Job details
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Fixed term
Full-time equivalent salary
- £23863 - £24659 per annum
Teaching Assistant (Level 3) job summary
Salary: NJC £23,863 - £24,659 (Actual) £28,598 - £29,540 (FTE) + well-being cash plan + pension scheme (LGPS) + additional Lift Schools benefits
Hours: 37 per week, 38 weeks per year
Contract: Fixed Term - until August 2026
Start date: October/November 2025
At Lift Cottingley we're looking for a caring and enthusiastic Level 3 Teaching Assistant with a genuine passion and skill for supporting children and seeing them thrive. At Lift Cottingley we believe every child deserves the best start in life - and your support could make all the difference.
This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the lives of young people.
About the role
As a Level 3 Teaching Assistant, you'll work closely with teachers and the SENCO to support students with a range of classroom based support and/or additional needs. You'll help them access learning, develop confidence and experience success - both in and out of the classroom.
You'll assist with lesson planning and delivery, provide targeted interventions and promote positive behaviour, helping to build a calm, supportive environment where every child can feel safe, valued and understood. As a level 3 teaching assistant, you may also be required to cover lessons for short periods of time, in emergency situations.
The kind of skills we're looking for
We understand every candidate brings a unique blend of experience, but we'd love to see:
* A strong understanding of how children learn, particularly those with additional needs
* Experience within a primary school setting
* Flexibility to work across all areas of the school from EYFS to Year 6
* Clear communication skills - with children, teachers and parents alike
* The ability to stay calm and positive under pressure
* Initiative, flexibility and a proactive attitude
* Confidence working one-to-one or with small groups
* A team-focused mindset and willingness to support across the school
* Commitment to inclusion and promoting every child's right to succeed
* Patience, empathy and a passion for helping children achieve their best
* A level 3 TA qualification or equivalent
About the school
At Lift Cottingley, we are proud to be a vibrant, ambitious school community with a strong sense of purpose and belonging. We combine high expectations for academic achievement with a deep commitment to inclusion, creativity and play. Our children benefit from a unique and evolving site, including large outdoor spaces, an OPAL play programme, a developing forest area, and a growing range of specialist provisions to ensure every child thrives.
We are incredibly proud of our successes, from exceptional outcomes in reading, writing and maths to our national recognition for oracy, inclusion and sustainability. We are an excellent school, with a culture built on collaboration, professional growth and innovation. Staff here know they will be supported, developed and trusted, with regular coaching, dedicated time to focus on what matters, and the chance to shape whole-school initiatives. Our values - big-hearted, unusually brave, pushing the limits and discovering what's possible - are lived daily by children and adults alike.
If you want to join a forward-thinking team where your contribution makes a visible difference, and be part of a community that is ambitious for every child, then Lift Cottingley is the place to grow your career.
Come and visit us:
If you would like to know more about this role or would like to arrange a visit please contact us.
Who is Lift Schools?
We're a diverse and inclusive network of schools with one clear mission; to provide an excellent education to every child - in every classroom, every day. And we do this across each of our 57 schools. As with our students, we want our team to be empowered to do their best work, supported by the best leadership they've ever had.
We acknowledge and appreciate the exceptional efforts of everyone here in making this an incredible organisation.
We offer you:
* Comprehensive training: Access a wide range of developmental training to boost your career.
* Generous benefits: From your pension plan to healthcare and financial support, we've got you covered.
* Lifestyle perks: Enjoy discounted gym memberships, travel deals, and even electric vehicle incentives.
The role is due to commence October/November 2025. This is a fixed term position until August 2026 position.
Closing date: 25th September
Interview date: 1st October
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.
Lift Schools are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.
Lift Schools embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and there is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
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
Lift Schools are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.
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 Cottingley Primary Academy
- School type
- Academy, ages 2 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary
- School size
- 263 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 2 to 11
Welcome to Lift Cottingley and thank you for your interest in our school. I am enormously proud and privileged to serve the children and families of this community as the Headteacher. Lift Cottingley is a happy, warm and nurturing environment for all within it and every member of our team is striving towards creating the outstanding school that our families deserve.
Our school is a very special learning community, filled with dedicated and talented staff, where all students, whatever their ability and background, will flourish. We work hard and care enormously about our pupils. We serve an area of high socio-economic deprivation which brings along with it many challenges, as well as massive rewards. Every day at Lift Cottingley is different and we pride ourselves on the difference that we make each day to the lives of the children we serve. If you are the type of person who is passionate about helping each and every child, has a positive outlook, shows bags of resilience in the face of challenge and wants to inspire children and young people through fun and engaging learning activities then you will fit right in as part of our team.
The staff at Lift Cottingley are our greatest resource and we will nurture and develop you throughout your career. Being part of Lift Schools means every employee at every level is able to access tailored CPD and opportunities to work across the group as they progress. Please read our staff profiles for more information on how this is happening right now for members of my team.
We warmly welcome visitors and hope that you will come and see for yourself just what we are about and whether or not working here is right for you.
Thank you for your interest in our school; we can't wait to meet you!
Kelly Bentley (Headteacher), the staff team and our governors
Our Curriculum
At Lift Cottingley we provide children with a carefully designed curriculum which is based on high quality learning experiences that prepare them both academically and socially to be the best that they can be both now and in the future.
At Lift Cottingley we teach all subjects discretely but make links between where appropriate. PSHCE permeates all that we do and links to our weekly and Rainbow Family assemblies. We also employ a counselling service in the school to support staff and children. To enrich the curriculum we use coaches, theatre groups, peripatetic music support, history and science specialists etc. We also believe that pupils benefit greatly from educational visits and each class has the opportunity to take part in at least one visit per year (with residential stays being part of the curriculum for Y6). We want our curriculum to be exciting for our pupils as we believe that the best learning comes when children are motivated and engaged.
Our Specialism and Awards
Our great science curriculum has enabled us to achieve the Space Education Quality Mark at Gold Level (2016-17).
We are proud to have gained our Primary Science Quality Mark at Silver level (2015-16).
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