Teaching Assistants
| Posting date: | 21 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £20,000 per year, pro rata |
| Additional salary information: | Grade F £27,254 - £28,598 (32.5 hours per week £20,591 - £22,097 pro-rata) |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 12 May 2026 |
| Location: | SN10 5EF |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Wiltshire Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7117 |
Summary
Downland School is a co-educational maintained community special school for pupils aged between 10 and 16 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Our pupils have varying aptitudes and abilities; we are extremely proud of all their achievements and progress. Our pupils have a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including: Autism (ASC); attachment disorders and Social, Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. We seek to ensure that, by the time they leave us, our pupils emerge as self-confident individuals able to manage their own learning; equipped with the skills and competencies to successfully take the next steps in their lives.
We are a friendly, happy and caring school, providing a positive, inclusive and enriching educational experience for our young people. We view each of our pupils as unique and shape our provision to meet their individual needs and accelerate their progress in a variety of areas e.g. personal, social, academic and well-being. Our commitment to supporting the ‘whole’ child and their development is underpinned by our strong pastoral systems and our committed and trained staff. At Downland we promote inclusion and equality and celebrate diversity.
Our mission statement is ‘Aspire, Achieve and Thrive’.
All about the role:
We are looking to appoint a Teaching Assistant to enhance support to our pupils, either through dedicated 1:1 support or by working in class. This post holder will be timetabled as needed across the full range of subjects. They need to be versatile and resilient.
Key areas of work will include:
- Supporting pupils’ learning, either in groups or through 1:1 work. The exact tasks will depend on the learning support needs of the pupil/s to meet their SEND profile but may include:
supporting the development of skills in literacy, numeracy, communication and social and behavioural needs
adapting & personalising work for individual pupils to suit their ability
using knowledge of pupils learning support needs to suggest appropriate adjustments to lesson plans to teachers
clarifying and explaining instructions
ensuring pupils are able to use equipment and materials provided
motivating and supporting pupils
helping pupils to concentrate on and finish work set
meeting physical needs as required while promoting independence
liaising with class teacher and SEND team about Behaviour Support Plans and EHCP outcomes
developing appropriate resources to support pupils engage and learn
listening to pupils’ problems and taking appropriate action or seeking advice to resolve the issue
• Supporting pupils’ self esteem, inclusion and behavioural development, e.g.
encouraging an acceptance and inclusion of the pupil with special needs
developing methods of promoting/reinforcing the pupil’s self esteem and independence
providing individual or small group supervision in and out of the classroom for pupils with
behavioural problems
establishing a supportive relationship with pupils
reinforcing the school ethos, e.g. expectations of behaviour within class and elsewhere on the
school site and apply ‘The Downland Way’
supervising pupils on school activities and school trips
• Provide physical/personal care to pupils, e.g.
- supervising pupils with medical needs, e.g. diabetes, epilepsy
• Supporting the teacher/s, e.g.
Using knowledge and experience of the pupils concerned, to contribute, with the class teacher
(and other professionals as appropriate), in the development and evaluation of a suitable
programme of support for children who need learning support
Contribute to the development of Behaviour Support Plans and reviews of pupil progress and
engagement
In conjunction with the class teacher (and other professionals as appropriate) to develop system/s
of recording pupil progress and contribute to the maintenance across a range of systems
Providing regular feedback about pupils to the teacher/s
Encouraging the social and emotional development of pupils by intervening in situations which call
for adult supervision
• Supporting the curriculum
Support the delivery of the literacy and mathematics strategy along with other aspects of both the
National Curriculum and the enhanced curriculum offered by the school.
Improve the classroom and school environment e.g. create displays that celebrate pupils’ achievement
• Supporting the school, e.g.
where appropriate, fostering and develop links between a pupil’s home (parent/carer) and school
assisting with setting up, storing and retrieving and general maintenance of classroom equipment
and teaching aids, e.g. computers and computer software, resources, indoor and outdoor play
equipment etc
helping to ensure the hygiene of the teaching environment in cases of sickness or soiling, with
training
Ensure that all equipment for outings (e.g. drinks, food, weather protection, first aid) accompanies
the pupils
Support at taxi arrival and drop off as directed
You will be expected to actively demonstrate the school’s core values and promote ‘The Downland Way’
In return we will offer you:
• a forward thinking and inclusive school environment
• a friendly and supportive community
• an inclusive and caring ethos
• good professional development and learning opportunities
• a well equipped and safe working environment
Enthusiasm and commitment to working with and raising achievement for pupils with SEMH is paramount to us.
