Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) – Alternative Provision
Location: Lichfield
Start Date: After May Half Term
Contract: Long-term Supply
We are currently seeking a confident and committed Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) to join an inclusive Alternative Provision school in Lichfield, supporting children and young people aged 5–16.
This is a long-term supply role, ideal for someone who is passionate about making a real difference to the lives of pupils who require a flexible, nurturing, and structured approach to learning.
The Role
As a HLTA, you will:
* Work flexibly across a range of age groups (5–16), adapting to the needs of different learners
* Deliver planned lessons in the absence of the teacher and support pupils to engage with learning
* Support children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and challenging behaviour
* Promote positive behaviour, emotional regulation, and engagement in learning
* Build strong, trusting relationships with pupils and staff
* Contribute to a calm, safe, and inclusive learning environment
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for the right person, not just the right CV. You will be:
* Reliable, resilient and adaptable
* Confident in managing behaviour and maintaining a strong classroom presence
* Comfortable working with pupils who display behaviour challenges
* Flexible and proactive, with a calm and consistent approach
* Passionate about supporting vulnerable children and young people
Experience within SEMH, Alternative Provision (AP), PRU, and/or Special Education settings is highly advantageous, but most important is your confidence, commitment, and ability to engage and inspire pupils.
Why Join?
* Opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a specialist setting
* Supportive and inclusive school environment
* Long-term stability within a rewarding supply role
If you are an experienced HLTA — or a confident practitioner ready for your next challenge — and you believe you have the skills, presence, and passion to support pupils in an alternative provision setting, we would love to hear from you.
Zest Education are an APSCo audited agency and are dedicated to safeguarding children. All candidates must hold an enhanced DBS (or allow us to process one for you) and be registered to the DBS Update Service, be able to provide references to cover the last two years and successfully pass all other necessary safeguarding checks prior to clearance for work.
Salary is dependent on experience, training, or qualifications. The minimum experience, training, or qualifications required for this position are recent school-based experience (within the last 5 years within a school that teaches the British Curriculum) and/or care-based experience within the last 5 years.
The role advertised is for temporary supply work.
We receive new jobs and positions on a daily basis so keep up to date with us on our social media pages too:
Zest Education – small consultancy friendliness with big agency experience