Job Description – Northampton International Academy

Job title: Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) - (Communication and interaction and
Sensory/Physical Needs)

Responsible to: Secondary SENDCO’s and Whole Academy SENDCO

Liaising with: SLT, parents/carers, trust central team, governors, other trust schools, external
agencies, relevant support staff.

Pay range: TBC

Contract terms: Permanent

All staff should be committed to the school and East Midlands Academy Trust’s purpose to provide a
relentless focus on great leadership and management and outstanding teaching. East Midlands
Academy Trust is committed to support the school leaders, teachers and support staff to be the best
they can be.

Role of the Higher Level Teaching Assistant

The primary role of the HLTA (Communication and interaction and sensory/physical) will be to
support students through planning, adapting and delivering high quality interventions to students
with the following needs.

• Speech and language needs

• Communication and interaction needs (including ASD)
• Developmental Language delay
• Working memory difficulties
• Auditory Memory difficulties

To work under an agreed system of supervision/management to deliver learning and to be a

specialist knowledge resource by:

• Leading the planning cycle under supervision

• Delivering lessons to groups
• Managing other staff
• Providing data and reports each cycle to show progress and review provision and delivery
and discuss with the SENDCO possible developments.
To be responsible for the management and development of a specialism within the school, and/or
management of other teaching assistants including allocation and monitoring of work, appraisal and
training.

General Roles and Responsibilities:

Supporting learners by;

 To develop independence, self-awareness, self-worth and self-discipline of identified pupils.
 Participating in mainstream lessons to deliver learning activities in conjunction with teaching
staff or in small group additional SEND interventions.
 Encourage acceptance and inclusion of all children, including those with special educational
needs, to support individual achievement, progress and development
 To build and maintain successful relationships with pupils, treat them with respect and
consideration and be concerned for their development as learners.
 To use clearly structured teaching and learning activities, to interest and motivate pupils and
advance their learning.
 To plan, develop and deliver individual/group learning programmes to respond to current
and future needs of pupils in KS2-KS5
 To assess pupils’ progress, provide constructive feedback and make recommendations to the
subject teacher and SENDCO for future development.
 To use a range of behaviour management strategies, in line with school’s policy and
procedures, to contribute to a purposeful learning environment and to encourage pupils to
interact and work cooperatively with others.
 To demonstrate and promote the positive values, attitudes and behaviour you expect from
the pupils you work with.
 To organise and safely manage the learning activities, the physical teaching space and the
resources in lessons.
 Working to establish supportive relationships with all identified children and families in
order to facilitate effective communication and partnership between the academy and
home.
 Using specialist skills and knowledge to support students’ learning
 To use IT systems to support learning and as required to carry out the duties of the post in
the most efficient and effective manner.
 Ensure that the academy character drivers are both promoted and embodied.
 Promote and reinforce the mental and emotional wellbeing of all children and encourage
the child to maximise their achievement, progress and development.
 Fully support and implement the academy’s behaviour policy and house systems.

Higher Level Accountabilities

 Planning, Preparation and delivery of lessons, under the direction of the SENDCO, delivering
specific interventions to learners.
 Contributing to the maintenance of learner data and records.
  Help learners make progress in a range of classroom settings, including working with
individuals, small groups and whole classes as directed.
 Support teachers in selecting and preparing teaching resources that meet the needs and
interests of learners.
 Liaise closely with the SENDCO in the planning and delivery of wider school interventions for
identified learners.
 Attend and contribute to annual review meetings with parents and other professionals in
order to support the monitoring and development of each learner.
 To monitor pupils’ participation and progress and their responses to learning tasks,
providing constructive feedback and, where appropriate, modifying methods to meet
individual and/or group needs.
 Managing other Teaching Assistants
 To share best practice with all staff on strategies to support students with specific
communication or physical difficulties
 To plan, deliver and evaluate SLCN programmes for students identified with specific
difficulties, including ASC and language delay.
 To collaborate with outside agencies and teachers on interventions to support progress
 To act as a key worker for students with an EHCP
 To liaise with key advisory professionals in the specialist area

Additional duties
Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities, please note that
this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the work to be undertaken,
commensurate with the grade. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the post holder will
carry out.
Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake
work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.

N.B.
The post holder will carry out his/her responsibilities in accordance with the Trust’s equal
opportunities policy.
This job description is provided to assist the post holder to know what his/her duties are. It may be
amended from time to time without change to the level of responsibility appropriate to the grade of
the post.

Health and Safety

So far as is reasonably practical, the post holder must ensure that safe working practices are adopted
by employees, and in premises/work areas for which the post holder is responsible, to maintain a
safe working environment for employees and students.

Safeguarding
EMAT is committed to the safeguarding of its young persons and expects all staff, volunteers and
adults to work within the parameters of the policies and procedures as agreed by the Board of
Trustees to ensure the safety of all young persons within its care.

Equal Opportunities
It is the policy of EMAT to provide equal opportunities for all individuals; to prohibit discrimination in
employment on any basis protected by applicable law, including but not limited to race, colour,
religious creed, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, medical
 condition or disability. EMAT promotes equal employment opportunities in all aspects of
employment through positive employment policies and practice.

If any special requirements are needed to attend an interview, please inform the trust.

Compiled by: HR Revision Number: vX

Approved by Headteacher: Revision Date ___/___/___

Approved by HRBP: Date: ___/___/___

Agreed by Headteacher: Date: ___/___/___

Agreed and signed by post holder: Date: ___/___/___

East Midlands Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and
young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure

Person Specification

Essential Desirable

Education and Qualifications

Good Honours Degree 
Interest in further professional development 
Hold or be willing to work towards relevant qualifications at a level equivalent to at 
least NQF Level 3
Achievement of the Professional Standards for HLTA 
Hold GCSE/O level English, Maths and Science at grades A-C 
Experience
Evidence of consistently high standards of pedagogical practice 
Experience of working with children who require speech and language intervention or 
ASC communication skills
Have experience of the TEACCH approach and effective strategies for ASD learners 
Practical experience of supporting children with Cognition and Learning Needs in a 
secondary setting using recognised programmes.
Data tracking and intervention planning 
Practical experience of supporting pupils during transition across the Key Stages. 
Line management of staff 
Experience of preparing, prioritising, initiating and delivering intervention strategies 
Experience of effective planning for pupils at risk of underachieving for reasons of 
need
Knowledge and understanding
Extensive knowledge of pedagogic principles 
Knowledge and understanding of the Code of Practice for SEN. 
Knowledge and experience of a wide range of strategies to support learning. 
Practical experience of working from and evaluating the progress of children on the 
SEN register against EHC/Support Plans
Experience of planning and delivering learning programmes and interventions, 
including specialised programmes.
Skills and Attributes
Ability to meet deadlines including Improvement Plan milestones 
Awareness of whole cohort data tracking systems 
Ability to communicate key priorities with staff 
Flexibility to adapt to differing priorities as set by SLT lead 
Ability to plan own lessons including how feedback will be provided to pupils and 
colleagues on pupils’ progress
Ability to use own initiative and ability and willingness to work constructively and 
flexibly as part of a team
Ability to organise classroom activities e.g. development of materials, preparing and 
implementing resources for teaching and learning
Ability to communicate with external professionals, such as VI and HI team - sharing 
and implementing advice
Ability to deal with sensitive information in a confidential manner 
Personal Qualities
Communication skills 
Time management 
Prioritising tasks 
High professional standards 
High expectations of learners and staff 