Job Title:  Teaching Assistant

Work Location: Thameside Primary, Abingdon

Salary Range::  Grade 4 - 5   £24404 - £24790 pro rata

Actual salary for this role - pro-rata, term time only

(Actual Salary £17, 226.64) based on 31.15 hours a week)

Hours of Work: 31.15hrs  per week, 08.30am – 3.15pm daily with a 30 minute lunch break, term time only. Other working patterns can be discussed.

Contract Type: Initially this post will be temporary for one year (with potential to becoming permanent)

Interview Date: to be confirmed

Start date – As soon as possible

Part of the Vale Academy Trust, Thameside is proud of our strong ethos and committed team, creating a happy and supportive school for everyone who is part of our community. At Thameside, we are proud of our recent Ofsted in June 23, which commented that 'pupils are at the heart of this happy and nurturing school' and, ‘the school's senior leaders have a relentless drive to ensure that pupils have the best possible start in life.’ 

Thameside has a strong ethos and committed team, creating a happy and supportive school for everyone who is part of our community. We are looking for a caring, resilient and inspirational person, full of energy and positivity to work with us to play a key role in building on Thameside’s success. We are looking for a talented individual, who would be excited by the prospect of establishing a culture of high expectations, ambition, care and kindness for our children. Our school motto ‘every child, every chance, every day’ underpins all we do; we are proud of our truly inclusive and nurturing environment, which has a strong family atmosphere and is one that prepares pupils exceptionally well during each stage of their journey. 

We have a vacancy, for an enthusiastic and committed Teaching Assistant to join our dedicated and supportive school. The role will include providing learning support in class; working with pupils with SEND and supervising lunchtimes. There will also be pre planned occasions when you will be required to attend meetings or training after school.  Experience and qualifications in Early Years are preferred but not essential.

·         This post holds a variety of additional opportunities that can be discussed, including overseeing our small, but popular Breakfast Club (7.30 – 8.30am daily).

·         Opportunities for covering classes are also available.

We are looking for a teaching assistant who:

·         Has excellent communication, numeracy and literacy skills  

·         Has high expectations for all children and a strong belief that all children can flourish

·         Supports the class teacher to provide creative, enriching, learning opportunities which develop a lifelong love of learning

·         Demonstrates an understanding of/has experience of supporting children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs

·         Demonstrates an understanding of/has experience of leading small group 1:1 intervention under the direction of the class teacher

·         Demonstrates an ability to nurture and support all pupils, including those with complex learning, emotional or other needs

·         Is committed to ensuring all pupils make excellent progress and models our school values and ethos in all that they do

·         Has excellent interpersonal skills and is able to communicate well, and work successfully, with colleagues, parents and pupils

·         Has good organisational skills and knows how to maintain a healthy work-life balance

·         Demonstrates a positive attitude towards continuing school improvement

·         Ensures safeguarding is a priority and will promote staff and pupil well-being

·         Will become fully engaged with the whole school community and will embrace opportunities to grow professionally

What we offer: 

·         An exciting opportunity to join our school which is in an exciting period of growth and development

·         A commitment to your professional development through access to networks and training

·         Friendly, welcoming and well-behaved children who are eager to learn

·         A caring and inclusive school with attractive and purposeful learning environments

·         Excellent partnerships between pupils, staff, parents, governors and the community

·         Career opportunities as part of a successful, supportive and locally based multi academy trust and a team who prioritise a healthy work-life balance

We warmly welcome visits to the school; if you would like to make an appointment please telephone the school office 01235 527600 or email office.2598@thameside.vale-academy.org 

Application Procedure:

Applications will be considered as and when they come in. We reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy at any time ahead of the closing date if there is a good level of response. Therefore, we would recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible.

To apply, you will need to complete an online application form (which is available via MyNewTerm). This includes a section asking you to explain how you meet the selection criteria, as specified in the job posting. 

If you need any help or have any difficulties completing the application, please contact the school office office2598@thameside.vale-academy.org

Thameside is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism.  We expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment.  All post holders in regulated activity are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Check.

Shortlisted candidates will be subject to online searches for publicly available information.

By applying for this role, you acknowledge that such searches will be conducted as part of the shortlisting process.

Employment will also be conditional on the receipt of at least two acceptable references (one from current/latest employer) and evidence of the formal qualifications required for the role.

It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. You should contact the school if you are unsure if this role includes regulated activity relevant to children.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. For further guidance for applicants click on the this link List of offences that are not filtered

Our staff are expected to maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, by not undermining fundamental British values including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from a range of backgrounds to represent diversity in line with our schools’ community.