Orchards Church of England Academy

Part of the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT)

   is seeking to appoint a 

Early Years Level 3 Teaching Assistant

30 hours - Monday - Friday

Payscale:  (FTE £26,403 per year, approx. £18,311 pro-rata)

30 hours per week, 39 weeks per year

Commencing:  January 2026

Orchards Church of England Academy has an exciting opportunity for a committed Level 3 Teaching Assistant to join their Early Years Team in the nursery.  We would love you to take your place with us in this fantastic role!

About You

To be successful in this role, you will ideally:

·       Have experience of working as a Teaching Assistant in a nursery setting

·       Be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people

·       Be enthusiastic, ambitious and serious about improving children’s life chances through education

·       Be highly organised, conscientious and able to set clear priorities when managing a busy workload

·       Be able work cooperatively and communicate clearly with fellow colleagues, parents and pupils

·       Have a ‘can-do’ attitude and has the ability to use their initiative

·       Be able to work flexibly and professionally

About Role

We are looking for an experienced Level 3 Teaching Assistant to join our early years team, working 30 hours per week, 39 weeks per year.  The purpose of this role is to provide high quality classroom support to the pupils. For further information about the role, please download the job description attached or visit our website: https://www.demat.org.uk/recruitment

About Us

DEMAT has recently won the Multi-Academy Trust of the Year 2024 at the National School Awards making this is a very exciting time to join us!  The award recognises our extraordinary educational achievements as a multi-academy trust.  To read more, please visit our website:  https://www.demat.org.uk 

Orchards Church of England Academy is part of the DEMAT family of schools who work in partnership towards the common goal of delivering an excellent education for our pupils and a supportive, enriching place to work for our staff.  Orchards Church of England Academy is very proud to continue the great work that has been done to better the future lives of our children.

DEMAT is a large multi-academy Trust which consists of 39 primary academies and approximately 7,000 pupils. Our primary focus as a Trust is to ensure that every child in our schools receives a world-class education through a knowledge-rich curriculum which values the arts as well as what may be perceived as more academic subjects. We are unapologetic about holding the highest expectations for our children, for their outcomes as well as their behaviour and personal development. DEMATs vision is to; To learn. To know. To lead out.  This sets out what we do as a Trust and how we work with our children to become confident within society and to develop as individuals.  This is encapsulated in the DEMAT Promise and underpinned by our values of Love, Community, Trust, Respect and Ambition.  To find out more about the Trust, please visit https://www.demat.org.uk/

If we sound like your perfect match, then we want to hear from you! In order to be considered please complete a full application on My New Term 

If you choose to join us, our promise is to offer you: 

·      Exceptional CPD with subject leadership and general network and buddying opportunities.

·       Career progression opportunities internally and/or across a large number of DEMAT schools.

·       A supportive work environment with a Trust that understands the importance of enhancing health and wellbeing at work with 24hour access to our Employee Assistance Programme

·       GP 24/7 service and access to an online health and wellbeing hub

·       Cycle to Work Scheme

·       Access to Eyecare Vouchers

·       Annual flu vaccinations

·       A generous pension and annual leave entitlement

·       Inclusive policies and practices

·       Well-behaved and enthusiastic children.

·       Strong links with the community and local church groups.

For more information, please download the job description and person specification attached or visit our website:  https://orchards.demat.org.uk/

Onsite visits to the school are welcomed and encouraged: to arrange an appointment please call 01945 583799 or email office@orchards.cambs.sch.uk

Closing Date: Monday 15 December 2025, midday

(We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a suitable number of internal or external applications)

Interview Date: to be confirmed

Safer Recruitment

The Diocese of Ely Multi Academy Trust (DEMAT) is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants.  We aim to create a supportive and inclusive working environment in which all individuals can make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit. 

We do not discriminate against staff based on age, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religious or political belief or affiliation, trade union membership, gender, gender reassignment, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic background or any other inappropriate distinction or characteristic covered by the Equality Act 2010.

DEMAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. Please be aware that all shortlisted candidates will have an online search conducted as part of DEMATs due diligence checks in line with KCSIE.