SEN 1 to 1 Teaching Assistant

SEN 1 to 1 Teaching Assistant

Hours 8.30-12.30

Term time only

Required for January

Salary dependent on qualifications and experience

The ideal candidate will have:-

  • Experience of working with children with a specific learning difficulty.
  • We are seeking to appointment a teaching assistant to work on a 1 to 1 basis with a pupil in Year 3.  The role will involve supporting the pupil during the school day, under the guidance of the class teacher.
  • Must provide firm but gentle support and guidance.

The schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Brockhurst and Marlston House are twin Preparatory Schools for boarding and day boys and girls, situated 7 miles from Newbury in the heart of the Berkshire countryside. The main school occupies a large country house built at the turn of the century in Elizabethan style. Our pre-prep school, Ridge House, is also on the same site.

There are 60 acres of grounds, some of which form the extensive games fields while other fields are used for grazing horses: riding is one of the optional extras offered.

We pride ourselves on being one of the best-equipped schools in Berkshire. We have a large sports hall, which converts to a theatre for the annual school play. We have a modern art and design technology department and a 25M indoor pool.

We are a nondenominational school, although morning assemblies and Sunday services are based on those of the Church of England.

The girls’ preparatory school – Marlston House – opened in 1995. They have the same facilities as the boys, but are taught separately in their own classes from Year 2 to Year 7.

There are up to 20 full boarders but up to 100 girls and boys are “flexi-boarders” staying for 1, 2, 3 or 4 nights each week.

 

Job Title: Teaching Assistant to support 1 to 1
Reports to: Class teacher and Director of LDC
Date: January 2025

 

Job Purpose:

To provide support for a pupil with Special Educational Needs on a one to one basis in the classroom, under the guidance of the class teacher.  To support the pupil during morning break and the lunch break.

Main responsibilities:

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The post-holder may perform other related duties as required

  • Supporting 1  to 1
  • Working to a set programme
  • Planning / observing / assessing / recording as required
  • Communicating effectively with pupils, staff and visitors
  • Making / laminating teaching resources
  • Setting up for lessons / tidying up at the end of lessons
  • Supervising during morning break and lunch times
  • Attending termly whole staff meetings
  • Attending meetings and liaising with external professionals

Qualities:

  • Enthusiasm
  • Caring
  • Flexibility
  • Reliability
  • Able to take direction
  • Able to take initiative
  • Have a “can-do” attitude
  • Excellent team player
  • Patient and enjoy working with children
  • Well-organised

Experience:

Previous experience of supporting individual pupils with special educational needs

Person Specification:

  • A personable and supportive nature with a good sense of humour
  • Committed to safeguarding the welfare of the pupils at the school
  • Proactive and positive manner

To apply, please visit our website here.

CHILD PROTECTION

Brockhurst and Marlston House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment and adhere to, and comply with, the School’s Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children policy and procedures at all times.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

All staff at Brockhurst and Marlston House are required to remain vigilant, observe all relevant Health and Safety policies and procedures, take reasonable care of their own and others’ Health and Safety, report all accidents and incidents.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

Staff at Brockhurst and Marlston House are expected to promote equality of opportunity for all pupils and staff, both current and prospective, and to support an environment that values diversity.

DATA PROTECTION

All staff at Brockhurst and Marlston House have a responsibility to ensure that data they are responsible for is accurate and appropriate to the needs of the School, and that they are responsible for ensuring any personal data processed for any purpose or purposes in connection with their role at the School, shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

By |2025-11-05T15:31:19+00:00November 5th, 2025|SEN vacancies|Comments Off on SEN 1 to 1 Teaching Assistant

Introducing Claire Harvey’s, ‘A Little Guide for Teachers: Supporting Dyslexic Learners in the Classroom’

We are thrilled to share the news that Head of Education, Claire Harvey’s ‘Supporting Dyslexic Learners in the Classroom’, will be published on Saturday 25th October 2025.

This a practical guide with advice for how learners with dyslexia can thrive in the classroom.

Every teacher is a teacher of neurodivergent learners — including those with dyslexia. With the right adjustments and accommodations, children with dyslexia can thrive in the classroom. This practical Little Guide, empowers teachers with proven strategies, tools and insights to help dyslexic learners succeed.

This book is now available for purchase from our shop here. 📚

By |2025-10-23T17:02:40+01:00October 23rd, 2025|Latest news, Shop news, Team blog|Comments Off on Introducing Claire Harvey’s, ‘A Little Guide for Teachers: Supporting Dyslexic Learners in the Classroom’

Support from Spinach!

We’re incredibly proud to be supported by Spinach! 💚

We are pleased to announce that Spinach, an independent family run small chain of restaurants and shops in East Dulwich and Crystal Palace, is now supporting Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity.

Spinach, whose founder Mel and several team members have dyslexia, have decided to help us following an assessment that one of their team had from Helen Arkell.

