8 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    21-09-2026 (or sooner if possible)

  • Closing date

    11 September 2026 at 11:59pm

  • Date listed

    3 September 2026

Job details

Job role

  • Other support role

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Part time

Contract type

Permanent

Full time equivalent salary

£25,614.00 Annually (FTE)

School Meal Supervisory Assistant job summary

School Meals Supervisory Assistant

Permanent Contract

7 hours 30 minutes per week term time only + INSET days

Monday - Friday 12.00 - 13.30

NJC3 - starting annual salary £4,540.57

Job Overview

Join our dedicated team and help make lunchtimes a happy, safe and positive part of every child’s day.

At St. Bernard’s, our children are at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for a friendly, caring and enthusiastic School Meals Supervisory Assistant (SMSA) to join our welcoming and hard-working team.

As an SMSA, you will play an important role in supporting our children during the lunchtime period, helping to ensure that they are safe, happy and well cared for. You will encourage positive play and social interaction, promote good behaviour and help children resolve any differences in a calm and positive way, in line with the school’s Relationship and Behaviour Policy.

You will work as part of our supportive staff team to create a positive lunchtime environment where every child feels included, valued and able to enjoy their break.

This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to our children’s school day while becoming part of a vibrant school community that values kindness, teamwork and high aspirations.

The Successful Candidate Will Be

We are looking for someone who is:

  • Friendly, approachable and caring, with good communication skills.
  • Motivated, enthusiastic and reliable.
  • Able to build positive relationships with children.
  • Committed to supporting the wellbeing, safety and inclusion of all pupils.
  • Able to encourage and contribute to positive and enjoyable play experiences.
  • Able to help children resolve differences in a calm and positive way, following the school’s Relationship and Behaviour Policy.
  • Able to promote high standards of behaviour and act as a positive role model.
  • Able to work effectively as part of a team.
  • Committed to supporting the Catholic ethos and values of our school.

What we offer

You will be joining a warm, welcoming and dedicated team committed to living out our Catholic mission and helping every child achieve their God-given potential.

As recognised in our recent Ofsted inspection:

“The school’s strong culture of care and nurture means pupils feel safe and valued.”

“Pupils enjoy coming to school. They know that staff care about them and will support them with any worries.”

At St. Bernard’s, we can offer:

  • Happy children with high standards of behaviour.
  • A caring, committed and supportive team to work with.
  • Supportive leadership and a collaborative staff team.
  • A culture rooted in kindness, respect, empathy and high expectations.
  • Friendly colleagues who work hard, support one another and enjoy celebrating success together.
  • Appropriate training and opportunities for professional development.
  • Access to wider collaboration and support through the Newman Catholic Trust.

We are particularly proud that:

“Pupils behave well and are respectful of others. They are keen to learn and respond well to adults’ high expectations.” — Ofsted, 2025

Why St. Bernard’s?

At the heart of our school is a shared mission to guide children in following the footsteps of Jesus, nurturing their unique gifts and helping them grow into compassionate, respectful and ambitious young people.

St. Bernard’s is a happy, caring school where strong relationships underpin everything we do. Our staff are passionate about supporting our children, and we want every part of their school day — including lunchtime — to be a positive, safe and enjoyable experience.

We are proud of the warm, family atmosphere that makes St. Bernard’s such a special place to work.

“The school is a happy place where pupils can be themselves.” — Ofsted, 2025

If you are caring, enthusiastic and enjoy working with children, we would love to hear from you.

Visits Welcome

We warmly encourage prospective applicants to visit the school and experience the St. Bernard’s family for themselves. Please contact the school office on 0117 903 0352 to arrange a visit.

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.

View advert on external website (opens in new tab)

About St Bernard's Catholic Primary School

Organisation type
Academy, Roman Catholic, ages 4 to 11
Education phase
Primary school
Size
201 pupils enrolled
Age range
4 to 11
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report

School location

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