Teaching Assistant

Elstow School, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9GP

12 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  1st September 2026

• Closing date

  22 June 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  10 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Full-time equivalent salary: £25,105.00 - £25,495.00 Annually (FTE) AS 3-4 £25,105-£25,495 pro rata £20,608-£20,928 dependent on experience

Teaching Assistant job summary

Teaching Assistant

Elstow School is an exceptional primary school that offers a warm, welcoming, and nurturing learning environment for children aged 4-11. We are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Teaching Assistant to join our supportive team and play a key role in motivating and inspiring young learners. In everything we do, we aim to create a positive and safe environment to foster success and impact our students’ lives. We prioritise providing a transformational education for the children and young people in our care, and we are looking for great people with the knowledge and skills to support us in achieving this aim.

At Elstow School we emphasise the importance of kindness, civility, and inclusivity in a text-rich, teacher-led learning environment. We want our pupils to leave our primary schools equipped for success in the next stage of their educational journey, and to achieve this we teach an academic curriculum enhanced by an entitlement to enrichment for all.

We believe in pro-actively supporting pupils to successfully achieve high standards of conduct, resulting in very high expectations, and a calm and consistent learning environment where pupils feel safe, valued and can thrive. We think this makes for a warm and happy school, where teachers can teach and pupils can learn, but moreover enables us to give pupils the foundations they need to lead happy and fulfilling lives.

We are dedicated to providing an outstanding education to every child. Our lovely students, hardworking teachers and staff, and supportive parents create a community that is committed to excellence in all areas of education.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• To work collaboratively with colleagues as part of a professional team, in particular the class teacher, the Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENDCO) and other teaching assistants, working at all times within the school’s policies and procedures
• Within the overall plan set by the class teacher or SENDCo to assist in devising and extending educational activities and in preparation of the curriculum. This may include contributing to the development and implementation of Individual Provision Plans (IPPs) and Personal and Pastoral Support Plans.
• To promote and support the inclusion of all pupils in the learning activities in which they are involved.
• To help assess and systematically record pupils’ progress and achievements, using the results of this monitoring in further support work.
• The successful applicant will join our staff working under the instruction and guidance of experienced teaching staff, to undertake educational activities and attend to the educational, personal and social needs of pupils in order to support their learning and development whilst ensuring their safety.
• At Elstow School we challenge all learners to work hard and achieve as individuals across a broad and engaging curriculum, where learning is at the heart of all we do. Our children are nurtured to show respect for themselves, others and the wider community by developing positive relationships built on our school values.

The successful candidate will have

• Minimum of Level 3 Teaching and Learning Qualification
• GCSE English and Maths (grades A*-C) or equivalent
• Previous experience working with children/young people in an educational setting (minimum of 2 years within the last 5 years)
• Experience of planning and leading small group teaching/interventions desirable
• Good knowledge of SEN
• Good IT skills (with good knowledge of Microsoft applications e.g. word, excel, etc.
• Excellent communication skills
• Team player and the ability to be able to build effective relationships with both colleagues and students
• Able to work using initiative

JOB SPECIFICS

Start date: 1st September 2026

Salary: AS 3-4 £25,105-£25,495, actual pro rata salary £20,608-£20,928 (dependent on experience)

Contract: Fixed Term one year, Term time + inset days, 39 weeks per year, 35 hrs per week, Monday-Friday 8:15am-3:45pm

The Trust reserves the right to interview and appoint a suitable candidate before the deadline date.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding and welfare of children is paramount and all our staff share this view. Applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding and child protection checks including with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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

Safeguarding children enrolled at the School is of paramount importance, and we are fully committed to the protection and safe care of our students. The successful applicants will be required to undertake appropriate checks as well as providing proof of your right to work in the UK.

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 Elstow School

• School type: Academies, Does not apply, ages 4 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 418 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Elstow School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/elstow-school-bedford

In 2017, Elstow School was proud to join Bedford Free School and become part of an exceptional offer to families in Bedford.

Elstow School offers a truly enriched and academic curriculum. We really do believe that our pupils can go on to achieve extraordinary things.

We take our values of We Care, We Share, We do our best, very seriously. They underpin our routines, our curriculum, and what we strive to develop in our pupils.

We work hard on our culture in which the highest expectations and aspirations surround all of our pupils, delivering on our families’ demand for excellent educational opportunities.

We deliver a knowledge-based curriculum to enable our children to go on to excel at secondary school and beyond. We make sure that the latest research informed practice guides our teaching development and this in turn means that the lessons are coherent.

School location

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