Teaching Assistant Level 4 (SEN)

We currently have an exciting opportunity for Teaching Assistant Level 4 (SEN) to join our fantastic central team at Orchard House High School.

This is a Grade 6, permanent post working 35 hours per week, term time only plus 4 weeks (total weeks worked are 42 per annum). The starting salary is £30,700 and the full time equivalent is £33,143.

Orchard House High School is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Teaching Assistant Level 4 (Communication and Learning) to join our dedicated Support for Learning Team. This role is open to both external applicants and current staff who wish to take on a specialist, impactful position within our school community.

About the role:

The successful candidate will play a central role in supporting pupils with a range of communication and learning needs, ensuring they have the tools, strategies, and opportunities to thrive both academically and socially. In addition to providing high‑quality in‑class support, the role includes:

• Delivering regular lesson cover for teachers’ PPA.
• Planning, delivering, and evaluating Wave 1, 2, and 3 communication-focused interventions.
• Overseeing communication assessments (e.g., TALC, phonics assessments) and implementing first-response speech and language strategies.
• Using approaches based on Elklan, AAC systems, visual supports, and other evidence-informed practices.
• Working collaboratively with class teams, the Support for Learning team, Speech and Language Therapists, and other external professionals to ensure consistent, high‑quality provision.

We are looking for a practitioner who is reflective, confident, and passionate about improving outcomes for pupils with complex communication profiles. You will contribute significantly to building a communication-rich environment across Orchard House High School.

Main purpose of the job:

• Work with groups and individual pupils to deliver high‑quality learning experiences, including therapy-led programmes and interventions aligned with EHCP outcomes.
• Support the accurate assessment and tracking of pupils’ communication and learning needs using specialist tools and frameworks.
• Plan and deliver targeted 1:1, small-group, and in‑class interventions to develop communication, language, and cognition.
• Provide reliable, well‑organised PPA cover, delivering engaging learning under the guidance of teaching staff.
• Promote independence, employ a wide range of communication strategies, and celebrate progress towards self‑reliance.
• Contribute to a consistent, whole-school approach to communication and learning.
• Maintain detailed intervention records, evaluate impact, and share outcomes with the Support for Learning leads.

To find out more about the full responsibilities of the role and/or to ensure you meet the essential criteria, please review the attached job description.

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, younger learners and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. The above post will be subject to enhanced DBS checks, satisfactory references and will be exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here

This post is also subject to satisfactory references, proof of right to work in the UK in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and other pre-employment checks where applicable.

We strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace that is as diverse as the communities we serve. We positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.