Cover Supervisor

St Helena School, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3LE

31 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP following pre-employment checks - likely October 2026

• Closing date

  31 August 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  31 July 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £23,742.00 - £24,916.00 Annually (Actual) Local Government Pay Scale 5

Cover Supervisor job summary

Join a Community Where We ‘Aspire, Believe, and Achieve’ Together at St Helena School

Are you adaptable, organised, and passionate about supporting young people?

At St Helena School, we strive towards a mindset that anything is possible. We provide our young people with the confidence, motivation, and resilience to be successful through a wide and inclusive curriculum.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dedicated Cover Supervisor to join our fantastic team. In this pivotal role, no two days are the same. You will lead classroom learning using lesson plans set by teachers, maintain a positive and structured learning environment, and support students with general queries. When cover isn't needed, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with and support departments across the school.

You will thrive in this role if you love working in a fast-paced environment, excel as a confident communicator, and act as a positive role model with high expectations for student behaviour. Whether you already have experience working with young people or are looking to start a rewarding career in education, full training and induction will be provided to help you succeed.

Note: Qualified Teacher Status is not required for this position, though qualified applicants are very welcome to apply.

• Start Date: ASAP following pre-employment checks - likely October 2026
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Working Hours: Part time - 37 hours per week, 39 weeks per year (term time plus non-pupil/INSET days)

A Day in the Life:

The role will involve:

• Supervision of whole classes during the short-term absence of teachers
• Supervision of pupils engaged in learning activities
• Acting as a role model and setting high expectations of conduct and behaviour
• Promoting the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils within the classroom
• Keeping pupils on task and responding to general queries.

What We're Looking For:
You are the perfect fit for our team if you have:

• GCSE Grade A to C or equivalent in English and Maths
• The ability to establish rapport and respectful and trusting relationships with young people
• Experience of working with school policies in relation to inclusion, safeguarding and physical contact with students
• The ability to demonstrate that you encourage the inclusion of pupils with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties in a mainstream setting
• The ability to demonstrate effective implementation of the school’s behaviour management policy
• Excellent organisational skills
• The ability to remain calm under pressure.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

Why Choose The Sigma Trust?
We believe in investing in our staff and fostering a culture of collaboration. We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive package designed to support your professional and personal life.

Professional Development:

• A robust CPD training program that empowers you to flourish.
• Unrivalled opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the Trust, sharing ideas and building strong professional relationships.

Employee Benefits:

• A competitive salary and excellent pension scheme
• A Health Cash Plan to help manage your everyday healthcare costs
• Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme to support your well-being
• Exclusive perks like the Cycle to Work scheme, access to discounts via free membership to Perkbox, eligibility for a Blue Light Card, and more

Commitment to Safeguarding & Diversity

The Sigma Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. As such, all posts are subject to safer recruitment processes, including the disclosure of criminal records, online checks and other vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across our schools.

The Sigma Trust is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of any protected characteristics. This is embedded in our vision ‘To Be Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts’, where we believe we are strong and more successful working together, creating a workplace which celebrates diversity.

To Apply:

Ready to take the next step? Submit an application form via My New Term by midnight on Monday 31st August 2026.

Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert early should we receive an overwhelming response. Candidates may be invited to interview prior to the closing date, so an early application is advised.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About St Helena School

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• Size: 986 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: St Helena School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/st-helena-school

School location

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