Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)

Fairfield Trust Job Description and Person Specification

Job title: Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)
Work base: Fairfield College, Dilton Marsh	Team: Education
Hours of work: 33.25 hours per week (Term Time Only) M-F	Salary: £21,045.79 per annum

Safeguarding

Fairfield Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and all staff are expected to share this commitment. You will be expected to report any concerns relating to the safeguarding of young people in accordance with agreed procedures. If your own conduct in relation to the safeguarding of young people gives cause for concern, Fairfield Trust agreed child and adult protection procedures will be followed.

All posts involving direct contact with young people, children and vulnerable groups are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website

This role involves regulated activity, a DBS check will be required before appointment is confirmed.

Job context and purpose

Fairfield Trust is a local, independent charity. Its core areas of operation include an independent specialist college for young people with additional needs, alongside residential care services. In addition, Fairfield provides practical learning and work placement opportunities through its commercial ventures: The Weavers, a community pub in Dilton Marsh, and the Fairfield Animal Centre, a visitor attraction and café located within Southwick Country Park, Trowbridge.

The Trust’s mission is: To enable young people to live and work without barriers

Our 5 agreed values are:

Teamwork: We hold ourselves and each other to account, and are better when we work together

Compassion: We act with trust, honesty and kindness in everything we do

Inclusion: We treat each other fairly and with respect

Innovation: We encourage thoughtful, creative and aspirational ideas

Pride: We encourage each other to be proud of who we are and what we do

For the role of Higher Level Teaching Assistant, you will have experience of supporting young people with mild, moderate, profound or severe learning and/or physical disabilities.

You should have a track record of achieving excellent outcomes in supporting and caring for young people with learning disabilities in an educational setting.

Additionally, you will have experience of leading taught sessions and group activities.

This is a term time only position.

Fairfield Trust is an independent education provider and as such, it is often usual to have approx. 2 weeks additional leave over the summer (compared to most Wiltshire schools).

Main duties

Provide a safe, caring and supportive environment for students with learning disabilities in structured sessions

Contribute to the development and implementation of learning support strategies, facilitating individuals or groups to fully access and participate in sessions and the wider college community

Provide support to individuals to enable them to learn new skills in a classroom setting and around the college site

Manage some aspects of personal care (when required) with both dignity and respect for people with learning disabilities in line with Fairfield Trust standards, polices and relevant individual care plans

Support and understand each individual student’s needs and be familiar with these as identified in their ILP and EHCP, and be prepared to undertake training, where necessary

Deliver some bespoke interventions or taught sessions and group work to identified groups of students or to cover absence

Administer medication to students according to procedures, policies and risk assessments, monitor student’s health needs and report health issues appropriately

Work as part of the college staff team, attending meetings and working with colleagues to ensure students have a positive and fulfilling experience at college

Keep the required written and computer records for student progress, behaviour and support and contribute to student progress by recording in both electronic and hard format, student progress and achievement, identifying areas for development

Support students to develop skills for life (literacy, numeracy and communication) within practical situations

Support students to develop social skills and interact with other students and support the social and emotional development of students and their interactions with others, reporting any issues as necessary in line with current college policies and legislation

Handle responsibly and sensitively any confidential information of a personal nature relating to students

Work at all times within the framework provided by the college’s policies and procedures and current legislation, ensuring all written and electronic records and documentation are accurately maintained

Attend regular staff meetings and compulsory training days and participate in activities to ensure that the college continues to maintain the standards required by its funding bodies, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and Ofsted

Participate in observations and annual appraisals to promote good practice and inform professional development

Where appropriate driving licences are held and training is provided; escort students to external visits/work experience

Actively promote inclusive practice within the college setting, this includes challenging discrimination and advocating for the rights of the young people

Encourage students to engage in and participate in learning activities as directed by the Tutor and to act independently as appropriate and provide the support needed to do this

Carry out administrative duties, such as preparing classroom resources under the guidance of the Additional Learning Support Manager, Tutors, Assistant Principal (Welfare), Programme Managers or Behaviour and Intervention Leads

To assist with/provide extra-curricular activities under guidance from the Additional Learning Support Manager

To work with the Assistant Principal (Welfare)and Behaviour and Intervention Leads in identifying challenging behaviours, implementing effective strategies, in line with college policies, procedures and any training provided

Assist other staff in delivering programmes of work devised by other professionals including (but not limited to) physio programmes and positioning of students, speech and language therapy programmes, occupational therapy programmes

Providing appropriate levels of intervention with regards to incidents of challenging behaviour within an SLD, PMLD, ASD setting, following full training

To support students on work placements, work based learning or external placements as directed

Undertake continuing professional development as directed by your line manager

Any other duties that may reasonably be requested.

