Post: Lead Autism Support Worker

Location: Curzon Street, Calne. Wilshire, SN11 0DS

FTE Salary Range: NJC Grade H Pt 15 -17. £31,537 - £33,699

Actual Salary Range: £25,144 - £26,868, Pro Rata

Contract Type: Permanent, Part Time, Term Time Only

Working Hours: 33.15 hours per week

We are looking for a Lead Autism Support Worker (LASW) to join our child-centred team Springfields is a fantastic, vibrant and caring community that engages pupils and develops positive attitudes to learning. Our autism approach is accessed by all our pupils and is personalised to meet specific needs. All our pupils have an education, health and care plan. The Springfields Academy is a Reach South Academy for young people aged 4-19 with autism, we are proud to hold the NAS Advanced specialist award and to be recognised as an Ofsted good school. We have 250 pupils attending our provision. Our goal is to build safe independent lives for autistic young people through support, understanding and enablement. Part of the excitement of working at Springfields is the broad range of individuals that you will care for. A key aspect of working at Springfields is taking the time to get to know pupils and their individual needs, and given their complexity, being able to create a safe, stimulating and supportive learning environment is crucial. You will be joining a happy, hardworking and well-established team. You will also work in partnership with our multi-disciplinary therapy team as part of our therapy first culture. The position of Lead Autism Support Worker (LASW) is an exciting opportunity for a passionate and compassionate individual to lead interventions, cover classes and support our autistic learners.

The Person/ Key skills:

• To have a good knowledge and understanding of autism and social communication needs and appropriate strategies to support pupils with this need. E.g. TEACCH • To have knowledge and understanding of social, emotional & mental health needs and cognitive needs, that affect children and young people's development. • To have a track record of successful leading groups. Able to cover classes. • Excellent listening skills • An ability to build strong, trusting relationships • To be resilient and able to take regular responsibility for agreed learning /activities • Promote and support the inclusion of all pupils in the learning and social skills activities • To use positive and personalised anxiety management strategies.

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to make a difference to the lives of our autistic pupils. • The chance to deliver an engaging and creative functional curriculum that builds independent life skills. • A close-knit team of professionals who work in a supportive and inspirational environment. • An outstanding learning community that engages pupils and develops positive attitudes to learning. • The opportunity to be involved in wider-school life through trips, clubs, collapsed timetable days, Duke of Edinburgh etc. • On-going, specialist professional development. • A comprehensive CPD package with opportunities for individual development and development of knowledge linked to good autism practice • A commitment to ‘Healthy Working Lives’ through a comprehensive trust Employee Assistance programme • A work laptop • Small class sizes

School Background:

The Springfields Academy is an academy based in Calne. We aspire to build safe independent lives for autistic young people through support, understanding and enablement. Additionally, we hold the National Autistic Society Advanced specialist award and are recognised as an Ofsted good school. We are an acknowledged centre of excellence for Autism; we are highly reflective in our practices, and are continually working to improve our provision and practices. We provide a personalised curriculum journey that enables our autistic learners to develop skills in areas of need and to overcome their barriers to learning. The drive to build ‘safe Independent lives’ shapes this curriculum and everything else that we do. The Academy has 270 pupils on roll.

Trust Background:

We are a family of schools working in partnership for the benefit of all our pupils and students. We believe our charitable aim, to advance education, is best achieved through collaboration, both within the Trust and beyond.

We operate 21 academies across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, serving learners aged 3 to 19. Alongside our primary, all-through and technical provision, we are proud to include a strong and integral network of seven special schools and one alternative provision setting.

These settings are a vital part of our community, providing inclusive, high-quality education for pupils with a wide range of needs, including complex learning profiles, autism, and social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as those who benefit from a more personalised approach. Together, we are committed to helping every young person thrive.

Those we recruit are able to demonstrate that they share our values, are highly motivated to work with colleagues, within and beyond their school, to continuously develop their skills and pursue professional excellence.

Next Steps: If you have any queries about this role or would like an informal conversation, visits are warmly welcome, please get in touch by calling Marie Lopez on 01249 814125 or email at marie.lopez@springfieldsacademy.org. If you are experiencing any technical issues, please contact recruitment@reachsouth.org for support. Visits to the school, phone calls and TEAMS meetings are welcomed.

Closing date: for applications is 12th July 2026

Interview Date:  Interviews are provisionally booked for WC 20th July 2026

To apply for this opportunity, please complete our online application form by clicking ‘apply now’ on the advert.

We reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date. Therefore, an early application is strongly advised.

Opportunities and Benefits 

We offer a competitive salary plus LGPS pension, great career progression and development opportunities, access to our Employee Assistance Programme with many other benefits. 

We’re proud of how we support our staff in order that you have high levels of job satisfaction, are aware of the difference you are making for the children and families you work with and can see your contribution towards our community. There are regular opportunities for professional development and training, and a wider community of staff to network with within Reach South Multi Academy Trust. You will have the chance to visit other local schools, work alongside a range of outside professionals and take part in a variety of e-learning and face-to-face training.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Each post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Reach South Academy Trust has an Equal Opportunities Policy for selection and recruitment. Applicants are requested to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring section of the application form before submitting.