Are you ready to make a meaningful difference to a child's education journey?

Due to expansion of the school's facilities, Esland's Bedford School is seeking committed and effective Teaching Assistants to join our team in September.

Location: Wrest Park, Silsoe (MK45)
Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full time (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm)

Salary: £23,520 to 25,357 (dependent on experience)

Closing Date: Wednesday 8th July 2026
Interview Dates: between 9th and 14th July

Job Start: September 2026

We are seeking positive, confident individuals who can work independently and take initiative while developing purposeful, strong relationships with children, staff and parents. Experience in supporting children with SEMH needs and/or ASD would be advantageous but not essential.

Esland Bedford School is an independent SEMH special school for up to 50 children aged 8-18. The school provides education to day pupils, and via our unique Turning the Curve provision, to young people who have been disengaged from education for significant periods of time. We aim to maintain a nurturing and accepting environment for young people who have not had their needs met in other settings. Likewise, we also aim to provide a work/life balance to staff not available in larger schools.

Key Responsibilities:

Support pupils with all learning opportunities as directed by the class teacher.
Under direct or indirect supervision, deliver prepared work to small group of pupils or provide one-to-one support to a pupil.
Ensure supervision of pupils at all times, including break times, transport etc.
Access relevant training (in addition to induction) in order to develop skills for use in the classroom.
Undertake whole school duties as directed by class teachers or SLT.
Work with both individual pupils and groups of pupils to support learning and promote access to learning activities.
Implement behaviour support plans with pupils, as directed.
Implement sensory or communication programmes with pupils, as directed.
Contribute towards the physical education of pupils, for example, swimming and PE.
Assist in aspects of recording pupil progress as directed by the class teacher and in line with school policy.
Assist in creating educational resources including classroom and whole school displays.
Accompany pupils on educational visits and journeys including sports events and community
access.
Attend regular after school staff meetings and training.
Respect confidentiality of information on all pupils and their families.
Any other duties of similar nature or level as required.

There are so many reasons to join us. From competitive pay to fast-track progression opportunities, we offer a whole host of well-being benefits, the use of our holiday home when you need a break, as well as a warm family work environment and a company culture focused on fun!

Our benefits include (but are not limited to):

A competitive salary between £23,520 and £25,357 (depending on experience) reviewed annually
Enrolment into the Esland education pension scheme, which is double matched up to 20%, meaning at total pension contribution of up to 30%
Company sick pay
Life insurance to the value of 4 times your basic salary
Comprehensive, paid induction training and ongoing training within the role
Fantastic opportunities for career development, we promoted over 100 colleagues last year
Cycle to work scheme
Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) including our Online GP 24/7, 365 days a year
Access to our Green Hybrid and EV car scheme
A £500 bonus via our 'Refer a Friend’ scheme
Monthly recognition awards
Access to big-brand deals and discounts via our employee benefits scheme E-Together
The opportunity to make a real difference to a child's life!

SEMH Teaching Assistant

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