As they were only diagnosed as adults, they feel that they spent meant years of feeling “not good enough”… when all they needed was the right support.

Spinach are kindly supporting Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity via donations in their restaurant, helping children get the support they need early on.

If you are in the area, pop in, grab something delicious, and donate if you can.  They also have a Just Giving page: Spinach London is fundraising for Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity

Thank you!

 

 

By |2025-10-21T16:56:39+01:00October 21st, 2025|Fundraising news, Latest news|Comments Off on Support from Spinach!

Good luck to our Royal Parks Half 2025 runners!

Running for Dyslexia Awareness!

This Dyslexia Awareness Week, we’re celebrating our incredible Royal Parks Half Marathon team as they gear up to race through the heart of London on Sunday 12 October.

By taking on this challenge, they’re not only raising vital funds to support people with dyslexia — they’re also helping to shine a spotlight on dyslexia and the importance of understanding and support.

A huge shout-out to Alex, Dan, Emma, Rachael, Tim and Andy — we’re so proud of you.

We’ll be cheering you every step of the way!

Please show your support and help them cross that finish line — every donation makes a difference! Donate

Alex Royal Parks Half 2025 runner
Emma Royal Parks Half 2025 runner
Dan Royal Parks Half 2025 runner
Rachel Royal Parks Half 2025 runner
Tim Royal Parks Half 2025 runner
Andy Royal Parks Half 2025 runner
By |2025-10-31T10:37:38+00:00October 7th, 2025|Fundraising news|Comments Off on Good luck to our Royal Parks Half 2025 runners!

Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025 – Raising the Volume

This week we’re Raising the Volume for Dyslexia Awareness Week!

 

From Monday 6 October – Sunday 12 October 2025 we will be making sure dyslexia is heard, understood, and celebrated like never before.

💙 Heartfelt & Inclusive

Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025 is here, and we’re inviting every voice to join the conversation.

🎤 Your Voice, Your Story

Got a story to tell? This October, we’re Raising the Volume and handing you the mic.

📣 Advocacy-Focused

It’s time to speak up, stand out, and Raise the Volume this October.

We believe every voice matters, and every story has the power to inspire. Whether you’ve lived with dyslexia, supported someone who has, or championed inclusive learning—your experience can help others feel seen and heard.

📱 Share Your Story We’d love you to join in by sending us a short video (up to one minute) sharing your journey with dyslexia. What challenges have you overcome? What strengths have helped you thrive? What advice would you give others?  Send your stories to: news@helenarkell.org.uk – thank you!

Watch our stories:

Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025

Eshani’s Story

Maliya-Mae’s Story

Gary’s Story

 

#DAW25

By |2025-10-31T10:39:09+00:00October 6th, 2025|Fundraising news|Comments Off on Dyslexia Awareness Week 2025 – Raising the Volume

Level 5 & Level 7 Specialist Dyslexia Teachers and Assessors Celebrate Graduation

On Friday 19th September our newly qualified Level 5 & Level 7 Specialist Dyslexia Teachers and Assessors celebrated their graduation ceremony at The Memorial Hall, Farnham with family, friends and staff from Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity.

Graduates from our 24/25 cohort proudly received their certificates, marking the end of an incredible year of hard work. This year’s graduation ceremony was kindly sponsored by Barrington Stoke, the award-winning dyslexia-friendly publisher, who design their books with the needs of dyslexic and reluctant readers in mind.

A special thank you to Katrina Cochrane who as guest speaker, presented the certificates and gave a fascinating welcome presentation.

Katrina is one of the UK’s leading experts on Dyslexia and Learning Difficulties with senior teaching and management experience gained at major Dyslexia charities, including Head of Education and Policy at the BDA. Author of several books and articles on dyslexia and the owner and founder of Positive Dyslexia Ltd. Positive Dyslexia was set up in 2016 by Katrina to raise awareness of dyslexia to schools and organisations, alongside being a provider of training and assessment, and running events and conferences.

Claire Harvey, Head of Education at Helen Arkell said, “It was an absolute privilege to watch our trainee specialist assessors and trainee specialist assessors develop their skills over the last year as they trained with us. They all worked extremely hard and should be very proud of all they have achieved. These specialist teachers and assessors will go on to help hundreds of individuals with dyslexia in the future, supporting them with their learning and to achieve their chosen goals, ultimately making a real difference”.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to make this evening so special and a huge congratulations to all our graduates.

If you want to find out more about these courses, information for the 25/26 entry for our Level 5 and Level 7 courses is available here. 

By |2025-10-31T10:41:13+00:00September 30th, 2025|Course news, Team blog|Comments Off on Level 5 & Level 7 Specialist Dyslexia Teachers and Assessors Celebrate Graduation

Dyslexia Awareness Week – FREE SPOTLIGHT SESSION!

