SEND Lunchtime Support Assistant

Sherwood Foundation School

Lunchtime Support Assistants

Salary: NJC Pay Scale, Grade 1-3, Points 2-6, £4,927 - £5,212 per annum (FTE £28,221 - £29,856)

Contract: Part time, 7.5 hours per week worked across 5 days, Monday to Friday Term Time only (38 weeks) & Permanent

Start date: As soon as possible

Closing date: Friday 30th January 2026

Sherwood Foundation School is a Foundation Special School located in the London Borough of Sutton and made up of three campuses:

Sherwood Park Campus: This is a specialist school for learners aged 3 - 19 years who have severe, multiple and complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This includes learners who have highly complex access needs resulting from their physical and/or health conditions. All learners require high levels of adult support to access learning.

Sherwood Hill Campus: This is a specialist school for autistic learners aged 3 - 19 years who have multiple and complex barriers to learning, requiring high levels of support to access education and learning around their peers. Many of our learners may also have severe learning difficulties and /or struggle to maintain a regulated state for learning.

Sherwood Manor Campus: This is a specialist school primarily for Autistic learners aged 11 - 19 years who have moderate to severe barriers to learning. Most of our pupils can access a highly adapted formal learning environment with high levels of adult support. Some of our learners struggle to deal with the demands of an adult led learning environment so may need a highly individualised learning offer to meet their academic potential.

Working under the direction of our Senior Lunchtime Supervisors or the Class Teacher your duties will include:

● Attending to pupils' personal care needs (including toileting, changing nappies/pads & sometimes clothing when needed, this applies to pupils of all ages throughout the school from 3-19 years)

● Supervising and assisting pupils with eating and feeding

● Supervising, interacting and initiating play activities with pupils in our playgrounds Some experience of working with children and assisting them with feeding, toileting and self-care is desirable but not essential and we have lots of experience of supporting staff to do well who join the school from all sorts of backgrounds.

Overall, we are looking for someone who has good communication skills and is able to work effectively, flexibly and supportively as a member of the school team. You will need to be able to physically support pupils including those in special seating/wheelchairs & walking aids to move around the school and to supervise, assist and implement care/self-care for the pupils.

We have a full support and induction training programme for our staff, all of whom are highly valued. Training will include Safeguarding Children, Manual Handling, Positioning, Eating & Drinking and regulation training. Training is compulsory.

Please note applicants must demonstrate how they meet all sections of the person specification for this role.

Safeguarding Recruitment Statement Sherwood Foundation School is committed to equal opportunities, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are made subject to receipt of a completed application, satisfactory references and an Enhanced DBS check

Closing Dates for Applications: Friday 30th January 2026

Interviews: Week commencing 9th February 2026