Early Years Teaching Assistant Level 1 (Pre-School)

Minerva Primary Academy, Bristol, BS16 4HA

13 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  19 January 2026

• Closing date

  1 February 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  19 January 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
• Working pattern: Part time, full time
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Full-time equivalent salary: £9,605- £10,469

Early Years Teaching Assistant Level 1 (Pre-School) job summary

Job Title: Teaching Assistant – Level 1 (Pre-School)

Actual Annual Salary: £9,605- £10,469 Based on hours and weeks worked

Full Time Equivalent Salary: £25,941 - £28,275 (CLF Grade B) Based on full time hours, all year round.

Contract Type: Fixed term until 31/08/2026

Hours: 16 hours per week - Part Time, Term Time Only plus Inset days 

Working Pattern: Wednesday 12:30–3:30pm, Thursday 8:30am–3:30pm and Friday 8:30am–3:30pm

Potential Start Date: February/March 2026

An opportunity to empower students to reach their full potential by delivering tailored support that enhances learning, engagement, and well-being:

At Minerva Primary Academy (MPA), we champion every child by nurturing strong, positive relationships and setting high expectations within an inclusive and supportive environment. We are committed to building a community of safe, respectful, and confident learners. We value every voice, empowering all students to become independent, lifelong learners who pursue their aspirations and contribute with compassion to both the school and the wider world.

Within our Pre‑School provision, this role offers the opportunity to support our youngest learners as they take their first steps into education. The role involves nurturing children’s early development by using appropriate strategies that help them access the Early Years curriculum, develop communication skills, and build confidence through high‑quality play‑based learning. Responsibilities include delivering planned learning activities, supporting early personal, social, and emotional development, and creating a warm, safe, stimulating environment where every child feels valued and ready to explore.

The role contributes to measurable progress in early language, social interaction, early numeracy, self‑regulation, and school‑readiness skills. It requires strong communication with teachers, colleagues, and parents/carers; effective support for positive behaviour; and a commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and early intervention. Collaboration with colleagues is essential in shaping consistent routines, assessing progress, adapting activities, and ensuring every child receives tailored support.

About you:  

You will:

• Be committed to being part of a high performing school that has high expectations. 
  
• Continuously be committed to improving the life chances of pupils. 
  
• Always be committed to own self development and resilient to the challenges of working in a single form entry school. 
  
• Be committed to seeing feedback as a gift and strive to be better every day. 
• Have experience of, or willingness to embrace working in a single form entry school is essential.
  
• Hold an Early Years Level 2 qualification, ensuring you meet the required standards for supporting children within an Early Years setting
  
• Have an understanding of classroom roles and responsibilities and how a teaching assistant supports students in their learning.
  
• Be able to engage students and manage behaviour on a one to one or small group basis.
  
• Be committed to undertake relevant qualifications, e.g. Relevant nvq level 2/ 3 in supporting teaching and learning or equivalent, first aid qualification, to ensure ongoing professional development.
  
• Be able to engage students and manage behaviour on a one to one or small group basis.
  
• Have strong interpersonal skills, in particular with the ability to demonstrate empathy and active listening.
  
• Have good planning and organisational skills, specifically with regard to learning activities and support materials.

Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.  

About Minerva Primary Academy:

Minerva Primary Academy is a happy and successful school. We are a popular two-form entry primary school located in Fishponds, Bristol with a committed staff and a purpose-built modern building and unique playground. Our school ethos is 'Learning, Believing, Growing, Achieving' and everything we do is underpinned by our high expectations and a love of lifelong learning. To support our children to understand themselves as effective learners, we explicitly teach and promote seven learning dispositions: self-agency, growth mindset, perseverance, being curious and creative, making connections and collaborating.

We are committed and passionate about providing our children with the best possible start to their education. We encourage all children to be Minerva Global Citizens who are safe, responsible, respectful and an active citizen within our community. We value creativity and the arts and have strong links with Bristol Beacon.

Why work at CLF?  

We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.  

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters. Over 71% of the pupils who attend Minerva Primary Academy are from global majority groups, so we particularly encourage applicants from those groups in order to represent the pupils we serve, as well as wider underrepresented groups including gender, transgender, age disability, sexual orientation or religion.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

What we can offer you:  

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
  
• Comprehensive induction and ongoing support for career development and wellbeing.   
  
• Sector-leading professional development entitlement and opportunities.  
  
• Collaboration with colleagues across the trust through subject communities and specialist networks.  
  
• Shared CLF curriculum, written and curated by trust experts, reducing individual teacher workload.    
  
• Career enhancing and progression opportunities within the trust and through the CLF Institute.  
  
• A collaborative culture which supports workload.  
  
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.  
  
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.  
  
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.  
  
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking and many more!  
  

Recruitment timeline:  

• Closing Date: 01 February 2026 @11.59pm
  
• Shortlisting date: 02 February 2026
  
• Interviews: 05 February 2026
  

We welcome visits from potential candidates. If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact the academy/site directly to arrange a suitable appointment.  

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.   

Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.    

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist. 

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 Minerva Primary Academy

• School type: Academy, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 367 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Minerva Primary Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/minerva-primary-academy

At Minerva Primary Academy we believe that all children deserve the best teaching for learning opportunities every day, with their needs met and a love of learning they will achieve great outcomes. We want all children to be confident, curious, adaptable and independent learners who can use these learning skills now and as they progress through their education and beyond. 

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