General Assistant

Castle Mead School, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 6GD

6 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  2 September 2024

• Closing date

  12 July 2024 at 9am

• Date listed

  27 June 2024

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £11.59 - £11.59 Hourly

General Assistant job summary

Hours of work: Two vacancies are available, both working 10 hours per week, Monday - Friday. 40 weeks per year. We will consider one person taking on both roles.

Vacancy 1: 11.30am - 1.30pm

Vacancy 2: 3.30pm - 5.30pm

Castle Mead School is a proud member of EQUA Mead Learning Trust. Our family of like-minded schools collaborate to provide mutual support, share best practice and learn from each other, whilst retaining and developing each school’s distinctive character. We believe all children and young people have the right to a great education and we seek to improve the life chances of all those we serve; it is our mission to give Every Child, Every Chance of success.

Across our Trust, we want our children and young people to be inspired by their learning, and to instil in them a motivation and aspiration to succeed in all they do. Our schools are highly inclusive and we are proud to have high expectations of our children and young people, encouraging and preparing them to do their very best in their learning both within the curriculum and beyond.

Children and young people in our schools are happy and safe, motivated to reach their full potential and equipped to become resilient, independent learners. They are prepared to live responsibly and peacefully in the spirit of understanding, and opportunities to develop their creativity, confidence and communication skills are woven into all aspects of school life.

Inclusion is the beating heart of our organisation, and we cherish it in our staff just like we do in our children. We are committed to creating a workforce that is reflective of our communities and welcome applications from anyone with the skills and experience to do the role they are applying to, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other protected characteristic. We recognise the value and contribution every member of our staff makes to our schools, and in return for their dedication and commitment we provide:

• A clear vision with purpose and values that are supported by all our staff
• An ambitious and vibrant place to work, with enthusiastic staff and children in all of our schools
• A highly organised and very supportive team
• Dedicated weekly planning time which Teaching Assistants are paid to attend
• High quality professional development opportunities from Day One, including a National College and National Online Safety training account, where you can access thousands of training courses online for free
• Unlimited, free access to the Employee Assistance Programme which gives all our staff confidential support and guidance when they need it most
• A clear, comprehensive induction process

All about the role:

The purpose of this critical role is to support the housekeeping team to ensure the school is kept clean and sanitary. Key duties and responsibilities will be:

• Supporting lunchtimes in the hall (lunchtime hours only)
• Hoovering and mopping
• Polishing and dusting
• Emptying and recycling of litter bins
• Cleaning staff and children’s facilities, including toilets
• Using powered equipment (e.g. vacuum cleaners and polishers) where appropriate
• Detecting and reporting premises defects
• Undertaking necessary action in event of severe weather or emergency (e.g. putting down salt and clearing paths in winter)
• Reporting any potential hazards on the school site

Ideally, you will have a paediatric First Aid qualification and a qualification in COSHH, or willingness to achieve both. You will be someone who is:

• Able to maintain the internal features of the school
• Organised, with good communication skills
• Physically fit as there is some lifting and carrying of tables, benches and equipment
• Committed to good and productive working relationships with children and colleagues
• Flexible and responsive to changing demands with a positive attitude
• Able to work independently
• Resilient, passionate and hard-working
• Able to build trust and mutual respect with children and staff
• Able to follow direction and use initiative

This role will involve contact with children and the post holder will be engaged in regulated activity relevant to children and will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check before appointment is confirmed. We will only submit a DBS application to the relevant disclosure service when a position is accepted.

This Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow Safer Recruitment procedures and all interviews, regardless of role, will include questions about approaches to safeguarding. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available on our website and follows all guidance in the most recent Keeping Children Safe in Education.

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974

Commitment to safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Applying for the job

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Using the application form

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

Visas cannot be sponsored.

About Castle Mead School

• School type: Academy, ages 2 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 379 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 2 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
• School website: Castle Mead School website (opens in new tab)
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/castle-mead-school (opens in new tab)

Castle Mead school is a vibrant, growing primary school in the heart of East Trowbridge. Rated ‘Good’ at its last Ofsted inspection, the school continues to go from strength to strength under the new leadership of Mrs Emma Larkham, with two form entry, an onsite Nursery and Complex Needs Resource Base.

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