Teaching Assistant (Early Years)

EQUA Mead Learning Trust; Mead (WA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

EQUA Mead Learning Trust seeks an energetic Early Years Teaching Assistant to join their team at Castle Mead School. The role supports learning, delivers planned activities for small groups, and helps children develop academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

Start date mid-September 2026, 37.5 hours/week, 39 weeks/year, with safeguarding responsibilities and a nurturing environment. The successful candidate will collaborate with teachers, prepare learning resources, monitor progress,

Qualifications

• Level 2 qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning.
• Early Years or school-based experience desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support learning and deliver planned activities for small groups.
• Help children develop academically, socially, emotionally and physically.
• Support individual pupils, assess needs, and adapt learning activities.
• Encourage children to reach their full potential and promote inclusion, independence and positive behaviour.
• Support welfare and personal care where required and help maintain a safe, stimulating environment.

Education

Level 2 qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning

Job description

Key Role Information

• Salary: £25,185 - £26,824 per annum pro rata | £21,392 - £23,300 per annum
• Job type: Full Time
• Contract type: Fixed Term
• Closing: 02/09/2026 09:00
• Interview: Week commencing 07 September 2026
• Contract term: TTO - Term time only
• Pay grade: Grade D or E depending on experience
• Key stage: Early Years
• Hours per week: 37.50
• Weeks per year: 39.000
• Visa sponsorship: No

Your Role

The working hours for this role are expected to be 37.5 hours per week, 39 weeks per year. The start date for this role is 14 September 2026. Breakfast and After School Club hours are also available and desirable. Castle Mead School is seeking to appoint an energetic and passionate Early Years Teaching Assistant to join their team. As a member of staff within our Trust, you will contribute to a collaborative working environment and play a key role in supporting the learning and development of all pupils. Join our Early Years team as a Teaching Assistant and help create a nurturing, engaging, and inspiring environment where young children can thrive. You will work closely with teachers to support learning, deliver planned activities for small groups, and help children develop academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. The role involves supporting individual pupils, assessing needs, adapting learning activities, and encouraging children to reach their full potential. You will play a vital role in promoting inclusion, independence, positive behaviour, and self-esteem for all children, including those with additional needs. Duties include preparing learning resources, monitoring progress, providing feedback to teachers, and supporting the delivery of the Early Years curriculum. You will also help maintain a safe, organised, and stimulating learning environment while supporting children’s welfare and personal care where required. We are looking for a caring, enthusiastic, and adaptable individual with excellent communication and organisational skills and a genuine passion for working with young children. Candidates should hold a Level 2 qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning or equivalent, with Early Years or school-based experience desirable. The successful applicant will be committed to safeguarding, promoting the welfare of children, and building positive relationships with pupils, families, and colleagues. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful difference to children's early educational experiences as part of a supportive and dedicated school community.

About EQUA Mead Learning Trust

EQUA Mead Learning Trust is a leading educational institution based in Wiltshire. Dedicated to providing high-quality education to students from diverse backgrounds. Members of staff across EQUA Mead will be committed to improving the life chances of the pupils we educate and ensure we give Every Child, Every Chance. As a growing Trust, currently educating almost 6000 pupils across 22 different schools (pre-school, primary, secondary, and sixth form) we are immensely proud of our staff and endeavour to be an employer of choice. This is an exciting time as we continue to grow the number of schools and children we support.

About Us

Our family of like-minded schools collaborate to provide mutual support, share best practice and learn from each other, whilst retaining and developing each school’s distinctive character. We believe all children and young people have the right to a great education and we seek to improve the life chances of all those we serve; it is our mission to give Every Child, Every Chance of success. Across our Trust, we want our children and young people to be inspired by their learning, and to instil in them a motivation and aspiration to succeed in all they do. Our schools are highly inclusive and we are proud to have high expectations of our children and young people, encouraging and preparing them to do their very best in their learning both within the curriculum and beyond. High quality teaching is a priority, coupled with strong nurturing support, where adults genuinely care about the wellbeing of the children and young people in their care. It’sour aim to meet the needs of each child individually and we provide the resources and staff to achieve this. Our dedicated team iscommitted to providing a wonderfully creative learning environment to fascinate every child. Aspirations for excellence underpin all that we do; our schools are highly inclusive and we are proud to have high expectations of our children and young people. Children and young people in our schools are happy and safe, motivated to reach their full potential and equipped to become resilient, independent learners . They are prepared to live responsibly and peacefully in the spirit of understanding, and opportunities to develop their creativity, confidence and communication skills are woven into all aspects of school life.

Safeguarding Information

EQUA Mead Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our Recruitment processes follow Safer Recruitment guidance, and all interviews-regardless of role-will include questions relating to safeguarding. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available on our website and complies with the latest Keeping Children Safe in Education. 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’. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be considered. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website. Please note that by applying, you acknowledge that we reserve the right to view any publicly available information published online (including social media platforms) as part of our shortlisting process, in line with current KCSIE guidelines.