Advanced Teaching Assistant – Bespoke Futures Project at Forest Moor School

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children? We are seeking a dedicated and proactive Advanced Teaching Assistant to join our innovative Bespoke Futures Project.

About Us

At Forest Moor School, we are dedicated to transforming lives and providing exceptional, inclusive education. As part of the Wellspring Academy Trust, we believe in removing barriers to learning and ensuring that every child, regardless of their background or challenges, has equal access to an enriching education.

We are based at Menwith Hill, just outside of Harrogate and are a Key Stage 2 – 4 provision with around 96 students on role.   We work  in beautiful surroundings and now with a lovely building that is continuing to be refurbished to suit the needs of our students

The Role: 

The post of Advanced Teaching Assistant is a key post in supporting the learning and general wellbeing as part of a close team alongside the classroom teacher. We operate using nurture principles and our students spend the vast majority of their week in the same room with their classroom tutor. When they move to a specialist subject our TAs move with the class to support the specialist teacher and provide that in depth continuity throughout the day. 

Class sizes are a maximum of 9 so you will have the opportunity to develop close relationships with your students which is at the core of everything we do at Forest Moor. To be successful, you will need to be able to form excellent relationships with our SEMH students, parents and the wider staff. This is both a challenging but immensely rewarding post with Unconditional Positive Regard is at the centre of everything we do and the successful candidate must have the personal qualities and resilience to work in this ethos. 

Key Responsibilities

• Targeted Interventions: Plan and deliver intensive, off-site and in-home support frameworks tailored to individual student needs.

• Community Engagement: Facilitate safe community visits and liaise sensitively with parents, carers and key stakeholders to build a supportive learning network.

• Risk & Safety Management: Adhere strictly to Home Learning Agreements and ensure rigorous, approved Evolve Risk Assessments are in place before any off-site trips.

• Academic & Pastoral Support: Lead learning sessions, deliver curriculum areas (such as PSHE), provide 1:1 mentoring and support pupils' social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs.

• Tracking & Progress: Monitor, track, and accurately record student intervention data providing clear feedback on progress, behaviour and attendance.

What We Are Looking For 

• Experience: Proven experience working with children of a relevant age.

• Qualifications: Level 2 qualification or equivalent.

• Skills: Excellent communication (spoken and written English) and strong ICT skills to track progress data.

• Behaviour & Engagement: A deep understanding of the reasons affecting student behaviour and the ability to implement positive behaviour and re-engagement strategies for reluctant learners.

• Teamwork & Adaptability: Ability to personalise learning, work collaboratively within a multi-agency framework and openly participate in the school's specialist CPD offer.

Forest Moor and the wider Trust 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 SEMH setting would be an advantage, specialist support and training will be provided for outstanding candidates 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 Natalie Sargeson - Interim Co-Head, at Forest Moor School, via email n.sargeson@forestmoor.org.uk

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.

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.