Job description
Job Title: Animal Care Teaching Assistant (TA)
Location: Wareham
Salary: £13.68 - £16.12 per hour (Depending on experience)
Start: Immediate or September 2025
Contract: Full time/Permanent
Do you have a love for animals and a passion for supporting young people with special educational needs? Are you looking for a meaningful role where you can combine care, education, and hands-on learning in a beautiful countryside setting?
GSL Education are currently recruiting an Animal Care Teaching Assistant to join a specialist SEN school in Wareham. With a strong focus on animal care, agriculture, horticulture, and equine skills, the school offers a rich and inclusive environment where learners gain confidence, independence, and employability.
About the School: The school is an education setting based for 16 – 25+ years old with Special Educational Needs. It is based on 350 acres of beautiful Dorset countryside. The school operate enterprise activities and vocational teaching methods to bridge the gap between education and employment for young people and adults with SEN in Dorset and the local area. The school focuses on vocations like horticulture, agriculture, equine skills, and animal care as well as many more, to enrich the lives and education of its pupils.
Responsibilities of the Animal Care Teaching Assistant:
- Support students with special educational needs during animal care sessions, including feeding, grooming, cleaning enclosures, and monitoring animal wellbeing.
- Assist teaching staff in delivering practical lessons in animal husbandry, ensuring students are engaged and learning safely.
- Encourage students to develop responsibility, confidence, and independence through hands-on interaction with animals.
- Help maintain a safe, clean, and organised animal care environment across the school’s rural campus.
- Provide individual and small group support, adapting tasks to meet each learner’s needs and abilities.
- Promote positive behaviour, communication, and teamwork while working closely with animals in structured and therapeutic activities.
Requirements:
- Experience working with or caring for animals in an educational, farm, or animal welfare setting.
- A genuine interest in supporting young people with special educational needs, including those with autism and learning difficulties.
- Confidence working outdoors in a rural setting and in all weather conditions.
- The ability to follow safety procedures and model safe, respectful animal handling for students.
- Ideally need a valid driving license and be willing to drive.
- Strong communication and teamwork skills with a calm, patient, and supportive approach.
- An enhanced DBS certificate on the update service or willingness to apply through GSL Education.
Benefits:
- Be part of a forward-thinking team that uses vocational and therapeutic approaches to transform lives.
- A supportive, inclusive environment where every day makes a difference.
If you're an enthusiastic Animal Care Teaching Assistant (TA), looking for your next role in Wareham, we’d love to hear from you.
Please be advised that this role requires a strong knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and child protection and that successful applicants must satisfy all background safer recruitment checks; including providing an enhanced DBS certificate registered on the update service, or completing an application for a new check.
As an ethical, inclusive and independent recruitment agency, GSL Education are committed to providing quality teaching and support staff in schools across the UK.
To apply for this Animal Care Teaching Assistant (TA) role, please click ‘apply now’ to submit your full and up-to-date CV, and one of our dedicated consultants will be in touch.