Student Support Assistant
Valence School, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1QN31 days remaining to apply
Closing date
4 January 2026 at 10:59pm
Date listed
7 November 2025
Job details
Job role
- Other support roles
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Part time, full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £13.50 Hourly Full time, 40 hours per week (£24,528 actual p.a.)
Student Support Assistant job summary
Monday to Friday: Hours worked on set shifts between 7am and 10pm
FULL TIME : 40 hours per week : £24,528 actual gross p.a.
PART TIME : minimum of 3 shifts per week : Combination of early and/or late shifts
Pattern 1: Monday (12:30-22:00), Tuesday (12:30-10:00), Wednesday (07:00-14:30), Thursday (07:00-14:30), Friday (07:00-15:30)
Pattern 2: Monday (08:00-15:30), Tuesday (07:00-14:30), Wednesday (12:30-22:00), Thursday (12:30-22:00), Friday (07:00-15:30)
Please indicate when applying, your preferred working hours (Full time or Part time)
About this role
Valence School is looking for Residential Education Support Staff to help students thrive in both the class and residential settings. You will support students’ personal, social, emotional and educational development while helping them gain independence and life skills.
What you will do:
- Support students across both education and residential settings, promoting their intellectual, physical, social and emotional development, including personal care and mealtime assistance.
Implement care support plans, promote independence and maintain effective communication with staff and multi-disciplinary departments to ensure consistency of care.
Safely support students who require medical interventions, following all emergency procedures and risk assessments in both classroom and residential environments.
- Attend required training and undertake the preparation and administration of medication, including supporting gastrostomy feeds where needed.
Enable participation in activities aligned with the ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ framework.
Study towards Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, if applicable.
Record and report information accurately and promptly, demonstrating a flexible, proactive, “can-do” approach to support students’ learning, wellbeing and daily routines.
The role will include a substantial amount of moving and handling and personal care.
Who we are looking for:
- Physically capable of safely supporting students with disabilities and complex medical needs
- Patient, positive and adaptable with resilience and a flexible attitude
- Committed to professional development, including completing the Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare, if applicable
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with strong safeguarding awareness
Desirable: Experience in school or residential settings, GCSEs in English/Maths, Level 3 Diploma and knowledge of SEND.
What we offer:
- A role with real purpose and daily impact
- Fully funded qualifications and training
- Generous pension scheme & life cover
- Staff wellbeing sessions and support
- Retail discounts and subsidised meals
- Free on-site parking
On-site overnight staff accommodation is available for those working a 10pm late shift followed by a 7am early shift
Why work with us?
Be part of a supportive and passionate team, helping students achieve their potential while developing your own skills and career. Apply today and make a real difference every day!
We are recruiting for this post on a rolling basis; therefore you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close this vacancy, interview and appoint earlier if we receive sufficient applications for this role.
Valence School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every student and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Valence School is committed to valuing diversity and promoting equality for all.
References will be taken up before interview and online checks undertaken for shortlisted candidates. The successful applicant will require an enhanced DBS check (this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act).
Further information about the job
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 Valence School
- School type
- Special school, ages 4 to 19
- School size
- 132 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 4 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Valence School website
We are proud to share with you the excellent work we do with children and young people who have physical disabilities and complex medical needs. Our school is unique within the maintained sector in the whole of southern England. We cater for students aged 4 to 19 and have both day and boarding places. We have a large site with high quality teaching, social care and health care facilities. A staff team of over 200 people provides specialist teaching, social care, therapies and nursing care to an exceptionally high standard.
Our overall aim is to enable every child and young person to achieve meaningful independence. Students flourish in a supportive but challenging environment, making good educational progress and achieving a range of accreditation as they get older. There is excellent support to enable students to achieve functional communication, mobility and skills for daily living.
We are a Foundation Special School and are part of the Kent SEN Trust, a cooperative trust of ten schools working together to improve outcomes for all the children and young people attending the schools. In 2008 Valence became a specialist Sports College and this status plays a significant role in raising students’ achievements and their participation in high quality physical education and sport.
The School works proactively with parents and external professionals to provide holistic support for every child and young person. It is also developing high quality outreach support services to local schools and more widely for children and young people in Kent who have physical disabilities who are attending mainstream schools.
The School always places children and young people at the centre of all decisions it takes and it has a relentless focus on achieving the best possible outcomes for every student.
School location
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