Teaching Assistant

Teaching Assistant (Special Educational Needs)

Location: Haverhill, Suffolk
Salary: £19,926.00 – £23,033.25 DOE and qualifications
Work Location: In person

Be part of something new. Make a lasting difference.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a brand-new specialist school community in Haverhill, Suffolk, as we prepare to open our independent special school for children and young people aged 8–16.

We are looking for passionate and dedicated Teaching Assistants to join our Education Team and play an important role in creating a safe, supportive and inspiring learning environment.

Our school will support autistic children and young people with additional learning, communication, social and emotional needs. With small class sizes, personalised learning and an integrated therapeutic approach, we are creating an environment where every young person can feel safe, valued and able to achieve.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a new school from the beginning, helping to shape its culture, values and approach while making a meaningful difference to young people's lives.

What we do

At Kisimul, we are dedicated to helping people discover their unique gifts and develop their abilities within a therapeutic community, supporting them towards a future that is meaningful.

We place individual needs, values, aspirations and outcomes at the heart of everything we do. Our services are safe, compassionate, outcome-focused and quality-driven, with a strong culture of continuous improvement.

The role

As a Teaching Assistant, you will provide learning, educational and therapeutic support to pupils, helping to create a positive lived experience and enabling each young person to become the very best version of themselves.

You will:

• Support children and young people with Special Educational Needs in their learning and development.
• Assist with learning activities and encourage social and emotional development.
• Provide appropriate care and support to pupils.
• Contribute to the health, wellbeing and safety of the children and young people.
• Work closely with colleagues to create a positive, nurturing and inclusive learning environment.
• Support the school's therapeutic approach and contribute to the wider life of this exciting new school.

About you

Ideally, you will have a Teaching Assistant qualification or previous experience in a similar role. However, we are also interested in the qualities and attitude you can bring to our team.

You will have:

• A genuine passion for supporting children and young people.
• A desire to see and celebrate the progress and development of others.
• High expectations of yourself, your colleagues and the young people you support.
• A willingness to go the extra mile.
• A positive attitude and a good sense of humour.
• The ability to remain calm and patient in challenging situations.
• Resilience, commitment and the ability to approach each day with enthusiasm.

What you can expect

• Small class sizes, allowing you to build positive relationships with pupils.
• A supportive and ambitious team committed to the success of the school, its pupils and its staff.
• Professional development and ongoing training to help you grow in your role.
• Fully funded qualifications to support your career development.
• The opportunity to work within a beautiful school and grounds.
• The chance to help shape a brand-new specialist school and make a genuine difference to young people's lives.

Our benefits

We offer a comprehensive range of benefits, including:

• Genuine Career Development – opportunities with transparent pay grades.
• Fully Funded Qualifications – continued investment in your professional development.
• Blue Light Card – access to discounts at thousands of venues across the UK.
• Refer a Friend – earn up to £500 for every successful hire.
• Financial Benefits – including Life Assurance of 1x your annual basic salary, access to a salary sacrifice pension scheme, and the option to access a percentage of your wages before payday through Stream.
• Retail Discounts – access to discounts from over 150 retailers.
• Health & Wellbeing Support – including access to an online GP, confidential telephone counselling, dedicated internal wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Flexible Working Patterns – options to work on bank holidays and take the time off at another point that is more meaningful to you.
• Cycle to Work Scheme – salary-deducted bikes to help you save money.
• Free DBS Check – we cover the cost of your DBS check.

About Kisimul

Kisimul Group Ltd is a group of independent specialist schools and adult provisions providing specialist residential care and education to children, young people and adults with diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder, severe and complex learning difficulties, global developmental delay and associated challenging behaviour.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults, and expect all staff to share this commitment.

We are also committed to creating a workplace that celebrates and welcomes diversity in all its forms. We believe that different perspectives make us stronger and more innovative. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply — your unique background, perspective and potential may be exactly what we're looking for.

Find out more about life at Kisimul

Hear from our teams about what it's like to work at Kisimul:

Life at Kisimul: https://youtu.be/pP-sFmzkR88

Meaningful Life Model: https://youtu.be/XWo2VXzeGIg

Important information

Kisimul is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role under current UK Government guidelines. Sponsorship is restricted to eligible colleagues who are already employed by the organisation. Please note that Children's Homes positions are not eligible for sponsorship.

All roles are subject to an enhanced DBS check.

If you're ready to invest in your future, join a brand-new specialist school and make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and young people, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today.