Teaching Assistant

Danecourt School, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 6AA

63 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  17 October 2025 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  14 August 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Subject: Special Education Needs (SEN)
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £16,238.78 - £18,469.88 Annually (Actual) Grade D2 ( Point 4 - 11) £16,238.72 - 18,469.88 (Actual) + SEN Allowance £1319 (Actual)

Teaching Assistant job summary

Join Our Supportive Team as a Teaching Assistant and Help Shape Young Lives!

Location: Danecourt School, with satellite provisions at Featherby Primary School (Gillingham) and Bligh Primary School (Strood) Salary: Medway D2 (Point 4 - 11) £16,238.72 - 18,469.88 (Actual) + SEN Allowance £1319 (Actual) Contracted Hours: 28.75 hours per week (8:45 am – 3:15 pm, Monday to Friday Term Time Only! 39 weeks per year Contract: Perm

Are you a passionate, dedicated individual with a heart for supporting children with special educational needs (SEND)? If you thrive in a rewarding, dynamic, and varied, environment, we’d love to hear from you! At Danecourt School, we’re not just about teaching — we’re about making a real difference in the lives of children. We’re seeking enthusiastic and compassionate Teaching Assistants to join our award-winning school and help our pupils reach their full potential.

About the Role

As a Teaching Assistant at Danecourt, you’ll work closely with our teachers to create a nurturing, supportive, and engaging learning environment for primary-aged children with complex needs, including autism and social, emotional, and mental health challenges.

Every day in our classrooms is different — filled with opportunity, challenge, teamwork, and reward. In this role, you will:

• Support individuals or small groups to access learning and develop their independence

• Provide care and emotional support, creating a safe and encouraging space

• Collaborate with teaching staff to deliver creative, inclusive lessons

• Help pupils build confidence, resilience, and a love of learning

• Be part of a dedicated team making a life-changing difference

You may be required to work across any of our three locations: Danecourt School, Featherby Primary (Gillingham), and Bligh Primary (Strood).

Who you Are

We’re looking for someone who:

• Passionate about working with children, especially those with SEND

• Flexible, proactive, and eager to learn every day

• Skilled in communication and able to work as part of a collaborative team

• Calm under pressure and compassionate in approach

• Comfortable providing personal care when needed

• Ideally experienced or qualified in SEND support (e.g. NVQ Level 2 or equivalent)

• Proficient in numeracy and literacy skills, with qualifications equivalent to GCSE Grade A-C.

About Danecourt School:

Danecourt School is a special place where we celebrate every child’s unique abilities and create tailored learning plans that help them achieve their full potential. Our school caters to primary-aged pupils with a variety of special educational needs, including complex learning difficulties, autism, and social, emotional, and mental health challenges. We take pride in our:

• Specialist facilities, including outdoor learning areas, sensory playrooms, and additional therapy support.

• A personalised curriculum designed to meet the specific needs of each pupil.

• A collaborative and supportive environment where every child is valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.

As part of the Maritime Multi-Academy Trust, we benefit from a forward-thinking and innovative approach to education, working alongside other academies to transform lives through collaboration and a curriculum that equips children with essential life skills.

Why Join Us?

Here’s what you can expect:

• A supportive, team-based culture, where collaboration is key across classrooms and satellite provisions

• Clear development pathways, including opportunities to move from TA to teacher through our ‘grow our own’ approach

• Access to regular training, including weekly CPD for support staff to build confidence and expertise

• Involvement in innovation, with the chance to contribute to the Maritime Outreach Support Service

• A strong sense of purpose, where your contribution directly impacts pupil progress, confidence and wellbeing
• Work-Life Balance role, you’ll benefit from the same school holiday schedule, giving you more time to focus on your well-being and enjoy a healthy work-life balance

• Join a school that is proud to be the Winner of the Primary Special School Provision category at the Medway Parents and Carers Forum SEND Awards.

Ready to Make a Difference?

We’d love to welcome you for a visit — come and see what makes Danecourt so special. Please contact the school office on 01634 232589 to arrange.

You’ll find more about the role, school, and Trust in the Candidate Information Pack attached. Apply now via My New Term — we may interview and appoint as applications are received, so don’t delay!

Danecourt School and the Maritime Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We embrace diversity and equal opportunity, striving to build a team that reflects a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. The more inclusive we are, the stronger we become. All appointments are subject to an Enhanced DBS check and online checks in line with the latest safeguarding guidance.

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

Maritime Academy Trust is committed to recruiting with care and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS and pre-employment checks.

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 Danecourt School

• School type: Academy, ages 4 to 11
• School size: 257 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Danecourt School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/danecourt-school

Danecourt is a special school catering for primary aged children who have special educational needs. The school caters for children with a wide breadth of need including complex learning difficulties, autism and social emotional mental health needs.

At Danecourt our mission is to provide all pupils with a “stimulating learning environment that allows children to explore through a personalised curriculum to become STARS!

Self reliant Team Player Aspirational Resilient Successful

The highly trained staff teams maintain high expectations of what each individual pupil is able to achieve, striving to ensure that they all achieve their maximum potential; celebrating difference and encouraging curiosity and creativity. Staff work collaboratively with families and a range of other agencies in order to meet the pupils needs and as a result, they make strong progress academically, emotionally and socially. Pupil achievement is hugely valued and celebrated in a manner that is meaningful and appropriate for each pupil.

School location

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