Springwell Harrogate Academy

Teaching Assistant - 37 HOURS (TTO + 5) 

FTE SALARY £25,185 - £25,989

ACTUAL SALARY £21,832 - £22,529

Term Time Only  - 39 Weeks per year

Do you want a job where you can make a difference to the lives of young people?

Do you want to be inspired on a daily basis by your work?

Come and join our small but mighty school !

We are an alternative provision academy serving the North Yorkshire area, specifically Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Boroughbridge. We support young people to reengage with education before they move to their next most appropriate destination, be that college, a new mainstream school place or to a specialist provision.  

We are a very small site, with huge amounts of influence in enabling students to flourish, move on and grow as people.

What We Are About…

Relationships. Unconditional Positive Regard. Trauma-informed Practice. Restorative Practice. Continuous Professional Development. Pupil-focussed, Needs-focused

What Our Staff Say…

‘No two days are the same!’ ‘I enjoy working with the most vulnerable children, as I feel like I am really making a difference’

‘The job is rewarding and fun. You will build amazing relationships with students, staff and parents.’’

‘I love being a part of a wonderful team who are so resilient and caring.’

What Our Children Say…

‘The staff help me manage my emotions and regulate.’ 

‘At the Academy the teachers can relate to the students!’

‘The staff at the Academy helped sort my life out.”

‘We know the adults have our backs.’

‘Adults know when we are mad and know how to help us calm down.’

What Our Parents Say…

“T grew up a lot – he now attends college and has a part time job”

“S enjoyed his time at the Academy. He didn’t really attend school before that. He had a strong relationship with the staff and that encouraged him to attend”

“Your teaching skills and patience has given R….. confidence and given her great self worth in herself”

Why You’ll Love Working With Us:

• Great Work-Life Balance: Enjoy 13 weeks of leave per year with our Term Time Only (39 weeks) contract. No weekends, no bank holidays—just time for you.

• Competitive Rewards: Salary aligned with local NYCC (£31,067 - £37,938 pro rata) plus a dedicated mileage allowance for travel between our vibrant school sites.

• Growth-Focused Culture: We’ll invest in you with regular and robust CPD opportunities to help you excel in your career..

We work with students who struggle with the mainstream school experience. They come to us after being permanently excluded, or for short term preventative places which last between 6 to 12 weeks. We believe in the power of unconditional positive regard and restorative practice and incorporate this in everything we do. These approaches work hand in hand with a nurturing curriculum to give our students secure foundations rooted in relationships. Working at Springwell offers challenge and reward in equal measures, as we work together to regulate students with varying levels of SEMH need, allowing them to access learning and move on to an appropriate destination school.This position may suit someone wishing to develop a career within the Education or Special Education Sector.  College/University graduates are welcome to apply, as a full and comprehensive package of training will be offered.  The position may be of particular interest to applicants who have a passion in supporting the emotional and mental health needs of young people. We work closely with our partner school, Springwell Leeds Academy to support a career path for aspiring teachers through a rigorous development programme.  

About the role

Successful candidates will be responsible for supporting and on occasion, leading small groups and individuals with Maths, English, reading, S.E.A.L, practical activities, supporting pupils to develop resilience, social skills and self-esteem plus using effective strategies for supporting pupils with a range of behavioural needs.

About us 

Our aim is to provide the best possible care and education that we can for the young people in our care. Unconditional Positive Regard is at the centre of what we do and we are creating an academy that is welcoming, caring, safe, warm and believes that all its pupils can be supported and empowered to succeed. We see strong relationships as the key to our success – with students, parents, carers and the wider community and we ensure that our academy is a welcoming safe place for children to learn and prosper. We believe in working closely with our families and carers and welcome their support, but also realise that at times they will need our support too. We work closely with other agencies and schools to make sure we do all we can to make learning and life the best it possibly can be. 

Springwell places a huge emphasis on professional development and invests significantly in staff training at all levels. This means that, although experience of working in an alternative or specialist setting would be an advantage, specialist support and training will be provided for outstanding teachers wishing to make the career fulfilling move into special education. 

If you would like to discuss or find out more about this post, please contact Alex Bentley (bentleya@swharrogate.org.uk) 

To apply, please visit https://swharrogate.org.uk/current-vacancies/  

Wellspring Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils. All posts are offered subject to enhanced DBS checks. References will be requested and an online search carried out for shortlisted candidates, prior to attendance at interview.

Further pre-employment checks, including prohibition from teaching, childcare disqualification and section 128 checks, if deemed relevant for the role, will be completed for the successful candidate upon acceptance of the post.

As you will be working with children, this post requires you to undertake regulated activity. It is an offence to seek to work in regulated activity with a group with which you are barred.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to promoting diversity. We want our people to reflect the diversity of our communities, and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, especially from under-represented groups, including those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

If you are currently living overseas or have lived / worked overseas in the last five years please be aware that you will be required to provide an overseas criminal records check from the country/ countries you have resided in, if you are the preferred candidate for the post.