• Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy 
• Address: Defoe Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 6SG
• Salary: £18,734 per annum 
• Hours: 32.5 hours per week, 39 weeks per year (term time plus one week) 
• Contract: Maternity Cover, required as soon as possible
• Reference: 8391

Work where it matters most, achieve what matters more.

Do you have the aspiration and desire to make a difference? 

Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy are offering the opportunity to join our friendly and dedicated team in our warm and welcoming school as a Special Support Assistant. 

You will be working with a supportive and experienced team who work collaboratively with professionals from a wide range of backgrounds to meet the physical, medical, sensory and emotional needs of our children. 

We are open to candidates looking for part-time hours, please detail this in your application.

Our school caters for children from 3 to 16 with complex physical, medical and sensory needs.  We have an evolving school population of 100+ pupils with ever more complex needs. Our special school is in purpose-built accommodation, has an outstanding reputation for the personal development of our pupils and holds inclusion at its heart. We were rated Good (Ofsted November 2021).   

As our SEND Teaching Assistant, you would assist students who need additional support, either individually or in small groups, with learning, physical, medical and personal care. You will provide exceptional care, guidance and support, so that our pupils thrive and make excellent progress in their personal development. 

Experience of working with children of a similar need is always preferable, but not essential, full training will always be given. 

We offer excellent support to our staff, ensuring that all get the additional support and training they need and opportunities to build upon their experience.   

Why work for Ormiston Academies Trust

Our vision is to create a school system where every child thrives, regardless of background. Our people are at the heart of our approach; they are our greatest asset. We exist to provide the best learning opportunities every day, in every school for every child. It is the people and teams in our Trust who make this a reality and ensure we have the greatest impact. If you join us at Ormiston, whatever your role, you can be sure of a role with purpose and meaning. 

Ormiston, where every member of staff enjoys:

• the opportunity to build on the legacy of those who came before, being part of one of the longest standing trusts, created with the sole purpose of enabling children and young people to thrive
• working for a trust nationally recognised for its impact on disadvantaged children in a rewarding, stimulating career where staff are challenged to be the best they can be, for the pupils we are proud to serve
• being part of a team and community where you belong, receiving bespoke and holistic support from a well-resourced and ambitious network of experts and professionals that work at the heart of communities
• a supportive environment to grow your career, an extensive professional development programme, alongside flexible working arrangements and generous benefits. 

We can offer you:

• the chance to make a real difference to the lives of children with complex needs and their families
• a warm and personable working environment, the size of which supports close working relationships with our wider school community
• access to a wide range of professional development opportunities, including high quality CPD on the latest thinking around teaching and learning delivered by award-winning experts in this field
• access to the trust-wide employee benefit scheme
• free onsite parking
• supportive working environment within an academy focused on the wellbeing of staff.
• Membership of the excellent Local Government Pension scheme.

For more information 

Please read the Job Description (Word). 

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Lucie or Kelly by emailing [email protected].

How to apply 

Please complete your application by visiting My New Term.

Closing date: 9am, 23 February 2026 

If you want to join our friendly and dedicated team please apply before the closing date, early applications are encouraged as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should a suitable candidate be found. 

Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. Ormiston Academies Trust embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.  Flexible working opportunities will be considered.

All successful appointments will be subject to suitability checks in accordance with KCSIE, including identity, Right to Work, qualifications, online searches, prohibition check, two references and enhanced DBS check including Children’s Barred List.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, which provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions, can be found here.  

All the academy policies can be found here. 

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING

To apply, please follow the application process detailed above.

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