Our pupils have varying aptitudes and abilities; we are extremely proud of all their achievements and progress. Our pupils have a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including: Autism (ASC); attachment disorders and Social, Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. We seek to ensure that, by the time they leave us, our pupils emerge as self-confident individuals able to manage their own learning; equipped with the skills and competencies to successfully take the next steps in their lives.
We are a friendly, happy and caring school, providing a positive, inclusive and enriching educational experience for our young people. We view each of our pupils as unique and shape our provision to meet their individual needs and accelerate their progress in a variety of areas e.g. personal, social, academic and well-being. Our commitment to supporting the ‘whole’ child and their development is underpinned by our strong pastoral systems and our committed and trained staff. At Downland we promote inclusion and equality and celebrate diversity.
Our mission statement is ‘Aspire, Achieve and Thrive’.
All about the role:
We are looking to appoint a Teaching Assistant to enhance support to our pupils, either through dedicated 1:1 support or by working in class. This post holder will be timetabled as needed across the full range of subjects. They need to be versatile and resilient.
Key areas of work will include:
- Supporting pupils’ learning, either in groups or through 1:1 work. The exact tasks will depend on the learning support needs of the pupil/s to meet their SEND profile but may include:
supporting the development of skills in literacy, numeracy, communication and social and behavioural needs
adapting & personalising work for individual pupils to suit their ability
using knowledge of pupils learning support needs to suggest appropriate adjustments to lesson plans to teachers
clarifying and explaining instructions
ensuring pupils are able to use equipment and materials provided
motivating and supporting pupils
helping pupils to concentrate on and finish work set
meeting physical needs as required while promoting independence
liaising with class teacher and SEND team about Behaviour Support Plans and EHCP outcomes
developing appropriate resources to support pupils engage and learn
listening to pupils’ problems and taking appropriate action or seeking advice to resolve the issue
• Supporting pupils’ self esteem, inclusion and behavioural development, e.g.
encouraging an acceptance and inclusion of the pupil with special needs
developing methods of promoting/reinforcing the pupil’s self esteem and independence
providing individual or small group supervision in and out of the classroom for pupils with
behavioural problems
establishing a supportive relationship with pupils
reinforcing the school ethos, e.g. expectations of behaviour within class and elsewhere on the
school site and apply ‘The Downland Way’
supervising pupils on school activities and school trips
• Provide physical/personal care to pupils, e.g.
- supervising pupils with medical needs, e.g. diabetes, epilepsy
• Supporting the teacher/s, e.g.
Using knowledge and experience of the pupils concerned, to contribute, with the class teacher
(and other professionals as appropriate), in the development and evaluation of a suitable
programme of support for children who need learning support
Contribute to the development of Behaviour Support Plans and reviews of pupil progress and
engagement
In conjunction with the class teacher (and other professionals as appropriate) to develop system/s
of recording pupil progress and contribute to the maintenance across a range of systems
Providing regular feedback about pupils to the teacher/s
Encouraging the social and emotional development of pupils by intervening in situations which call
for adult supervision
• Supporting the curriculum
Support the delivery of the literacy and mathematics strategy along with other aspects of both the
National Curriculum and the enhanced curriculum offered by the school.
Improve the classroom and school environment e.g. create displays that celebrate pupils’ achievement
• Supporting the school, e.g.
where appropriate, fostering and develop links between a pupil’s home (parent/carer) and school
assisting with setting up, storing and retrieving and general maintenance of classroom equipment
and teaching aids, e.g. computers and computer software, resources, indoor and outdoor play
equipment etc
helping to ensure the hygiene of the teaching environment in cases of sickness or soiling, with
training
Ensure that all equipment for outings (e.g. drinks, food, weather protection, first aid) accompanies
the pupils
Support at taxi arrival and drop off as directed
You will be expected to actively demonstrate the school’s core values and promote ‘The Downland Way’
In return we will offer you:
• a forward thinking and inclusive school environment
• a friendly and supportive community
• an inclusive and caring ethos
• good professional development and learning opportunities
• a well equipped and safe working environment
Enthusiasm and commitment to working with and raising achievement for pupils with SEMH is paramount to us.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.