Supervision/management of people

Supervise students as necessary on and off site during the working day

Contacts and relationships

The post holder will:

Report to the Programme Manager

Work with the Assistant Principal (Welfare), Programme Managers, Tutors, Additional Learning Support Manager, Behaviour and Intervention Leads and the wider college staff

What we offer - Employee Benefits

There is a pension scheme available for eligible staff

Free entry to Fairfield Animal Centre for 2 adults & 2 children

10% discount at The Weavers pub

Discounted staff lunches in the Student Canteen (College Site)

Corporate Eye Care Scheme

Training & Development opportunities

Information technology

Daily use of computers that require excellent IT skills and will include using, SchoolPod, Word, Excel and web-based software.

Knowledge of educational management information systems (MIS).

Financial responsibility

Always ensure effective use of resources and value for money is secured for the Trust.

Health and Safety

To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of anyone else who may be affected by your acts or omissions. You will be responsible for risk assessing, reviewing and monitoring all aspects of your work.

Equality and Diversity

You are required neither to discriminate against nor harass or victimise: colleagues, suppliers or third parties at work. You are further required to report incidents of discrimination at work, either to the Principal or anonymously to the Chair of Trustees.

Records management

You are responsible for ensuring that all information sources for which you have responsibility are maintained in-line with guidance. This applies to all electronic and hard copy information. You should also ensure that access permissions are maintained to limit access to sensitive information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive data, whether held electronically or in hard copy, and promptly reporting all breaches, or potential breaches of security to the Head of HR.

Other duties

You may be required to perform duties other than those given in the job description for the job. The particular duties and responsibilities attached to jobs may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and would not in themselves justify the re-evaluation of a job. In cases, however, where a permanent and substantial change in the duties and responsibilities of a job occurs, consistent with a higher level of responsibility, then the job would be eligible for re-evaluation.

Authority to work in the UK

You must have the legal authority to work in the UK. You must have the relevant approval to work in the UK from the UK Border Agency or relevant documentation. Copies of all documents provided by you as proof of identity are retained for our records, by providing these proofs the Trust will treat this as your consent for this to happen.

Person Specification

The person specification details the essential and desirable personal criteria which the job holder should possess in order to be able to successfully perform the job.

	Essential	Desirable
AlignmentWith our values	Commitment to demonstrating theorganisations values and behaviours in theirwork:Teamwork: We hold ourselves and each other toaccount, and are better when we worktogetherCompassion: We act with trust, honesty andkindness in everything we doInclusion: We treat each other fairly and withrespectInnovation: We encourage thoughtful, creativeand aspirational ideasPride: We encourage each other to be proud ofwho we are and what we do
Qualifications orequivalent level ofskill or knowledge	• HLTA Qualification or equivalent, such asCTLLS or Award in Education and Training atLevel 4• GCSE Maths & English Grade C / 4 and aboveor equivalent	• Teaching or trainingqualification Level 5• Specialist training orqualifications in arelated subject• Assessors D32/A1qualification
Experience of	• Planning and leading sessions or covering staffabsence• Working with people with multiple physicaland learning disabilities• Understanding the need for recordingoutcomes and progress against set targets	· Supporting youngpeople withcomplex needs in aneducational setting• Managing personalcare with bothdignity and respect
Management ofpeople	• Ability to offer guidance and support tomembers of the team	• Willingness toundertake training, ifnecessary
Skills	• To be highly personable with very goodcommunication skills• To be highly self-motivated and anenthusiastic self-starter with an entrepreneurialoutlook• To be highly numerate and have ability to usesystems to track learner progress• To show an understanding of the importanceof working within strict Health and Safetyguidelines• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinaryteam and on own initiative	• Willingness tocomplete furthertraining· To have a fulldrivinglicence and awillingness to drivecollege vehicles
Personal qualitiesand motivation	• To be honest, trustworthy and reliable• Highly motivated and able to motivate others• Able to work with a variety of colleagues andclients from different professions andbackgrounds
Literacy, numeracyand IT	• Literate and numerate with good written andspoken English• I LT literate
Safeguarding	• Displays a commitment to the protection andsafeguarding of young people• Takes action and raises concerns• Forms appropriate relationships and maintainsprofessional boundaries at work• Works within organisational policies,procedures and guidance at all times	Up-to-dateknowledge ofrelevant legislationand guidance inrelation to thesafeguarding ofyoung people

Suitability of shortlisted candidates will be assessed at interview using a combination of valuesbased recruitment techniques; a formal interview and/or a supervised observation or practical session where applicable.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process, please speak to a member of the HR team.

The closing date for this post is Monday 15th June 2026 at 9.00am

Interviews will take place on Thursday 25th June 2026

We would welcome applications made via the Trust Application Form, available on our website; https://fairfieldtrust.org.uk/jobs/

Please note that we will not accept CVs

Whilst we completely understand that AI tools can support hugely in preparing job applications, we really value authenticity. We would encourage you to ensure your application genuinely reflects your own experiences, skills, values and motivations

We reserve the right to close the advert early if sufficient applications have been received.

This job description and person specification created May 2026

Fairfield Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer A charity for the advancement of education for young people with learning disabilities