Teaching Assistant

Are you calm with a friendly demeanour? Do you have experience working with primary aged children? Are you seeking to learn new skills in a supportive and vibrant environment? This could be the perfect opportunity for you! 

We are looking for a Teaching Assistant to join us from February 2024. The successful candidate will need to have relevant experience in working with primary-aged children, a proven high standard of both spoken and written English, the ability to communicate effectively with children and adults is essential, together with a friendly and approachable manner. The successful candidate will be able to work using their own initiative and demonstrate effective behaviour management skills. In return, you will join a supportive environment with plenty of development opportunities within the academy and across the wider Trust.

We are most proud of:

• Having a strong, happy and motivated staff who are child centred and aim to give children the best possible learning experiences.
• Strong recent Ofsted report.
• A supportive working environment were all staff are valued and developed.
• We pride ourselves on being the heart of the community and working closely with all stakeholders.

Our successful candidate will demonstrate an informed and efficient approach to teaching and learning by adopting relevant strategies to support the work of the teacher and increase achievement of all pupils including, where appropriate, those with special educational needs and disabilities.

This is a permanent role which offers an actual salary £18,007 per annum (£22,714 full time equivalent) based on 35 hours per week (8:30am-4pm Mon-Fri), Term Time only.

Please note that we are also offering a Teaching Assistant opportunity on a maternity cover contract. Please click here to view the vacancy. 

Working at our school: We are a thriving and engaging three-form entry school in the heart of West Kent in the town of Paddock Wood. Our ethos encapsulates high standards and expectations, excellent learning and teaching, and the positive wellbeing of our pupils and colleagues. We have a strong and committed teaching team which is widely respected and supported by our academy community. Our teachers vary in experience from Newly Qualified to 30+ years, and each brings something valuable to share, and a passion to learn. Our staff and the wider Trust team has a lot to offer new colleagues, in terms of sharing experience and opportunities, and professional development and training. 

Our broad curriculum is supported by specialist teachers of music, French, PE, computing and outdoor education. Some features that help us stand out from other schools are that all of our pupils learn French, learn other subjects in French and leave us conversant in the language, pupils leave us with a strong understanding and appreciation of music and sporting skills and that we embed independence, stamina and considered risk into children’s learning, for example through EYFS and KS1 team games and initiative exercises, Year 3 outdoor/forest skills, Y4 mountain biking, Year 5 caving and kayaking, and Year 6 skiing/snow-boarding. We have our own school minibuses and we very frequently take children out into the local area and into central London, as well as taking Year 5 pupils to the Brecon Beacons and Year 6 pupils to France or Scotland. We have a strong regard for extra-curricular learning and a healthy catalogue of sporting and other successes and awards.

Our academy benefits from significant parent and community support, but we are not complacent - we are committed, hard-working and welcoming. Our children are delightful; calm, focused and very eager to learn.

‘Our highly ambitious community builds thinking learners, who act with agency and create lasting memories.’

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st September 2023, our Trust comprises 31 geographically organised academies (15 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating 20,000 students, and employing 3,000 talented staff. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider. Our future plans are found in our Vision 2030 document available on our website.

As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about this in our Recruitment Guidance. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.

Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Leigh Academies Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy sooner than the specified closing date. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.