Teaching Assistant

Full Job Description

At OFG Education we put wellbeing first by giving our teams more time to recharge!

Job Title:  Teaching Assistant
Location:  Upton Grange School, Slough, SL3 7LR (With work across all sites under Hillingdon Grange)
Hours:  37.5 hours per week | Monday to Friday
Salary:  £25,405.27 per annum (not pro rata) plus £1,500.00 London Allowance
Contract:  Permanent | Term Time Only
Start:  November 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available

About the Role

Are you passionate about helping young people overcome challenges, build confidence and discover what they're truly capable of? At Hillingdon Grange School, we're looking for a caring, enthusiastic and dedicated Teaching Assistant to join our team and help students with autism and additional needs achieve their potential.

This is more than a classroom support role. It's an opportunity to become a trusted role model, encourage independence and make a meaningful difference to a young person's education and everyday life. Whether you're helping a student understand something new, supporting them through a challenging moment or celebrating a personal achievement, you'll play an important part in their journey.

Working closely with teachers, tutors and specialist colleagues, you'll help create a safe, structured and nurturing learning environment where every student feels understood, valued and encouraged to succeed.

If you're looking for a rewarding role where your patience, positivity and encouragement can make a lasting difference, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Be Doing

• Help students achieve their potential, providing individual and small-group support to make learning accessible, engaging and rewarding.
• Bring learning to life, supporting teachers and tutors with lessons, activities and personalised approaches that meet individual needs.
• Build confidence and independence, encouraging students to develop communication, social skills and essential everyday life skills.
• Support positive behaviour and emotional wellbeing, helping students develop self-regulation skills in a calm, structured and supportive environment.
• Celebrate progress and achievement, contributing to Individual Education Plans, Behaviour Support Profiles, risk assessments and student progress records.
• Work collaboratively with specialist colleagues, maintaining effective communication between teaching, care and other school teams.
• Champion student safety and wellbeing, providing appropriate support during classroom activities, educational visits and personal care routines where required.
• Create a positive learning environment, helping maintain resources, accurate records and a school culture where every student feels included and valued.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who believes every young person deserves the opportunity to succeed and who brings the patience, resilience and enthusiasm to help make that happen.

You'll bring:

• Previous experience working within an educational setting.
• Experience supporting students with autism and/or behaviours that challenge.
• A caring, patient and compassionate approach, with a genuine passion for supporting young people with additional needs.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with students and colleagues.
• The ability to adapt your approach to meet individual learning, communication and emotional needs.
• A calm, resilient and positive attitude when supporting students through challenges.
• A collaborative approach, with the confidence to work under the direction of teachers and contribute to a multidisciplinary team.
• A commitment to safeguarding, student wellbeing and maintaining a safe, inclusive learning environment.
• A willingness to undertake professional development and work towards relevant qualifications as required.

About Our School

Upton Grange School is our Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 setting for students aged 3 - 11 years old setting. Upton Grange deploys a wide range of teaching strategies to engage and develop the progress of learners, who present with a range of learning difficulties and styles. Our students are taught in smaller class sizes and work towards an Equals Semi-Formal Curriculum and National Curriculum expectations where appropriate.

This opportunity is located in Slough, a 15-minute walk from rail station and within commutable distance of Maidenhead, Twickenham and surrounding areas.

We are proud to be a part of OFG Education who in 2025 were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place students and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
• Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

OFG Education is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, OFG Education does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.

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