School Meal Supervisory Assistant

St Bernard's Catholic Primary School; Catbrain; On-site; GBP 4,500 - 5,200; Part time

Job summary

St. Bernard’s Catholic Primary School is inviting applications for a School Meals Supervisory Assistant (SMSA) to join our caring team during lunchtimes. The role focuses on safety, wellbeing, and positive play for all pupils, within our Catholic ethos.

We seek friendly, caring individuals who can build relationships with children, work well in a team and model high standards of behaviour. The post is permanent, part-time and aligned with school terms.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children or in school support is desirable.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to promote safety, inclusivity and positive behaviour.

Responsibilities

• Support children during lunchtimes to ensure safety and happiness.
• Encourage positive play and social interaction.
• Help children resolve conflicts calmly following school policies.
• Work as part of a supportive team to create a positive lunchtime environment.

Skills

Friendly

Caring

Communication

Team player

Commitment to wellbeing

Job description

School Meals Supervisory Assistant

Permanent Contract

7 hours 30 minutes per week term time only + INSET days

Monday - Friday 12.00 - 13.30

NJC3 - starting annual salary £4,540 (£13.28 per hour)

Job Overview

Join our dedicated team and help make lunchtimes a happy, safe and positive part of every child’s day.

At St. Bernard’s, our children are at the heart of everything we do. We are looking for a friendly, caring and enthusiastic School Meals Supervisory Assistant (SMSA) to join our welcoming and hard-working team.

As an SMSA, you will play an important role in supporting our children during the lunchtime period, helping to ensure that they are safe, happy and well cared for. You will encourage positive play and social interaction, promote good behaviour and help children resolve any differences in a calm and positive way, in line with the school’s Relationship and Behaviour Policy.

You will work as part of our supportive staff team to create a positive lunchtime environment where every child feels included, valued and able to enjoy their break.

This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to our children’s school day while becoming part of a vibrant school community that values kindness, teamwork and high aspirations.

The Successful Candidate Will Be

We are looking for someone who is:

• Friendly, approachable and caring, with good communication skills.
• Motivated, enthusiastic and reliable.
• Able to build positive relationships with children.
• Committed to supporting the wellbeing, safety and inclusion of all pupils.
• Able to encourage and contribute to positive and enjoyable play experiences.
• Able to help children resolve differences in a calm and positive way, following the school’s Relationship and Behaviour Policy.
• Able to promote high standards of behaviour and act as a positive role model.
• Able to work effectively as part of a team.
• Committed to supporting the Catholic ethos and values of our school.

What we offer

You will be joining a warm, welcoming and dedicated team committed to living out our Catholic mission and helping every child achieve their God-given potential.

As recognised in our recent Ofsted inspection:

“The school’s strong culture of care and nurture means pupils feel safe and valued.”

“Pupils enjoy coming to school. They know that staff care about them and will support them with any worries.”

At St. Bernard’s, we can offer:

• Happy children with high standards of behaviour.
• A caring, committed and supportive team to work with.
• Supportive leadership and a collaborative staff team.
• A culture rooted in kindness, respect, empathy and high expectations.
• Friendly colleagues who work hard, support one another and enjoy celebrating success together.
• Appropriate training and opportunities for professional development.
• Access to wider collaboration and support through the Newman Catholic Trust.

We are particularly proud that:

“Pupils behave well and are respectful of others. They are keen to learn and respond well to adults’ high expectations.” — Ofsted, 2025

Why St. Bernard’s?

At the heart of our school is a shared mission to guide children in following the footsteps of Jesus, nurturing their unique gifts and helping them grow into compassionate, respectful and ambitious young people.

St. Bernard’s is a happy, caring school where strong relationships underpin everything we do. Our staff are passionate about supporting our children, and we want every part of their school day — including lunchtime — to be a positive, safe and enjoyable experience.

We are proud of the warm, family atmosphere that makes St. Bernard’s such a special place to work.

“The school is a happy place where pupils can be themselves.” — Ofsted, 2025

If you are caring, enthusiastic and enjoy working with children, we would love to hear from you.

Visits Welcome

We warmly encourage prospective applicants to visit the school and experience the St. Bernard’s family for themselves. Please contact the school office on 0117 903 0352 to arrange a visit.