Teaching Assistant and MDSA Combined Role

Teaching Vacancies; Purton; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Part time

Job summary

St Mary's CE Primary School in Purton, Wiltshire, is seeking a dedicated Teaching Assistant to support pupils in class and in small groups, and to contribute to a safe, inclusive learning environment.

The role involves assisting with literacy and maths, supporting pupil wellbeing, and helping with lunchtime supervision and in-class tasks. Term-time only working, safeguarding commitments, and participation in the local government pension scheme are offered.

Qualifications

• Support pupils’ learning, in groups or 1:1, depending on learning support needs.
• Assist with self-esteem, inclusion, and behavioural development while recognising social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• Provide physical and/or personal care to pupils where required.
• Assist teachers by contributing to work plans for individual pupils, reviewing progress, and providing regular feedback.

Responsibilities

• Supporting pupils’ learning, either in groups or 1:1 work, depending on the learning support needs of the pupil/s.
• Supporting pupils’ self-esteem, inclusion, and behavioural development while recognising their social, emotional and mental health needs.
• Providing physical and/or personal care to pupils where required.
• Supporting teachers, e.g., by contributing to work plans for individual pupils, reviewing progress and providing regular feedback.
• Supporting the curriculum, by delivering literacy and mathematics alongside other subjects.
• Supporting the school, e.g., setting up of classrooms, appropriate use of resources, helping to ensure the hygiene of the teaching environment, dealing with accidents.
• Supervision of pupils during lunchtime activities, particularly social interactions.
• Become part of the Play Team, prepared to work proactively to maintain our OPAL Platinum status.
• Ensuring first aid is administered and paperwork completed where necessary and in line with school first aid policy.
• To be aware at all times of the need to safeguard children and follow school policies accordingly. (Mandatory)

Job description

Teaching Assistant and MDSA Combined Role

What skills and experience we're looking for

Overview:

To assist in the support and inclusion of children both in class and in small groups/one-to-one outside of the classroom.

To ensure the safety, welfare and good conduct of pupils during the midday break period in accordance with the

practices and procedures of the school and local authority.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Supporting pupils’ learning, either in groups or 1:1 work, depending on the learning support needs of the pupil/s.
• Supporting pupils’ self-esteem, inclusion, and behavioural development while recognising their social, emotional and mental health needs.
• Providing physical and/or personal care to pupils where required.
• Supporting teachers, e.g., by contributing to work plans for individual pupils, reviewing progress and providing regular feedback.
• Supporting the curriculum, by delivering literacy and mathematics alongside other subjects.
• Supporting the school, e.g., setting up of classrooms, appropriate use of resources, helping to ensure the hygiene of the teaching environment, dealing with accidents.
• Supervision of pupils during lunchtime activities, particularly social interactions.
• Become part of the Play Team, prepared to work proactively to maintain our OPAL Platinum status.
• Ensuring first aid is administered and paperwork completed where necessary and in line with school first aid policy.
• To be aware at all times of the need to safeguard children and follow school policies accordingly. (Mandatory)

What the school offers its staff

At St Mary’s we have ‘Faith in Everyone to Shine Brightly’.

St Mary's CE Primary School is a modern, thriving, large village school in Purton, a village in North Wiltshire, on the outskirts of Swindon. We have a vacancy for an enthusiastic, inspiring and caring teaching assistant.

Do you Shine Brightly? If you do, we’d love you to join our glowing team!

We can offer you:

• Term-time only working
• Enrolment into the local government pension scheme
• Commitment to safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and have a culture of vigilance in all aspects of safeguarding and child protection. In accordance with Section 237 of Keeping Children Safe in Education, September 2025, this role meets the definition of Regulated Activity and an enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information will be undertaken prior to commencement of employment. All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’ and not subject to disclosure to employers.