Strood Academy is seeking to appoint an enthusiastic Teaching Assistant (Apprentice) to support teachers in creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment. Working within a classroom, the successful candidate will join a well-established team and will assist with the delivery of lessons, providing tailored support to pupils of all abilities across the curriculum. Applicants should be adaptable, personable, and committed to contributing positively to the school and wider Trust. Above all, our ideal candidate will bring a positive work ethic and a proactive, can-do attitude. We are particularly interested in candidates who have a passion for the arts and are keen to support our vibrant and creative art department. The basis of the role is fixed term for the duration of the apprenticeship (12-18 months approximately), 37 hours per week, Term Time 1 week inset. Our successful candidates will work towards a nationally-recognised Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification, delivered by LAT Apprenticeships. Click here to read more about LAT Apprenticeships. Apprenticeship Summary Annual wage: Actual salary 11,740 per annum (Apprenticeship salary FTE 13,725) Working weeks: Monday - Friday, Term Time 1-week inset Total hours per week: 37 (including the 20% training element of the Apprenticeship) - start and finish times to be agreed Apprenticeship duration: 18 months approx. Anticipated start date: September 2025 Apprenticeship level: Advanced Level Apprenticeship (Level 3) Apprenticeship standard: Teaching Assistant Essential entry qualifications: GCSEs A - C, Maths and English (desirable) Click here to view the Programme Information Guide Future prospects: This apprenticeship could be the start of a very promising career within the wider teaching support remit. Your employer will endeavour to offer further employment following successful performance and completion of the Level 3 course with future opportunities to extend your training with a higher level apprenticeship programme. You ll receive Continuing Professional Development and you ll be part of a highly experienced student support team you ll be learning from the very best Working for Strood Academy: Since opening in 2009, our academy has transformed the educational opportunities and outcomes for girls and boys in Strood. The improvement in academic performance has been driven by a talented and committed workforce, the hard work of our students, and support from parents and our community. Our new buildings in Carnation Road were designed in partnership with Nicholas Hare and built by BAM as our main contractor at a cost of 26m. They opened in September 2012 and have outstanding learning environments and outside play areas as well as fantastic sports facilities. The buildings reflect our education vision of creating a mature and purposeful educational environment where children of all abilities can learn and thrive. Our vision is to be an inclusive community where we are all kind, respectful and resilient in our journey towards excellence. Our students thrive through an enriching and diverse curriculum that offers a global perspective, empowering all to become inquisitive lifelong learners. Our core values are to be: Inquisitive Respectful Resilient Kind Our purpose at Strood Academy is to: nurture students aspirations and build resilience within an environment of tolerance, respect and empathy; shape leaders within a global community; develop and celebrate knowledgeable and inquiring minds to promote lifelong learning and; help young people develop into well-educated, considerate and caring citizens. We have a growing roll call of 1400 children, including 200 in Sixth Form. Working in our academy takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but for the right individuals, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience and contribute significantly to personal and professional development. Why work at Strood Academy? Our recent OFSTED inspection has confirmed that the academy continues to be judged Good and is very strong in many aspects and areas. The full report can be found on our website and I would like to share a quote which reflects the culture and ambition we all have for our students. The principal advocates a culture of high expectations, aspirations and traditional values. Leaders high expectations are reflected in the ambitious International Baccalaureate curriculum. This provides a global perspective which encourages pupils to be inquisitive lifelong learners. To read the full report please click here. Centralised behaviour system and detentions - simple for teachers to follow allowing disruption-free classrooms. Our commitment to the development of all staff - CPD on Wednesday afternoons and the opportunity to collaborate with staff from other schools in the LAT. Also, all staff at Strood receive regular coaching feedback through our online platform on-track. Strood Academy is easily accessible by A2 and the high-speed train can allow for travel into London in less than 30 minutes. We have a common sense approach to workload. All teachers are expected to feedback or live-mark. We also work closely as a Trust allowing for centralised resources to be shared across our secondary schools. Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st September 2024, our Trust comprises 33 geographically organised academies (17 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating more than 24,000 students and employing 4,000 talented staff. Currently, 16 of our academies are considered to be Outstanding which is 53% of those which have been inspected whilst part of the Trust. The Trust is establishing three clusters of academies: LAT Central; LAT West; LAT North. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region s biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider. Our future plans are found in our Vision 2030 document available on our website. As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation. Click here to view the benefits available to all LAT employees from day one. Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about this in our Recruitment Guidance. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check. Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which are why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds. Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Leigh Academies Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy sooner than the specified closing date. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.