The Heath Academy Trust and Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery are seeking to appoint an inspiring Teaching Assistant who is committed to providing the best quality learning experience for our children in a personalised and exciting way.  We are looking for an enthusiastic, skilled and motivated professional to join our learning focused team.  The successful applicant must enjoy working as part of a friendly and dedicated team.

The successful candidate must have high expectations of children’s learning and behaviour and should be enthusiastic, energetic and an excellent learner.  We are looking for strong practice and the successful candidate must be committed to achieving this benchmark.  We need a creative team member to complement our staff and support our pupils with their learning.  You must be committed to supporting throughout nursery and the first school age range and putting the needs of our children first in all aspects of the role.

We are committed to ongoing improvement and provide continuous support for our staff with high quality CPD. The successful candidate will understand the importance of whole school continuity and progression across all areas of our provision. We welcome applications from applicants with a minimum relevant Early Years NVQ3 qualification, if possible.

Further details about this role can be found on the job description and person specification included in this recruitment pack and more information about the school can be found on our website: www.sixpennyhandleyschool.co.uk.  Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and encouraged.  Please contact our school office on 01725 552356 to arrange your visit or discuss the post further.

In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, all applications must be completed via the online application form.  CVs will not be accepted or considered.  References will be sought for all candidates who accept the invitation to interview.  Please ensure referees are able to provide a full reference rather than a standard statement of employment time.  You should provide the email and telephone contact details for all referees – thank you.

The Heath Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. As part of the safer recruitment check, online searches will be conducted for all shortlisted candidates. The search will be purely based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. All aspects of social media and internet searches will be conducted. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974