Teaching Assistant

Teaching Assistant (Reading Support Assistant)

Lift Unity City

Ormesby Road, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS3 8RE

United Kingdom

Salary: NJC 12-19 £24,488 - £27,453(Actual Salary) £28,598 - £32,061 (FTE) + well-being cash plan + pension scheme (LGPS) + additional Lift Schools benefits

Hours: 37 per week , 39 weeks per year (Term time + inset days)

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: 5th November

Interview date: TBC

Start date: Nov/ December 2025

Looking to make a difference every day?

We are seeking a passionate and committed Teaching Assistant to specialise in reading intervention, who believes in the power of literacy to change futures. In this pivotal role, you will work closely with students who are reading below age-related expectations, helping them not only to catch up, but to fall in love with reading.

Your Impact: You will;

• Deliver targeted 1:1 and small group reading interventions across Years 7–11.
• Use proven strategies, guided by our Reading and Lexonik Leads, to build fluency, comprehension and confidence.
• Support students with additional literacy needs, including English language learners and those with specific learning differences.
• Model expressive, engaging reading that sparks curiosity and conversation.
• Use reading prompts to deepen understanding and encourage independent thinking.
• Work collaboratively with teachers and leaders, providing feedback that informs next steps and accelerates progress.

What We're Looking For: Someone who;

• Believes every child is capable of success.
• Is patient, encouraging and passionate about literacy.
• Can build trusted relationships and inspire confidence in young readers.
• Is committed to closing the reading gap and fostering lifelong learners.
• Have experience of working with young people.
• Trained in/ or willing to complete Teaching Assistant training (level 3)
• Has a minimum of GCSE C /4 in English

We value the skills and dedication of our teaching assistants. To support the best outcomes for our students, we require applicants to hold at least a Level 2 Teaching Assistant qualification; ideally Level 3. If you're working towards a level 3 qualification, we'll support your journey through our Teaching Assistant Apprenticeship Programme, helping you develop the skills and confidence to make an even greater impact.

This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the lives of young people.

About our school:

Lift Unity City is a thriving and diverse school in Middlesbrough, known for its sharp focus on student success. Awarded a 'Good' rating by Ofsted, we are proud of our supportive community and collaborative culture. Our school vision is simple, yet powerful- 'everyone has a determination to succeed, a love of learning, pride in their school and a strength of character.' Alongside excellent leadership and teaching, we will help children to go on to lead successful and happy lives.

Our dynamic leadership team and dedicated staff work together to create an environment where every student is championed, and every staff member is empowered. Our focused CPD programme ensures that you have the time and space to focus on what matters most; educating and inspiring young minds. People choose to join Lift Unity City because we offer a culture of high support and high expectations, where professional growth is encouraged and valued. Here, you'll be part of a passionate team committed to making a real difference, with the opportunity to contribute to an exciting school improvement journey and see your impact firsthand. With a clear vision and strong community behind us, Lift Unity City is a place where success is the expectation.

At Lift Unity City, we whole-heartedly believe all young people deserve a well-rounded, culturally rich education that fully prepares them to be confident in their ability to prosper in tomorrow's world. To be a part of their life changing journey is a privilege and a pleasure.

Who is Lift Schools?

We're a diverse and inclusive network of schools with one clear mission; to provide an excellent education to every child - in every classroom, every day. And we do this across each of our 57 schools. As with our students, we want our team to be empowered to do their best work, supported by the best leadership they've ever had.

We acknowledge and appreciate the exceptional efforts of everyone here in making this an incredible organisation.

We offer you:

• Comprehensive training: Access a wide range of developmental training to boost your career.
• Generous benefits: From your pension plan to healthcare and financial support, we've got you covered.
• Lifestyle perks: Enjoy discounted gym memberships, travel deals, and even electric vehicle incentives.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.

Lift Schools are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Lift Schools embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and there is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Follow us on Facebook, X,Instagram and Linkedin. Further details can be found on our careers page.

Lift Schools is recruiting for Teacher Training placements. Please click here to view the website for further details.