Nursery Teaching Assistant

St Merryn School, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8NP

12 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  5 January 2026

• Closing date

  7 December 2025 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  25 November 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Early years
• Working pattern: Part time: 21.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday mornings
• Contract type: Fixed term - Until July 2026
• Full-time equivalent salary: Grade C £24,224 per annum pro rata (£12.56 p/hour)

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are seeking a Teaching Assistant to work as part of our Nursery team at St Merryn School starting in January 2026. A sound understanding of the needs and development of early years pupils and experience of working within an Early Years setting is essential for this role. The ideal candidate will be a person who works well in a team, is caring and nurturing, flexible and is able to adapt and respond to the needs of pupils. A Level 3 qualification in Early Years is essential for this role.

This is a fixed term, variable hours contract until July 2026, with initial hours of 21.25 hours per week, term time only.

The successful candidate will be:

· A caring and warm individual who is able to work effectively as part of a team

· Committed to their own professional development and continual self-review

· Committed to the safeguarding and wellbeing of all children

· Able to build a strong rapport with children and have a developing understanding of the national curriculum

· An excellent classroom support with behaviour management skills

· Able to lead learning with individuals or groups of pupils

What the school offers its staff

As well as offering great schools to work in, wonderful children to work with, and fantastic colleagues to work alongside, our Trust is committed to providing colleagues with other benefits that make your employment with Kernow Learning the best it can be. We offer:

• A competitive salary and membership of Local Government Pension Scheme
• A real commitment to wellbeing, including access to 24/7 wellbeing services and employee assistance programme
• Access to discounts with national and local retailers and service providers
• A range of CPD and training opportunities, both internally and externally, learning from local and national speakers and specialists to support your professional growth
• The support and skills of our networks of colleagues both within our schools and our Shared Services teams

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

Kernow Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we implement the safer recruitment process; the successful candidate will be expected to share this commitment and to undergo checks including an enhanced DBS clearance, prohibition and online (social media) checks.

We are an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all.

Kernow Learning is not a sponsoring organisation. Therefore, the successful applicant must already possess the right to work in the UK or be able to secure the right to work in the UK independently.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About St Merryn School

• School type: Academy, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 131 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: St Merryn School website
• Email address: hr@kernowlearning.co.uk
• Phone number: 01637 303106
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/st-merryn-school

Our school is a primary school and nursery for children aged between 3 and 11. We consider ourselves to be very fortunate because of the fantastic relationships that exist between our school, our children's families and with the wider village community. It is these solid partnerships that enable us to live to our school motto of 'Bright Futures build on Firm Foundations'.
Our school is a special place; a community focused school where every child is nurtured and valued as an individual. Our Trust's Core Shared Values of 'Strength, Wisdom and Courage' and our Trust Philosophy, 'work hard, be honest & help others' reflect our learning community's ambition and attitude. By being true to these values and philosophy, our pupils are enable to fulfil their potential and encourages confidence and creativity to prepare them for their next phase of education and life beyond.

School location

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