.

Belmont Secondary School, located in the heart of Rawtenstall, is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Teaching Assistant - Maternity Cover to join our close-knit, supportive team.

About the Role

We are looking for a compassionate, dedicated, and proactive individual to provide support to both pupils and teaching staff. This maternity cover role involves working closely with individual students and small groups, promoting their emotional, social, and behavioural development, and helping them thrive within a positive learning environment.

You will work under the guidance of the class teacher and the Senior Leadership Team, playing a key role in delivering targeted support to ensure every student can achieve their potential.

Key Responsibilities

• Support pupils’ emotional, social, and behavioural wellbeing.
• Assist teachers in developing and implementing individual education plans.
• Provide in-class and one-to-one support for individual pupils and small groups.
• Help prepare classroom resources and materials.
• Occasionally assist in transporting pupils after school (e.g. after detentions or educational visits).
• Promote positive relationships and self-esteem among pupils.
• Accompany pupils and staff on external educational visits.
• Maintain records of pupil progress, behaviour, and wellbeing within agreed frameworks.

What We’re Looking For

• A calm, caring, and patient approach to working with young people.
• Experience working with secondary-age pupils is desirable but not essential.
• Ability to build strong, positive relationships with students and staff.
• A good level of literacy and numeracy – ideally GCSE Grade C/4 or above in English and Maths.
• A strong team player who is also confident working independently.
• A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

About the School

Belmont Secondary is an independent, specialist day school for boys 11 to 18, catering for pupils with a wide range of needs. Our dedicated team works together to ensure successful outcomes for pupils who often arrive at the school with a troubled view of education and life.

We pride ourselves in steering pupils in the right direction, nurturing aspiration to progress them both academically and socially to encourage them to take pride in their achievements. Socially, we build confidence in our students, so they are able to have a greater understanding of the wider community in which they live.

This opportunity is within commutable distance of Rawtenstall, Bury, Burnley and surrounding areas.

We are part of Acorn Education and can promise you plenty of challenges, and a rich variety of opportunities to develop your career.

Acorn Education is the UK’s leading independent provider of specialist education. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Why join Acorn Education?

We place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks
• And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:
• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

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

*You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit

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.