Level 2 SEND Teaching Assistant - 30 Hours Per Week

We pride ourselves on being a ‘highly inclusive school with ambition for all pupils.’ Our staff are very welcoming and nurturing. As a result of this very caring environment, pupils thrive.’ (Ofsted February 2026). The children at the heart of everything we do. We have high expectations and a culture of learning built on trust and support.

Vision and values

Leigh Primary School strives to be a community of lifelong learners, relationship builders and memory makers.

As part of the Leigh Trust family of schools, we are ‘The TEAM that CARES.’

We are looking for a passionate Teaching Assistant to join our friendly school as part of our Resource Base for children with Autism. As a valued member of our Resource Base Team, you will work closely with the specialist SEND team to ensure that every pupil within our Resource Base thrives in a supportive and inclusive learning environment. This position is to cover maternity leave for 1 year.

About the Role:

This role is a specialist position within our Autism Resource Base, requiring applicants with experience and expertise in supporting children with Autism. We are seeking individuals who have a strong understanding of autism-specific strategies and interventions. These may include:

Makaton

Attention Autism

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)

SCERTS (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support)

Speech and language support.

The successful candidates will play a vital role in creating an inclusive, structured, and nurturing environment that enables children to develop their communication and social skills and independence. Experience in working within a specialist setting or supporting children with complex needs is essential, as this role demands a deep commitment to meeting the unique needs of our Autistic learners.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking aspirational and dedicated Teaching Assistants who:

Have a positive, optimistic outlook

Ideally have experience of working within a specialist setting or supporting children with complex needs

Have a passion for teaching and learning and inclusive practice

Care deeply about children’s learning and their emotional wellbeing

Show initiative and work collaboratively with a team

Have great communication skills with the ability to build trust and confidence with parents, children and colleagues

We can offer you:

an inclusive school where all children and staff develop a sense of belonging so they thrive and achieve.

a supportive and caring team who work together to achieve the best outcomes for all

a Trust Wellbeing charter which supports and promotes the wellbeing of all staff

a curriculum which provides teachers with the subject knowledge, pedagogy and resources they need to teach each subject effectively

bespoke continual professional development to help you in your career

the opportunity to collaborate with and benefit from the mutual support of schools within Leigh Trust

Only applications submitted via MyNewTerm will be accepted.

For further details, please contact Jemma Evans at [email removed] or telephone [phone removed].

Closing date: Monday 19th October 2026 at 5pm

Shortlisting Date: Thursday 22nd October 2026

Interview: Wednesday 4th November 2026 (Time TBC)

Equal Opportunities, Safeguarding & Child Protection

Leigh Primary believes that its workforce should reflect the local community and that all groups within the community should have equal access to the Trust’s employment opportunities. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.

This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent and spoken English is an essential requirement for this role.

Leigh Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks including: Enhanced DBS; Prohibition check; Childcare Disqualification (where applicable); qualifications (where applicable); medical fitness; identity and right to work. All applicants will be required to provide two suitable reference. An online search will also be carried out as part of due diligence on all short-listed candidates. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2023. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account.

All successful candidates will be required to present their birth certificate along with evidence of any name changes. Please note that applications must be written by the candidate applying. While technology, including artificial intelligence, may be used to help the candidate select certain phraseology, if substantial use of AI is used, the application will be disregarded.