Teaching Assistant Compass Learning Centre

Compass Learning Centre is looking to appoint an enthusiastic and energetic Teaching Assistant to start as soon as possible, joining our team supporting students across Key Stage 3 and 4.  Hours of work are available of 32 or 35 hours per week over 5 days, term time including INSET days. 

The salary range for this post is Dorset Council Grades 5 - 6 dependent on experience, and we can offer a progression route through to Senior Teaching Assistant at Grade 7 for the right candidate.

This post would suit someone who enjoys working with young people, either in a professional or volunteer role, and who would like to make a difference to lives of young people with complex needs and challenging behaviour. Whether you are looking to gain experience during a gap year before going onto higher education, or an opportunity to build on existing skills or experience, this could be the perfect job for you.

This position is challenging but rewarding and will require you to work both alongside teachers and other education professionals as well as independently under teachers' direction, supporting the work of groups of children and individuals.  Duties are varied, depending on the age and additional needs of the students concerned.

The successful candidate will:

• Have achieved a minimum of  5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 / C or above, including English and Mathematics
• Ideally have experience working with young people with complex needs and challenging     behaviours
• Promote the inclusion of all students
• Contribute to the safeguarding and protection of all students

The young people we educate have struggled to maintain a place in mainstream school and come to us with a variety of additional needs. Our challenge is to help them build the confidence, knowledge and skills to unlock their potential. This role will suit someone who is caring, understanding and can demonstrate energy and enthusiasm with a strong positive behaviour management ethos. Class sizes are small and all of our students need bespoke individualised learning.

If you are a good team player, who is motivated, patient, resilient, understanding and have the ability to establish a rapport with young people in a busy and lively setting, this may be the job for you. You will be joining an outstanding, hardworking and friendly team of staff.

If you are interested in this post or would like more information, please contact – Michelle Nokes, Heads PA – 01305 – 206530, email: [email protected].  Come for a visit and see what we do!

Further details including a job description and person specification are included in the attached Information for Applicants, however if you have any questions or would like to discuss this position please contact Michelle Nokes, Heads PA on 01305 – 206530.

The closing date for receipt of applications is midnight on Sunday 22 February 2026.

Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; this is a commitment which we expect all staff and volunteers to share. The successful candidate will be required to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with the Governments safer recruitment guidelines.

This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (2013 and 2020)) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent 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. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Our school will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. All aspects of social media and internet searches will be conducted. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.