Teaching Assistant

Job Introduction

We are looking for a bright, caring and firm individual who enjoys working with children and who will relish the opportunity to help with the pastoral and academic development of our able pupils. The successful candidate will be part of a friendly team responsible for one Year 3 and two Year 4 classes and will enjoy being involved in all aspects of busy school life. The Teaching Assistant will help teachers with lesson preparation and provide extra support for our pupils, both individually and within small groups. Outside of lessons, the Teaching Assistant will not only provide supervision of pupils at break times and on educational visits, but they will also fulfil a range of administrative tasks, such as creating display boards and preparing resources. Westminster Under School is a supportive and inspiring working environment, with exceptionally motivated pupils and teachers.

Main Responsibilities

Role requirements

Supporting the learning of pupils:

• Support the learning of pupils through assisting junior teachers in the classroom.
• Assist with the preparation of materials for learning, including setting up classroom equipment.
• Help to keep the classroom in good order.
• Help pupils who need extra support to complete tasks individually and in groups.
• Basic marking of pupils’ work.

Supporting the class teachers:

• Assist with classroom administration tasks e.g. labelling books, trays etc.
• Liaise regularly with class teachers.
• Assist with the preparation and display of pupils’ work.
• Help staff and pupils on school trips and outings, and at school events.
• Any other tasks as may be reasonably required by the Head of Juniors.

Playground supervision:

• Supervise pupils, including playground and lunchtime supervision and during school break times.
• Liaise with First Aiders to support any first aid needs as necessary.

There is opportunity and scope to develop the outdoor play for our pupils and possibly to attend training courses in this area.

Hours of work

8.00am – 4.30pm, term-time only

Holidays

This is a term-time only post (including INSET days) and holidays are, therefore, taken in the School’s main holidays.

The Ideal Candidate

Please refer to the attached person specification.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster Under School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

About The School

Working at Westminster Under School

Westminster Under School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of 292 pupils, 43 teaching staff and 50 support staff.

Westminster Under School is a friendly and welcoming place to work. There is a real sense of community here and staff members quickly become part of the rhythm of life, both inside and outside the classroom. Social events are regular and varied, with plenty of opportunity to socialise outside working hours. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending a concert or a sports fixture.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster Under School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster Under School is a great environment for happy and purposeful pupils, and for all the staff who support them. Our aim is to produce well-rounded individuals with a love of learning and an enthusiasm for life, and who relish coming into School each day. All members of staff play an important role in ensuring that day-to-day processes at the School run smoothly, and in turn helping each and every pupil to enjoy and benefit from all that the School has to offer.

The Under School is a day school with approximately 292 pupils aged between 7 and 13. The School was founded in 1943 in the precincts of Westminster School in Little Dean’s Yard, just behind Westminster Abbey. The 17 boys with whom it began rapidly became 60 in number and by 1950 there were 80 boys in the Under School. The boys had to compete for space with the senior school pupils who had returned from evacuation at the end of the war, but in 1951 the Under School acquired its own premises in Eccleston Square. Numbers of pupils continued to rise during the 1960s and 1970s and in 1981 the School moved once again to its present site overlooking the Westminster playing fields in Vincent Square. A stone’s throw from the same Square is the striking Art Deco Sports Hall, which is used by both Westminster Under and Westminster Great School pupils.

To this day, the Under School enjoys a strong and important bond with Westminster Great School. Both schools foster a deep sense of the importance of independent thought and the ethos of a liberal education, giving them a unique shared identity. It is usual for Under School pupils to be offered a place at the Great School, and the vast majority accept their offers, continuing on until they leave the School in Year 13.

Package Description

Required for: September 2024

Location: Vincent Square - Westminster Under School

Contract: full-time (term-time only), permanent

Salary: £24,275 per annum pro rata equating to £32,414.26 per annum FTE . This is term-time only role.

Deadline for applications: midday, Wednesday 17th April. Interviews will follow shortly after the closing date.