Join us during Dyslexia Awareness Week for a free online talk led by Claire Harvey, Head of Education at Helen Arkell.

Spotlight Title: Top Tips for Supporting the Development of Spelling Skills

Date: 6th October 2025

Time: 6:00-7:00pm

Cost: Free of charge – book here

We know that learners with dyslexia can struggle to acquire spelling skills leaving many with significant difficulties that persist long-term. This talk will briefly touch on why spelling can be problematic for learners with dyslexia, the potentially damaging impact of weak spelling, and the types of errors commonly seen. Most importantly, this talk will provide attendees with some top tips for how to support the development of spelling skills.

Delivered in Dyslexia Awareness Week and free of charge, this online talk will be of interest to both parents and education professionals.

During the talk, Claire will be introducing the new Helen Arkell Spelling Journal, a super useful personal resource for learners to look up spellings, bypassing difficulties, and allowing all the wonderful words that may lie in their oral lexicon to be used in their writing.

For more information about the spelling journal, please visit our shop. 

By |2025-10-31T10:40:39+00:00September 9th, 2025|Course news|Comments Off on Dyslexia Awareness Week – FREE SPOTLIGHT SESSION!

Research Survey – Using A.I to support your learning as a dyslexic student

Are you a dyslexic student or graduate in the UK? Share your experiences with memory and learning tools in higher education to help shape future support—take part in this important PhD survey by Ayo Bamgbose from the University of Greenwich.

This survey is part of a PhD study by Ayo Bamgbose, a dyslexic adult learner and researcher at the University of Greenwich. The research explores how dyslexic students experience higher education, especially in relation to memory challenges and the use of assistive or AI-based learning tools.

It was important for Ayo to carry out this research, as one of her biggest challenges throughout her studies has been memory retention and recall. Through using AI tools, she has experienced many positives, along with a few challenges. This study aims to learn how others perceive these tools, what’s working well, and how they can be improved to better meet the needs of dyslexic learners.

The survey is open to anyone in the UK who identifies as dyslexic and is currently studying, or has previously studied, at college or university level.

You can access and take part in the survey here.

 

The survey is open and will remain available until 30 November 2025.

 

By |2025-09-08T13:00:20+01:00September 8th, 2025|Latest news, Research news|Comments Off on Research Survey – Using A.I to support your learning as a dyslexic student

Barrington Stoke Sponsors Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity Graduation Ceremony for 2025

We’re thrilled to announce that our 2025 Graduation Ceremony this September will be proudly sponsored by Barrington Stoke – the award-winning publisher making reading accessible for all!
With 25+ years of expertise in dyslexia-friendly publishing, their support celebrates our newest specialist teachers and specialist assessors and our shared mission, helping every child with the chance to become a reader.

Barrington Stoke is renowned for publishing short novels by some of the UK’s most celebrated authors.

Their expertly crafted books are designed to offer a quick, engaging win for confident readers, and a meaningful, achievable experience for those who face greater challenges. Their pioneering use of a specially designed font and carefully selected paper colour ensures that every title is super-readable and dyslexia-friendly, reflecting a mission closely aligned with our own.

“Watching our specialist teachers and specialist assessors graduate is always a deeply moving moment. Each one has worked incredibly hard to reach this point, and we know they’ll go on to change lives. Having Barrington Stoke sponsor this year’s ceremony means a great deal to us, not just because of their generosity, but because they truly understand the power of accessible reading. Together, we’re championing a future where every child feels seen, supported, and inspired to read.”

— Claire Harvey, Head of Education, Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity

By |2025-10-31T10:42:46+00:00August 22nd, 2025|Course news|Comments Off on Barrington Stoke Sponsors Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity Graduation Ceremony for 2025

Rooted in Community: Squire’s Garden Centre Supports Helen Arkell

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity Named Charity of the Year by Squire’s Garden Centre, Badshot Lea

We are delighted to share that we have been selected as the Charity of the Year by Squire’s Garden Centre in Badshot Lea, near Farnham.

This exciting partnership was chosen by Squire’s staff, who are passionate about supporting the local community. We are incredibly grateful for their enthusiasm and commitment to our cause.

With the support of Squire’s customers and team, we look forward to raising vital funds to help us continue providing specialist support, advice, and information to people with dyslexia, as well as to parents, teachers, and employers.

In addition to fundraising, we hope to be able to collaborate on specific projects, benefiting from the time, skills, and expertise that Squire’s staff may offer. As part of our collaboration, we’re exploring ways we can offer the Squire’s team our workplace sessions, providing valuable insights into dyslexia and how to support those affected.

We’re excited to see this opportunity take root and flourish — helping us reach more people with dyslexia and make a lasting difference in their lives.

By |2025-08-20T16:45:34+01:00August 20th, 2025|Fundraising news, Latest news|Comments Off on Rooted in Community: Squire’s Garden Centre Supports Helen Arkell
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