Teaching Assistant

Location: Colchester
Salary: £22,963
Department: Education Services
Function: Education
Application Deadline: 24/07/26
Interview Date: Week commencing 27/07/26

Are you a Life Changer? Do you want to lean in and truly transform the life of a child?

At Compass Community Schools, we put children first through our therapeutic, innovative approach. Integrity, Courage, and Care shape how we work. We listen deeply, challenge each other, and fix what needs fixing, together. This is the work—and we’d love for you to be a part of it.

Who We Are

Our pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds, and all have Social, Emotional, and Mental Health needs (SEMH). Many also have other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), such as Autism, ADHD, and communication difficulties.

The work we do is both varied and deeply rewarding. As a trauma and attachment-informed organisation, we ensure all staff are provided with extensive therapeutic training and support to help our students secure outstanding outcomes.

About the Role

Teaching Assistants at our school know that no two days—and no two children—are the same. Our pupils require very special adults who can wear many different hats and adapt at a moment's notice.

We are looking for resilient, persistent, and solution-focused individuals who understand that our children thrive on consistency, flexible communication, and a completely non-judgmental approach.

Key Responsibilities:

Learning Support: Work with children on a 1:1 basis or deliver targeted sessions to small groups.
Engagement & Development: Create, play, and teach games to develop social skills, manage classroom resources, and design inspiring learning displays.
Safety & Well-being: Keep children safe when they experience heightened behaviours, using strong behaviour management skills and excellent communication.
Mentorship: Take children on educational trips, share lunchtime to support those struggling socially, and celebrate every success.
Collaboration: Participate in therapeutic training, reflect on difficult periods, and contribute your own passions to develop our academic and extra-curricular curriculum.

Requirements

A strong basic understanding of English and Maths.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
The resilience and patience required to support complex and challenging behaviours.
A commitment to a trauma-informed, therapeutic approach to education.

Benefits and Rewards

Our TAs are highly valued members of our team. We recognize skill, effort, and potential, offering you:

Career Progression: Exceptional opportunities to grow your career within a expanding, national organisation that actively develops its own leadership teams.
Professional Development: Extensive training and professional qualification opportunities, alongside regular therapeutic and supportive supervision.
Work Environment: Small class sizes supported by specialist teams.
Perks & Wellbeing: A flexible pension scheme and an employee benefit service with access to wellbeing platforms and salary sacrifice schemes.

Please note: We regularly review applications and reserve the right to close this advert early if a suitable candidate is identified.

Safeguarding & Diversity

Important: Compass Community Schools are highly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All successful applicants will be expected to hold or obtain an Enhanced DBS check (with barred list check) and undergo due diligence checks, including social media screening.

Compass is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We know that a talented team with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives is essential to providing the best possible support for our children.