Teaching Assistant

Location: Yeovil District Hospital, Yeovil

Salary: Grade 14 (£12.824 actual pay per annum) 

Vacancy Type: Fixed Term Contract, Maternity Cover until July 2027, Part Time (22 hours per week, term time only)

Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 12 noon on Friday 4th September 2026

Are you a good communicator, resilient and ready to work in a setting with some of the most interesting pupils the education system has to offer?

We are looking for an enthusiastic colleague to support the teacher working at Yeovil District Hospital. You should have broad experience in curriculum support, and particular skills in engaging with students who have social, emotional, medical, and mental health needs.  This is an extremely varied role, and pupils may be any age from Year 5-11 (Age 5-16). This is a combination of either working in the hospital classroom or at the bedside, according to the pupil’s medical needs.

You will:

• Be a reflective practitioner.
• Can be creative developing relevant educational programmes for our young people.
• Have excellent skills relevant to pupils on the continuum of social, mental, and emotional health needs.
• Be solution focused and positive in meeting the social and emotional needs of our young people and open to innovative ways of working.
• Have the ability, drive, and resilience to ensure the emotional health and wellbeing of young people.
• Contribute to effective self-evaluation.
• Preferably have successful experience in a school or working with pupils in an alternative setting.

We are keen to appoint the right person with the personal qualities that will make them a success at Tor.  Skills can be developed, but the passion to work with young people and the personal attributes are fundamental.

Job Purpose:

To complement the work at Tor School through supporting pupils to engage in learning, ensuring safeguarding and promoting their physical and emotional wellbeing. 

To assist the hospital teacher in the development and implementation of programmes of work and in the provision of a stable, caring and supportive learning environment, which enables pupils to achieve their full learning potential and facilitates their social and moral development.

This job description is not a complete list of tasks but rather provides an outline of the main responsibilities of the post.

Main duties and Core responsibilities:

• Work with the hospital teacher to assist the learning of pupils
• Promote the pupil’s independence, self-esteem and social inclusion by working with pupils
• Support the pupil, individually or in groups, so they can access the curriculum / provided activity, take part in learning and experience a sense of achievement
• Be pupil focussed and work in a positive way that enables them to achieve
• Support pupils 1:1 or in small groups, supporting / facilitating learning
• Delivering, supporting and directing tasks, clarifying and explaining instructions.

Learning support

• To support the holistic learning of individuals and groups of pupils
• To support pupil’s pastoral needs and give them the support they require throughout the day as required
• To encourage, and find ways to engage, pupils in a positive activity
• To act as a mentor and be an active listener should pupils need support in this way
• Develop and apply knowledge and understanding of pupils’ general and specific learning needs to support their learning
• Promote the development of key skills and independence
• To have the inter-personal skills and effective communication skills to work in partnership with parents and medical professionals, including contributing to meetings

Ensuring pupils’ emotional well-being

• Establish positive relationships with all pupils and promote the inclusion of all
• Seek to ensure the promotion and reinforcement of pupils’ self-esteem
• Seek to develop pupils’ respect for diversity and difference
• Be committed to the safeguarding of pupils

Professional development

• Participate in staff meetings and undertake professional development within contracted hours or outside normal hours by agreement
• To undertake training as required for the role

Learning environment and administration

• Take an active role in establishing and maintaining a tidy, well organised and positive learning environment
• Prepare resources and display pupils’ work. Maintain files, photocopy and use ICT systems for administration and school communication purposes

Key Competencies

• Resilience – as the environment can be challenging.  Ability to remain calm and controlled as see behaviour as an unmet need.
• Emotional resilience and ability to manage potentially challenging and difficult contact with parents and young people
• Proven ability to demonstrate an understanding and practical application of diversity issues and how this is embedded in all working practices.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Competency in prioritising, problem-solving and creative thinking.

Tor School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS and all relevant pre-employment checks, including social media screening

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for Tor School, please do not hesitate to apply.