Special Support Assistant and Welfare Assistant

Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy, Darwen, Lancashire, BB3 2JA

14 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  1st September 2026

• Closing date

  6 July 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  22 June 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: £24,796.00 Annually (FTE) NJC Pay Scale Grade 2 SCP 3-5 for SSA and Grade 2 1-3 for welfare assistant

Special Support Assistant and Welfare Assistant job summary

Special Support Assistant and Welfare Assistant

31.25 hours per week, Part-time

Fixed Term

Term time only, 44.67 weeks

NJC Pay Scale

SSA - Grade 2, SCP 3-5

Welfare Assistant - Grade 2, SCP 1-3

Mrs Ham, the Headteacher and the Governors at St Barnabas Church of England Primary Academy are seeking to appoint a highly motivated, conscientious & creative Special Support Assistant and Welfare Assistant to join our committed & hardworking staff team. The successful candidate will join us at an exciting time in the life of our school and assist in meeting the personal, social and educational needs of our children in order for them to flourish and live life in all its fullness.

We have the most wonderful polite and hardworking children and a committed and supportive staff who work well as a team. Our governors are passionate about education and fully engage in our drive for all children to 'achieve great things through learning and growing together in a love-filled Christian family'.

We have recently been graded as 'GOOD' again by Ofsted and the inspector commented:

'Pupils, and children in the early years, arrive at school happy and ready to learn. They look forward to the warm welcome that they receive every morning.'

'Pupils behave well during lessons and they learn without disruption. They are polite and respectful to one another and adults. Leaders have encouraged pupils to be inquisitive, and pupils communicate with adults well.'

' Leaders have high expectations for pupils, and pupils do their utmost to live up to these. Pupils work hard during lessons and behave well at social times. Pupils recognise the importance of trying their best and how this approach will serve them well in later life.'

The suitable candidate will:

• Have experience of supporting children in the role of a teaching assistant

• Have the essential qualifications and experience as detailed in the person specification, including GCSE English and Maths at grade C or above

• Have high expectations for children’s learning

• Be enthusiastic, energetic, positive and approachable - with a good sense of humour!

• Support our school vision and promote and model our Christian values

We can offer you:

• A warm welcome from a happy school family with a strong Christian ethos.

• Confident and enthusiastic children who enjoy learning.

• The active support of parents and governors.

• Strong links with our local church, schools and community.

• Opportunities for professional and personal development.

• Motivated and experienced Local Governing Committee and central Cidari Trust team.

• Eligibility to join the Local Government Pension Scheme.

• Access to health and wellbeing support for you and your family.

• Employment within a Trust committed to equality of opportunity and nationally and locally negotiated pay arrangements.

• Terms and conditions protected through a formal trade union recognition agreement with all the major education and support staff unions, and supported through regular JCNC meetings.

• Access to employee benefits & rewards through Perkbox.

• Cycle to work scheme.

If you believe that you possess the above qualities, we would like to hear from you.

Applications will only be accepted on a fully completed application form with supporting statement. CVs will not be accepted.

Further information about the St Barnabas is available by visiting our website. Visits to the Academy are encouraged and warmly welcomed by appointment through the school office

Closing date: 06/07/2026 @ 12noon

Proposed interview date: 10/07/2026

Please note that in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024, an online search will be carried out as part of our safer recruitment pre-employment checks on shortlisted candidates.

We are a member of Cidari Multi Academy Trust, established in November 2013, a growing educational trust and part of the Blackburn Diocese. Cidari Education is committed to providing high quality education for all children in our academies based on clearly established Christian values and principles.

Cidari Multi Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The above post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Any offer of employment will be subject to a satisfactory check supplied by the Disclosure & Barring Service. The check will include any cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions. Further information is available below.

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 Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy

• School type: Academy, Church of England, ages 4 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 205 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Darwen, St Barnabas CofE Primary Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/darwen-st-barnabas-cofe-primary-academy

We are a Church of England primary academy. Being an academy means that we joined a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), our trust is called Cidari. Being a CofE academy, means that our Vision and Mission statements are at the forefront of everything that we do here, they are not just words we live them out every day.

We are a one form entry academy and our intake starts with 2yr olds all the way up to 11 year olds. Our staff team are friendly and welcoming, we have an open door policy so that parents can speak to us as and when needed.

Our children are happy and love coming to school, they settle well and always make good friends. The children are engaged in their learning and use a Growth Mindset approach to enable them to build resilience and to be able to challenge themselves to take risks.

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