Thrive Teaching Assistant

Wiltshire; Chippenham; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 12,000; Full time

Job summary

A primary school in Chippenham is seeking a dedicated Thrive Teaching Assistant to join their supportive team. The role involves supporting children with social, emotional, and mental health needs, fostering their academic and personal growth. Ideal candidates will possess empathy, strong communication skills, and a commitment to improving the learning environment. The school offers a positive, inclusive atmosphere, focused on personal development and well-being, and values teamwork and collaboration among staff. Apply today to make a real impact!

Benefits

Excellent pension scheme

Flexible working options

Employee wellbeing support

Professional development opportunities

Retail discounts

Qualifications

• Commitment to support children with SEMH needs.
• Ability to support individual children and groups.
• Excellent communication and liaison skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the learning of specific pupils with SEMH needs.
• Work collaboratively as part of a team.
• Facilitate learning within the classroom and Thrive space.

Skills

Empathy

Proactivity

Communication Skills

Flexibility

Teamwork

Education

Thrive Practitioner training (desirable)

Job description

Salary:

Salary range:
£25,185 - £25,989 FTE / Actual Salary: £10,696 – £11,037 per annum

Hours of work:

18.75 hours per week, 38 weeks per year (term time, excluding TD days)
Working pattern: Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 12.15pm
We’re happy to talk flexible working options in regards to all our roles

Contract type:

Permanent

This is not a Wiltshire Council vacancy therefore please contact Ivy Lane School for further information.

About the role:

We’re looking for someone who is empathetic, proactive, and dedicated to helping children thrive both emotionally and academically and join our dedicated staff team at Ivy Lane Primary School. Thrive Practitioner training is desirable, but we are willing to support the right candidate to gain this qualification.

As a Thrive Teaching Assistant you must be committed and flexible, be able to support groups and individual children with their learning.

The role requires you to support the learning of specific pupils with SEMH needs either within the classrooms or in our dedicated Thrive space. Being able to work as part of a team is essential as well as being able to use your own initiative. The successful candidates will need excellent communication and liaison skills and will be closely supported by teachers.

Full details of the role can be found in the job description and person specification.

The successful applicant will support a community where everyone is encouraged to reach their potential, work together toward shared goals, feel valued, enjoy a positive environment, and build relationships founded on kindness and trust.

Our School:

Ivy Lane School is a two-form entry Primary School in the centre of Chippenham, Wiltshire and is part of the Pickwick Academy Trust. We also have our on-site Sunflowers Nursery which accepts children from the age of 3 years old.

We believe in ‘Learning for Life’, aiming to equip every child with both the skills to be successful beyond their primary years and a life-long appetite for learning. The school community really is a special place to learn. Ofsted Jan 2022 recognised this; ‘Teamwork is central to the work at Ivy Lane to ensure pupils are educated and nurtured well.’

Our school values of ‘Learning, Environment, Others and Ourselves’ underpin our ethos. We place a huge importance on outdoor learning and are very lucky to have Forest Schools Provision. We also have an extensive provision of social and emotional support for our children.

We warmly welcome visits to our school and would be delighted to show you around our school.

Why choose Pickwick Academy Trust?

You’ll be joining a trusted community that is built on shared values and genuine care for every learner. As part of 21 schools, you will benefit from shared expertise, strong professional development, and clear pathways for progression. Our scale allows us to invest in high‑quality training, mentoring, and resources to help you succeed. we offer a supportive, inclusive workplace where staff wellbeing truly matters, including;

• Excellent pension scheme
• Flexible working and family‑friendly policies
• Employee wellbeing support & counselling
• Strong central team support and a real sense of family and belonging
• Staff involvement in shaping key HR policies
• Free eye tests (and glasses if required for your role)
• Free annual flu jab
• Retails Discounts & savings, including Wiltshire Rewards retail savings/ Blue Light Card
• Emergency salary advance scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Ongoing career and professional development

Our vision is to provide the very best education, empowering our children to become lifelong learnings, global citizens and deep thinkers. We are seeking dedicated staff to join our supportive trust and help make a real impact. Our mission is to attract and retain individuals who share our values and vision.

Diversity & Inclusion

As a Diversity & Inclusion employer, we warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups and are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled, neuro‑divergent, or otherwise needing applicants. For any application support, please contact [e-mail].

What we Value in Our Team:

At Pickwick Academy Trust, we welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences. We are looking for colleagues who can work in a way that reflects our values of aspiration, collaboration, inclusion, enjoyment, and nurturing relationships. This means setting clear goals, working respectfully with others, treating everyone fairly, creating a positive environment, and building supportive and consistent relationships with pupils and colleagues. You do not need to “be a certain type of person” to succeed here, what matters is how you work. If you want to support children to do well, enjoy being part of a team, and want to contribute to a warm, inclusive, and ambitious Trust, we would be delighted to receive your application.

How to apply

If you require any further details regarding the role, please feel free to contact Mrs Kerry Nowosielski (Admin Officer) at [e-mail]. We would love to hear from you, we warmly welcome visits to our school and would be delighted to show you around our school.

Please be aware that this role may be closed ahead of the deadline if sufficient applications are received.

To apply, please use the following link https://mynewterm.com/jobs/144705/EDV-2026-ILPS-97198.

If you have used My New Term previously for a Pickwick Academy Trust vacancy, please remember to update it with your current workplace details, references and responsibilities.

• External applicants should nominate their line manager; if they have previously worked in a school, this reference must come from the Headteacher.
• Internal applicants who are applying for a role in a different Pickwick School must nominate the Headteacher from the Pickwick Academy Trust school they are currently working in.
• Internal applicants who are applying for a role in their current school must nominate a senior leader who is not the Headteacher (e.g., Deputy Headteacher, Assistant Headteacher, or the Director of Education for the school).
• Internal applicants to central team roles must nominate a senior leader either from the central team or from the Trust school that they are currently working in.

Closing date: 12.00noon on Wednesday 28th January 2026

Interview Date: Thursday 5th February 2026

Anticipated Start Date: As soon as possible

Pickwick Academy Trust is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, governors, trustees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Please note that this role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. As such, all applicants are required to disclose any criminal convictions, cautions, warnings, or reprimands, even if they are considered “spent.” An enhanced DBS check will be undertaken prior and a requirement to the commencement of any employment.

References will be requested at the shortlisting stage for all roles and may be used during the interview process. If any of your previous employments includes working with children, one referee must be from that role regardless of whether it is your current or most recent position. If you currently work in a Pickwick Academy School, please nominate your current Headteacher. All gaps in employment must be accounted for and explained in the relevant section of the application form.

In accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 and our safer recruitment procedures, an online search will be carried out for all shortlisted candidates. This search will involve reviewing publicly available information to help assess a candidate’s suitability to work with children. Further guidance will be provided to shortlisted candidates, who may be asked to clarify aspects of their online presence.

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