Early Years Teaching Assistant (Maternity cover)

Cornwall Council Jobs and Careers; Bodmin; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Wellbeing support

Retail discounts

CPD opportunities

Network across Kernow Learning

Job summary

Beacon Academy in Bodmin, Cornwall, is seeking a dedicated Teaching Assistant to join our Early Years team on a fixed-term maternity-cover contract. You will support learning, reinforce progress with individuals and groups, and help create an inclusive, positive classroom environment.

The role requires good communication, patience and a commitment to safeguarding. Experience in a primary school is desirable, and you will work as part of Kernow Learning to deliver high-quality learning across our

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a primary school setting is desirable.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of high-quality teaching and learning in the classroom.
• Work with individual pupils and small groups to reinforce learning.
• Create a positive, inclusive and engaging learning environment.
• Support pupils' social, emotional and personal development.
• Encourage positive behaviour and student engagement in activities.
• Collaborate with teachers and staff to meet pupil needs.
• Prepare, organise and maintain learning resources and environments.
• Monitor pupil engagement and progress and provide feedback to staff.
• Contribute to wider school life, including visits and events.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in line with policies.

Skills

Communication skills

Patience

Teamwork

Job description

We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Teaching Assistant to join our skilled and supportive Early Years team. This role is offered on a fixed-term basis as maternity cover and is expected to continue until June 2027, subject to the return of the postholder. This is an exciting opportunity to play a vital role in helping children flourish within a school community committed to excellence. The successful candidate will be passionate about working with children and will have the communication skills, patience and commitment needed to inspire confidence, nurture potential and support every child to be their very best. Experience of working within a primary school setting is desirable.

Beacon is a primary school and nursery for children aged 3 to 11 years, with an Area Resource Base for pupils from the age of 4. We hope that children will join us from the age of 3, when they can enjoy our fantastic outdoor nursery, and then thrive through each year group up to Year 6. At the end of Year 6, we say goodbye to our confident, well-rounded young people as they move on to secondary school equipped with the skills they need to succeed in the next stage of their education and beyond. We are incredibly proud that Beacon is the only accredited Talk for Writing Training Centre in the South West.

We have three key values at Beacon Academy: Be Brilliant, Be Brave, Believe. These values work in partnership with our Trust Core Shared Values and our Trust philosophy of 'work hard, be honest and help others'. Our three school values underpin everything we do. We want every child and every member of our community to hold these values close at all times. We are confident that these values enable every child and member of our school community to Shine Brightly.

Kernow Learning is a multi-academy trust of 21 primary schools in Cornwall. We believe that our Trust is at the precipice of something great. Through a blend of collective strength and individual school autonomy, our schools work together to extend their offer beyond expectations in their pursuit of excellence. Our Trust is not insular; we embrace collaboration, innovation and development. Our English Hub supports schools across Cornwall to secure children's early reading, whilst our Teaching School Hub, as a partner in One Cornwall, provides services to schools across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in relation to areas such as the Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications.

As part of Kernow Learning, you will join a Trust that is committed to Building Excellent Schools Together, where colleagues are empowered to grow, collaborate and make a meaningful difference to the lives of children and families across Cornwall.

The successful candidate will be:

• Able to work effectively as part of a team
• Committed to ongoing professional development and reflective practice
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children
• Able to build positive and professional relationships with children, with a sound understanding of the primary curriculum
• Able to provide effective classroom support and promote positive behaviour for learning
• Able to lead learning activities for individuals and groups of pupils

Key Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of high-quality teaching and learning within the classroom.
• Work with individual pupils and small groups to reinforce learning and promote progress.
• Contribute to the creation of a positive, inclusive and engaging learning environment.
• Support pupils' social, emotional and personal development.
• Encourage positive behaviour and help pupils to engage fully in learning activities.
• Work collaboratively with teachers and other staff to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Assist with the preparation, organisation and maintenance of learning resources and classroom environments.
• Monitor and record pupil engagement and progress, providing feedback to teaching staff as appropriate.
• Contribute to the wider life of the school, including educational visits, enrichment activities and school events where required.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of all children and uphold the school's policies and procedures.

Benefits

• A competitive salary and membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• A real commitment to wellbeing, including access to 24/7 wellbeing services and an employee assistance programme
• Access to discounts with national and local retailers and service providers
• A range of CPD and training opportunities, both internally and externally, including learning from local and national speakers and specialists to support your professional growth
• The support and expertise of our networks of colleagues across our schools and Shared Services teams

Find out more about what it is like to work at Kernow Learning on our website: https://www.kernowlearning.co.uk/vacancies

Kernow Learning places the safeguarding and welfare of children at the heart of everything it does and follows safer recruitment practices. The successful candidate will be expected to share this commitment and will be required to undertake all appropriate pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS disclosure, prohibition checks, Section 128 checks and social media/online presence checks.

Unfortunately, Kernow Learning is not a sponsoring organisation for overseas candidates. This means that the successful candidate will need to possess the right to work in the UK or be able to secure the right to work in the UK independently.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

If you require any part of the application pack in an alternative format, or require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your needs.

Beacon Academy
38 Robartes Road
Bodmin
Cornwall
PL31 1JQ

This is not a Cornwall Council vacancy therefore please contact the organisation direct for further information.

Organisation address:

Kernow Learning Trust
Registered Office:
The Old Cricket Pavilion,
Treninnick Hill, Newquay,
TR7 2JU

Contact detail: HR

Email: [e-mail]

Website: https://www.kernowlearning.co.uk