* Job title: Junior School Teaching Assistant
* Job Type: Permanent, full time, term time only with plus days, 8am-4:45pm
* Salary: £22,000-24,000 per annum (£25,520-27,840 if full pension flex benefit is utilised)
* Department: Junior School
* Reporting to: Director of Studies
* Location: Highgate, North London, Junior School
An energetic and versatile Teaching Assistant is required for this successful and thriving Junior School for September 2025 to July 2026.
Working as part of a team, under the direction of the Director of Studies, Heads of Year, and the Learning Support Department the Teaching Assistant will support the learning, social and emotional, and physical wellbeing needs of children throughout the Junior School. Teaching assistants are valued members of the school community and are essential to the smooth running of the life of this busy Junior School.
This post might be of particular interest to recent graduates interested in gaining a year’s experience in a highly successful school prior to training to become a teacher.
The Department
‘From the moment you step foot inside our bright and well-resourced building, you will feel the buzz of excitement from our pupils ringing through the corridors. At the heart of our school is a nurturing environment where pupils feel happy, safe and secure so that they can fulfil their potential academically, socially and emotionally and be their very best selves.’ – Philippa Studd, Principal.
Highgate Junior School is one of the largest Key Stage 2 Independent Junior Schools in the country with 445 pupils from Years 3 to 6 in five classes per year group.
We pride ourselves on providing an innovative curriculum which challenges our pupils to be curious, creative and brave in their learning. Our timetable is designed to incorporate both an intellectually rigorous approach to studies alongside skills-based learning. We aim for our pupils to develop a genuine love of learning whilst acquiring a knowledge of how they learn, how to take responsibility for their learning and how to apply their skills and knowledge in a variety of different contexts.
We have a team of staff dedicated to nurturing our pupils’ wellbeing. To develop a sense of community and belonging from day one at Highgate, our pupils all belong to a form group and one of our four houses. We want to nurture in our pupils how to be a reflective and proactive member of the community with a sense of social responsibility and a deep understanding and appreciation of the wide range of heritages, cultures and backgrounds in our diverse society.
The Junior School is located on Bishopswood road, Highgate, in an outstanding purpose-built teaching environment. The deliberate playfulness of the architecture and the openness to our sports fields is the physical expression of our belief in nurturing childhood playfulness and curiosity.
Working as a TA in the Junior School is incredibly rewarding. The children’s love of learning is infectious, and the teaching staff are supportive and actively encourage our contribution to the dynamic curriculum. The environment makes it a pleasure to come to school every day – as do the excellent free lunches!
Job Description
The role of Teaching Assistant is essential to the smooth running of the life of this busy and successful Junior School. Working as part of a team, under the direction of the Director of Studies, Heads of Year, and the Learning Support Department the Teaching Assistant will support the learning and emotional and physical wellbeing of children throughout the Junior School.
Teaching and Learning
* Working alongside class teachers to support and enrich the learning of all individuals within a class
* Working with individual children and small groups to support and enrich learning in all subjects, but particularly in Literacy and Numeracy
* Working closely with Learning Support Department to support children with additional needs
* Working closely with teachers to provide a stimulating learning environment for the children
* Organising class equipment, setting up activities, and clearing up after activities
* Mounting and displaying children’s work
* Assisting teachers with the preparation of classroom materials to include photocopying and laminating
* Assisting teachers with marking and data entry
* Taking registration if a form tutor is absent
* Supervision of a class for short periods of time
* Occasional covering of lessons where work has been set by the class teacher
* Joining in professional discussions and staff meetings during the school day and after school
* Liaising with teachers, Heads of Year, the Learning Support Department and the Director of Studies regarding the progress of individual children
* Keeping form tutors and any other relevant members of staff informed about any matters that affect the children
* Accompanying and assisting on School visits and outings as well as in the running of workshops and events held at School
* Attending the school’s Open Day
* Supporting at evening events eg drama productions, music concert
Pastoral Care
* Taking care of children in the classroom and School buildings; comfort them when they are sick and distressed; assisting them with washing or cleaning when necessary (e.g. after being sick); give individual attention when it is required
* Supervising children at break times as needed. Help children acquire strategies for coping with the playground environment; making sure that they are safe, obeying the playground rules and learning the arts of cooperation and fair play
* Supervising children at lunchtime in the Dining Hall, encouraging healthy eating and good table manners
* Administering basic first aid when the children are hurt
* Accompanying children as required as they move from one building to another
* Helping children prepare for sport, exercise and swimming lessons, supervising them changing where necessary
These duties and responsibilities are intended as a guide. They are not exhaustive: the Teaching Assistant will be expected to undertake any reasonable task or responsibility as required by the Director of Studies, Assistant Principal Pastoral or the Principal of the Junior School.
Person Specification
* Qualifications/Experience
Essential
o Minimum 5 GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths
o Previous experience of working with children of this age group, ideally within a Junior School setting
Desirable
o Graduate qualification or equivalent
o First Aid Certificate/First Aid for Children Certificate
o An appropriate childcare qualification
* Skills/Knowledge
Essential
o ICT competence
o Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
o Literate and numerate to a high level
o Able to show initiative and work without supervision
o Able to manage and prioritise workloads, commitments and deadlines
o Ability to work as part of a team
Desirable
o Artistic flair to create displays and resource
* Personal Attributes
Essential
o Friendly, sympathetic and supportive
o Empathy for pupils, staff and the community
o Energetic, motivated and enthusiastic
o Willing to make a full contribution to the life of the school
o Reliability and punctuality
o A healthy sense of humour
o A ‘can do’ attitude and, most importantly, the flexibility needed to work successfully in the Junior School environment
Location |Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered – 26% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 16% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.
Personal development |Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.
Leisure facilities |Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).
Lunch |A complimentary lunch including hot meals, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and dessert.
Help with sustainable travel |Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.
Family-friendly policies |Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks’ full pay, then 10 weeks’ half pay) and paid dependant leave.
At the heart of our school is a nurturing environment where pupils feel happy, safe and secure.
Working at Highgate
A culture of community, kindness and belonging
Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
Following a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in September 2024 to assess Highgate’s regulatory compliance and school standards, we are pleased to share the inspection findings, which reports compliance in all five areas and a ‘significant strength’ in our teaching expertise.
Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
A fun, collaborative and forward-thinking environment with a real sense of community
Charitable work and sustainability
As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Application procedure
* Closing Date: 30th April 2025
* Video Interview: w/c 5th May 2025
* In-Person Interview: w/c 12th May 2025
Contact: Alison Lloyd, Director of Studies JSis happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
Safeguarding
As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you apply
Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities. DBS Privacy Policies
Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. DBS Code of Practice
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.
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