Higher Level Teaching Assistant - The Lighthouse Campus, The Harbour School, Portsmouth

Term time plus 3 weeks. Salary: Band G, £31,688-£35,939 per annum, actual salary for term time plus 3 weeks £29,189 - £33,405per annum . Plus generous sick pay and pension scheme

Note: Must have a full clean driving licence and be willing to use your vehicle for school business as well as have the flexibility to travel across the city.

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of young people who face significant barriers to education?

We are looking for an experienced, passionate Education Keyworker who is creative and motivated to build strong relationships with both highly vulnerable and challenging students who are unable to access mainstream education.

You’ll be part educator, part mentor and part everything in between! Someone who can help reignite a love for learning, build confidence, be that trusted adult our students need and help our students believe in themselves, one small step at a time.

• You’ll be:
• Supporting students in breaking down barriers and delivering structured interventions to support academic, social and emotional development.
• Developing, delivering, and evaluating a dynamic program of creative and accredited learning opportunities including the development of Individual Learning Plans and Educational Health Care Plans.
• Assessing and monitoring student progress.
• Bringing patience, creativity, and a sense of humour to the everyday challenges of alternative education
• Building positive, trusting relationships to help students overcome challenges.
• Delivering support, adapting learning to meet individual needs by creating a welcoming, safe, and stimulating learning environment.
• Encouraging confidence, resilience, and self-esteem in young people, helping students see their potential even when they can’t see it themselves.
• Using trauma-informed and restorative approaches to help students feel safe, valued and understood.
• Translating a “I’m not doing it” into a “Alright, I’ll give it a go”

We 're looking for:

• Experience working with children with SEMH needs, exclusions, or additional barriers to learning.
• A problem solver who sees challenges as opportunities.
• A team player who thrives in a supportive, passionate environment working collaboratively with staff, parents, and external agencies.
• A relationship-builder who understands that connection comes before correction and trust before teaching.
• An NVQ Level 4 or equivalent with solid literacy and numeracy skills.
• Someone who’s adaptable & resilient - every day is different, and challenges require creative solutions.
• Passionate about inclusive education and committed to helping young people succeed.
• The ability to celebrate small wins (because sometimes, showing up is a big deal)

Why Join Us?

• Be a part of a school that truly believes in educational equity for all learners.
• A supportive team that genuinely cares about the students and each other.
• Training, CPD opportunities, and the chance to grow in your role.
• The opportunity to transform the educational journey of vulnerable young people.
• A rewarding role where no two days are the same (predictability is overrated, anyway!) seeing students succeed against the odds.

About Us: The Harbour School is a multi-site organisation, and this role is based at The Lighthouse Campus. This is a full-time educational provision for vulnerable students with complex social emotional and mental health learning needs for whom all other educational provision has broken down. Students demonstrate a range of highly challenging behaviours and at times pose significant risk to themselves and others.

The primary focus of The Lighthouse campus is to work effectively and holistically with the unmet emotional and relational needs of students using an emotional literacy framework which promotes relationships for wellbeing, learning of new social and emotional skills, behaviour change, engagement in learning, success and achievement.

This is more than just a job; it’s a chance to ignite passion, inspire growth, and make a lasting impact on the lives of those who need it most.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £31,688.00-£35,939.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Referral programme
• Sick pay

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Portsmouth: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Application question(s):

• Do you have a clean full driving licence and a vehicle that you are willing to use for school business?

Work Location: In person