Teaching Assistant
Salary: Cambridgeshire Scale 2, Point 3 – Point 4 (£24,796 FTE - £25,185 FTE)
Hours: 32.50 hours Full time, Term time 38 weeks per year plus 5 training days (39 weeks total)
Working pattern: Monday to Friday 8:15am – 3:15pm with a 30 minute unpaid allocated lunch break.
Location: The Netherhall and Oakes College, Queen Edith's Way, Cambridge CB1 8NN
Start date: As soon as possible subject to checks
About the role:
We are seeking enthusiastic, motivated and compassionate individuals to join our Inclusion Team within our newly rebranded Arday Faculty – a therapeutic and evolving provision focused on supporting the diverse and ever-changing needs of our learners.
This is an exciting time to join us as we continue to develop innovative approaches that remove barriers to learning, nurture emotional wellbeing, and unlock each student's potential. If you have practical skills or relevant qualifications – whether in creative arts, vocational training, outdoor learning, or therapeutic approaches – we would welcome the opportunity to grow our offer with you.
Successful candidates will have:
* Strong communication skills
* A team-focused mindset
* A positive, proactive approach to working with young people
* The energy and passion to inspire, support and motivate students of all abilities
We are ambitious for every one of our learners and equally committed to the development and wellbeing of our staff. You will be part of a forward-thinking, supportive team within an innovative and collaborative multi-academy trust that values professional growth and creative thinking.
A Vibrant and Supportive Working Environment
Our central belief is that great schools recruit and retain great support staff, teachers and leaders. You will be joining an ambitious, vibrant, and supportive working environment. You will be working with outstanding colleagues who are passionate about their subject specialism and pedagogy and who show extraordinary commitment and dedication to the young people in their care, as well as being hugely supportive of each other. You will be joining a vibrant, ambitious, and caring team, where every role plays a vital part in helping young people thrive.
Within the Arday Faculty, we champion collaboration, creativity, and compassion. You'll work alongside colleagues who are deeply committed to inclusion and wellbeing, who bring a wide range of skills and experiences, and who are always ready to support each other. Whether your strengths lie in direct student support, therapeutic practice, or bringing practical and vocational learning to life, your contribution will be truly valued as we continue to shape and grow our offer
We offer:
* A successful 11-18 mixed comprehensive school with a flourishing Sixth Form
* Impressive (subject) facilities
* A vibrant, supportive community with friendly colleagues and students
* Situated in Cambridge – a centre of excellence
* Cross trust developmental opportunities
This is an exciting time to consider joining our outstanding learning community and we look forward to receiving your application.
Duties and responsibilities:
Core Purpose
* To provide personalised, therapeutic support that enables neurodivergent and vulnerable students to engage meaningfully with learning and school life
* To help create a safe, nurturing environment where students feel seen, understood, and supported
* To promote positive relationships, emotional wellbeing, and student agency
* To contribute to inclusive practice across the school, helping to reduce barriers to learning and raise outcomes for all students
Support for Learners
* Work alongside teaching and therapeutic staff to adapt learning activities to meet the individual needs of neurodivergent and vulnerable learners
* Deliver targeted support, both 1:1 and in small groups, using therapeutic, relational and sensory-informed approaches
* Build trusted, respectful relationships with students, creating a sense of psychological safety that enables engagement and progress
* Recognise and respond to a wide range of needs, including those related to communication, emotional regulation, trauma, or sensory processing
* Support inclusion by ensuring learners feel understood, valued and actively involved in the life of the classroom and wider school
* Actively promote a culture of acceptance, dignity, and belonging for all students
Support for the Personalised Curriculum
* Support students in accessing a highly personalised curriculum, adapted where necessary to include therapeutic and vocational pathways
* Use creative approaches – including practical, sensory, and movement-based learning – to promote engagement and progress
* Identify opportunities to enrich student learning, including through ICT, outdoor learning or practical skills
* Reinforce core skills in literacy, numeracy, communication and self-regulation in ways that are accessible and meaningful to each learner
Collaborative Support within the Classroom and Inclusion Team
* Contribute to planning, adapting and reviewing learning activities in collaboration with teaching staff and the Head of Inclusion
* Observe, reflect and feedback on student engagement, progress and wellbeing to inform personalised planning
* Help co-create calm, inclusive learning environments that are structured, predictable and emotionally safe
* Support in preparing therapeutic and sensory-based resources to suit individual learner profiles
* Model relational practice and co-regulation techniques in line with trauma-informed principles
* Support the understanding and positive management of behaviour through connection, curiosity and consistency
Employee Benefits:
* Generous Pension Scheme (LGPS or Teachers' Pension Scheme depending on the role)
* Cycle to Work Salary Sacrifice Scheme
* Free membership to Anglian Learning Sports Centres
* 20 percent discount on Anglian Learning Adult Education Courses
* Professional Development Scheme Policy
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Specsavers VDU Vouchers
* Boots Flu Vouchers
* Perkbox – access a range of discounts in-store and online at nationwide shops.
Closing Date: 12 midnight on 22nd October 2025 (We reserve the right to close this advert early)
Interview date: TBC
Start date: As soon as possible, subject to safeguarding checks
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff to share this commitment and undergo appropriate checks. Therefore, all posts within the Trust are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. The Trust welcomes applications from all, irrespective of gender, marital status, disability, race, age or sexual orientation.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £24,796.00-£25,185.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Cycle to work scheme
* Free flu jabs
* Free parking
* Gym membership
* On-site parking
* Sick pay
Work Location: In person