SEND Teaching Assistant

Horsted Junior School, Chatham, Kent, ME5 9TF

15 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  8 February 2026 at 10pm

• Date listed

  21 January 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Full-time equivalent salary: £25,185.00 - £28,142.00 Annually (FTE) Medway NJC D2 4-11 (dependent on experience) - £15,652 - £17,490 actual per annum (£25,185 - £28,142 FTE)

SEND Teaching Assistant job summary

Post Title: SEND Teaching Assistant

School: Horsted School

Contract Type: Fixed Term until 17 July 2026

Hours: 27.5 hours per week (8.30am - 3pm), 38 weeks per year (Term time only)

Salary: Medway NJC D2 4-11 (dependent on experience) - £15,652 - £17,490 actual per annum (£25,185 - £28,142 FTE)

Start Date: ASAP

Horsted School is seeking a caring, enthusiastic and dedicated SEND Teaching Assistant to join our friendly team. This fixed‑term role offers the opportunity to make a real difference by providing personalised support to an individual pupil, and small groups of helping them to thrive both academically and emotionally.

What we’re looking for:

• A patient, positive and supportive approach
• The ability to build strong, trusting relationships
• Good communication and teamwork skills
• A commitment to helping children achieve their full potential
• Have a belief in inclusion, diversity and the right of each child to be successful whatever their needs, abilities and background

To be successful in this post, you will need:

• To be positive, enthusiastic and highly organised
• Have high expectations of both children and yourself
• Have good strategies for managing children, ensuring they are involved and engaged
• To be able to inspire, motivate and foster excellent relationships, working in partnership with staff, parents, governors and our wider community
• Good interpersonal skills, a sense of humour and the ability to work as part of a hard-working, enthusiastic and committed team
• Previous experience of working with children in a primary school would be desirable but not essential

If you are passionate about supporting children’s learning and want to be part of a nurturing school community, we would love to hear from you.

We offer:

• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Employee support services
• Effective CPD opportunities
• Excellent ICT facilities

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more information.

Safer Recruitment

The Bluebell Federation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment. In line with Safer Recruitment guidelines, CVs will not be accepted, and you are required to complete the application in full giving details of all employment, training and gaps in employment. The Bluebell Federation reserves the right to reject incomplete application forms and any consistencies or anomalies will be explored at, or prior to, interview. Any offer of employment is subject to pre-employment checks including a satisfactory ‘Enhanced with Barred List Check’ through the Disclosure and Barring Service. We will require two satisfactory references; one of which must be your line manager in your present or most recent employment. References will be requested prior to interview so please ensure that your referees are available to provide a reference.

Equal Opportunities

The Bluebell Federation is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and inclusion who welcomes applications from all sectors of the community. All people who work and study at our Federation have the right to be respected and valued within a safe and secure environment and not to be discriminated against on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Additional Information

• References will be requested for shortlisted applicants prior to interview.
• Shortlisted applicants will be required to complete and return a Self-Disclosure form prior to interview.
• Online Searches will be carried out on shortlisted applicants prior to interview. Any concerns will be discussed with candidates at interview.
• Further vetting checks including an enhanced DBS, incorporating a check of the Children’s Barred List, will be undertaken on provisional offer.
• The Child Protection Policy can be found on the school website.

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 Horsted Junior School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 7 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 250 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 7 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Horsted Junior School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/horsted-junior-school

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