EY SEND Teaching Assistant

The governors of Kelsall Primary and Nursery School are seeking to recruit a caring, skilled and enthusiastic Teaching Assistant to join our inclusion team, working within our Early Years provision.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant difference to a child's early educational journey at a crucial stage of development. The successful candidate will support children with additional needs in our Reception class.

Working under the direction of the class teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), you will help provide a nurturing, inclusive and communication-rich environment where every child is known, valued and able to flourish. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience of supporting children with speech, language and communication needs, social communication differences and emerging special educational needs.

The successful candidate will be skilled at building positive relationships, supporting communication and engagement through play, and helping children access the curriculum and wider provision. Most importantly, they will believe that every child deserves to feel a strong sense of belonging and experience success.

You will join a supportive and experienced team who are committed to inclusive practice and ensuring that all children thrive. The successful candidate will have opportunities to work alongside external professionals and further develop their expertise in supporting children with additional needs.

This role will require working with the class teacher to plan and deliver high-quality inclusive practice. This includes:

Supporting children's communication, interaction and engagement through play-based learning opportunities.

Using visual supports, communication strategies and structured routines to help children access learning and provision.

Working alongside the class teacher, SENCO and external professionals to implement, review and adapt support strategies.

Supporting children's social, emotional and behavioural development through nurturing and consistent approaches.

Establishing positive and supportive relationships with children and their families.

Carrying out observations and contributing to assessment information that supports planning and next steps for learning.

Working with children individually and in small groups to develop communication, confidence, independence and participation.

In addition to being an important member of our fantastic team, we can offer:

Annual pay increases on a national pay scale

Pro-rated annual leave of 26 days + bank holidays (rising to 31 days after 5 years’ service) + bank holidays

Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme

Annual Flu Jab

The post is term time only - Monday to Friday 8.30am - 1.00pm.

Kelsall Primary and Nursery School was a founding school of Cheshire Academies Trust and maintained its Outstanding judgement by Ofsted in February 2024. We are a forward-thinking and creative school that embrace an Expeditionary Learning approach to education. We promote crew culture, which impels all members of a school community to work together as a team. At Kelsall, crew culture is an engine for equity and inclusion, a place where all children feel they belong and can succeed. The successful candidate will be encouraged to engage in the full life of the school community, demonstrate enthusiasm and work collaboratively within our experienced team. We are looking for an outstanding team player, with a sense of humour.

Please read our job description and person specification closely. If you think you may be the candidate we are looking for and would like further information, or an informal discussion, please contact Amanda Crowder on 01829 752811 or email: businessmanager@kelsall.cheshire.sch.uk. We would like to offer all potential candidates the opportunity to visit our school and find out more about the role. Visits will take place by appointment please contact the school to make an appointment.

CAT Academies are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. This includes a request for references, prior to interview. Shortlisted candidates are expected to provide evidence of qualifications at interview and a satisfactory, enhanced DBS check will be undertaken before final confirmation to the successful candidate.

We warmly welcome applications from every suitably qualified member of our local community. We regret that we are unable to provide feedback on the shortlisting process. If we have not been in touch with you by 7th September then, unfortunately, your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.