Job Description

Post: Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Hours: 32.5 hours per week

Term Time plus inset days (38 weeks per annum)

Contract: Permanent contract

Salary: Scale 5, Points 10 £20,294.69 per annum (full time equivalent salary £27,693.80)

Start date: ASAP

Location: St James the Great Church of England Primary and Nursery School Colchester

An opportunity has arisen to join our wonderful school community as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant.

The successful candidate must:

· Be an excellent classroom practitioner who is child centered.

· Work well as part of a team.

· Display a professional attitude.

· Be able to use their own initiative.

· Remain calm under pressure.

· Be committed to supporting the vision and values of our Church school.

· Good literacy and numeracy skills.

· Good organizational skills.

· Ability to build effective working relationships with pupils and adults.

· Skills and expertise in understanding the needs of all pupils.

· Knowledge of how to help adapt and deliver support to meet individual needs

· Subject and curriculum knowledge relevant to the role, and ability to apply this effectively in supporting teachers and pupils

· Excellent verbal communication skills

· Active listening skills

· Knowledge of guidance and requirements around safeguarding children and a commitment to ongoing training in this area

· Good ICT skills, particularly using ICT to support learning

· Have longstanding experience in the classroom.

We can offer:

· the school that has had recent and successful Ofsted inspection

· friendly, polite, and well-behaved children who enjoy learning

· a welcoming school with a friendly and dedicated team

· support and professional development opportunities both within school and across our trust

· a happy working environment

We warmly welcome visits to the school to discuss the post.

The position will start in school as soon as possible.

If you would like to apply, please complete the online application form via Essex School Jobs. Alternatively, please complete the Vines Trusts application form and return to maria.chinegwu@dcvst.org

Applications closing date is Midnight 18th of September 2026

Interviews will be held on rolling basis

Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The appointment will be subject to a successful enhanced DBS check and additional pre- employment checks. A full job description and person specification, our Privacy Notice and our Recruitment & Selection Policy Statement are attached.

Information about the School

As a Church of England school, we have Christian Values at the centre of all we do as we teach the children how to aim high, using their skills and talents to achieve whatever they aim for.

Learning at St James’ is exciting and fun, children get messy and enjoy talking about their learning. Classrooms are vibrant and full of resources to make sure that pupils obtain the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need to thrive. Our pupils are hard-working individuals who enjoy their learning and who support each other to improve.

Our Christian school has a strong ethos to ensure pupils achieve. The school has a supportive staff team who are committed to improving learning outcomes for pupils.