Teaching Assistant (Visual Impairment)

Shorefields; Tendring; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Lift Clacton is seeking a dedicated Teaching Assistant (Visual Impairment) to support students in accessing the curriculum and participating fully in school life. You will work with teachers, SENDCo and specialists to implement strategies, adapt resources and promote independence and confidence.

The role requires GCSE Maths/English at level 4 or equivalent, and an Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification (or willingness to work towards).

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English at Grade 4 or equivalent, or willingness to work towards the relevant functional skills qualifications.
• A Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification or willingness to work towards one.
• Good understanding of child learning and development, or willingness to learn.
• Calm, patient and empathetic approach with strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Support students with visual impairment to access lessons and learning objectives.
• Adapt resources to meet individual needs (enlarged, tactile or digital materials).
• Assist students with assistive technology and accessibility tools.
• Follow specialist guidance from teachers and qualified professionals.
• Promote independence, confidence and social inclusion among students.
• Collaborate with teachers to support high-quality lessons and assess learning progress.
• Deliver targeted interventions in line with agreed parameters.
• Support safe movement and participation in trips and enrichment activities.

Skills

Clear communication

Empathy

Team collaboration

Patience

Education

GCSE Maths & English (Grade 4)

Level 3 Teaching Assistant

Job description

Job Ref No. ECC8816910-247S Position Type: Teaching/Child Support Pay Range: £22629.41 - £22989.06 per annum

Position Start Date: Immediate Contract Type: Full-time Contract Term: Fixed

Application Close: 20/10/2026 Midnight Date of Interviews: TBC

Are you passionate about helping young people with visual impairment access learning, build confidence and become increasingly independent?

Lift Clacton is seeking a caring, enthusiastic and committed Teaching Assistant (Visual Impairment) to join our team. You will work in partnership with teachers and specialist colleagues to support students with visual impairment to access the curriculum, participate fully in school life and achieve their potential.

About the role

As a Teaching Assistant (Visual Impairment), you will provide targeted support to students with visual impairment, helping them access lesson content and learning activities while promoting independence, confidence, self esteem and social inclusion.

You will work closely with teachers, the SENDCo and specialist professionals to understand individual students' needs and implement appropriate strategies. This will include supporting the adaptation of learning resources into accessible formats, helping students use assistive technology and accessibility tools, and following specialist advice and programmes where required.

You will also support students to develop strategies for accessing learning and navigating the school environment with increasing confidence, while ensuring that support encourages independence rather than over-reliance on adult assistance.

• Develop an understanding of students' learning needs, including visual impairment and other SEND needs, and support them to access lesson content and learning objectives.
• Adapt support and learning resources to meet the needs of students with visual impairment, including enlarged, tactile or digital materials where appropriate.
• Support students in using appropriate assistive technology and accessibility tools to access learning.
• Follow specialist advice and programmes provided by teachers, QTVIs and other appropriately qualified professionals.
• Help students develop independence, confidence, self-esteem and effective learning skills.
• Work in partnership with teachers to support high-quality lessons and contribute to assessment of students' learning.
• Deliver individual and small-group targeted interventions within agreed parameters.
• Support students to access the school environment, trips, enrichment and wider activities as independently as possible, following specialist guidance where appropriate.
• Build positive relationships with students and consistently support the academy's expectations for behaviour.
• Support students' social, emotional and mental health, wellbeing and personal care in line with academy procedures.
• Monitor students' responses and progress, record achievements and provide feedback to teaching staff and specialist colleagues.

• GCSE Maths and English at Grade 4 or equivalent, or willingness to work towards the relevant functional skills qualifications.
• A Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification or willingness to work towards one.
• A basic understanding of child learning and development, or willingness to learn.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, with a calm, patient and empathetic approach.
• The ability to work collaboratively with teachers, SEND colleagues and specialist professionals.
• The ability to adapt support and learning resources to meet the needs of students with visual impairment.
• Confidence in learning and using accessibility tools and assistive technology.
• The ability to follow specialist advice and programmes provided by teachers, QTVIs or other professionals.
• An understanding of the importance of promoting independence and avoiding over-reliance on adult support.
• Previous experience supporting children or young people with visual impairment, knowledge of assistive technology, experience adapting accessible resources, awareness of Braille, tactile resources or enlarged print, or experience working with specialist sensory/VI services would be desirable.

About Lift Clacton

Lift Clacton is a rapidly improving school at the heart of the community and achieved 'Good' in its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. The school has experienced significant growth, with more than 1,500 students now on roll.

We believe every child deserves an excellent education, every classroom, every day. Our staff are ambitious, supportive and committed to helping every student succeed, creating a culture where colleagues are valued and encouraged to develop professionally.

Joining Lift Clacton means becoming part of Lift Schools, one of the country's largest multi-academy trusts, offering excellent professional development, career progression opportunities and a comprehensive employee benefits package.

Information about the School

At the Lift Clacton we aim to ensure that every child ends up in successful employment. To that end we ensure that our curriculum creates opportunities for students to become independent and self-motivated with the ability to be responsible, determined and aspirational. All students are individuals who develop in different ways and at different rates and the curriculum is designed to meet those individual’s needs and provide appropriate technology, qualifications and experiences to support students into their chosen career pathways.

The curriculum is centred around core concepts which are sequenced in order to support students in every subject. Core concepts form the bones of the subject. These pieces of knowledge or skills unlock further learning. Core concepts are sequenced in such a way that students are supported to secure each essential concept before moving onto the next. These concepts are focused around a knowledge rich curriculum where students learn topics to a high level of depth to help them to tackle mastery of each subject discipline.

We prioritise the development of reading, writing and communication to support students to access new challenges in the curriculum as this is an essential element for success in our local context. Students have dedicated reading lessons, to enhance their reading skills and build a culture of reading. Students read for twenty minutes a day every day. Subject leaders work hard to build vocabulary and increase the number of opportunities for students to read in lessons, with at least one reading focused lesson per half term.

We recognise our young people as individuals, offering support and challenges to empower them to achieve their aspirations with a high standard of lesson content. Where students need further support they are provided with opportunities within our Remarkable Futures programme (which provides intensive support to students at risk of disengaging with education) or our Transition Curriculum (which provides an enhanced curriculum to accelerate the progress of students who join Lift Clacton with significant gaps in their learning).

Additionally, there are a variety of enrichment activities to enhance our curriculum. Year 11 and the Sixth form have allocated intervention times and a study hub to support their revision as they build up to their public examinations.

Lift Clacton is committed to providing all of our students with a broad and balanced curriculum. It is our belief that this large discipline of all subjects helps our students to receive a strong traditional academic education, while also having time to find expression in the creative subject areas.

Who is Lift Schools?

Lift Schools is made up of 57 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 33,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential.

Our mission:

• -We will provide an excellent education to every child, in every classroom, every day.
• -With excellent leadership and teaching in every school, we will help children go on to lead successful and happy lives.
• -We will work with others beyond our network to benefit more children and communities.

All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.

Laurence Johnson
Pathfields Road, Clacton-on-Sea
Essex, CO15 3JL Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

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