About the role: Aspire Academy Teaching Assistant - Advertisement Aspire Academy SEMH Primary School (Part of London South East Academies Trust) Post Title: Teaching Assistant Post Location: Aspire Academy, South Gipsy Road, Welling DA16 1JB Position Status: Full-Time, This job is initially a 1 year contract Contractual Hours: 37 Hours per week 8.30am-4:00 pm – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday 8.30am-4.30pm – Tuesday Contractual Weeks: Term Time (39 weeks per year) Salary: LSEAT H18 £24,994 (pro rata) Post Start Date: Sept 2025 or as soon as possible Closing Date: Friday 5th December 2025 Interview Dates: December 2025 Welcome to Aspire Academy We are a small, specialist primary school in Bexley, providing a nurturing and supportive environment for children aged 5–11 with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Aspire Academy is a unique and rewarding school to work in where no two days are ever the same! We recognise that every child is unique, which is why we take a holistic approach to their education and wellbeing. Our dedicated team works closely with families and supporting agencies to help pupils develop confidence and essential life skills. Through high quality teaching and learning, therapeutic interventions and a focus on personal development, we support every child to progress successfully onto the next stage of their education and their lives. We are proud to be rated Good by Ofsted, with Outstanding recognition for Behaviour and Attitudes, as well as Personal Development. This reflects our commitment to ensuring every child is encouraged and inspired - enabling them to reach their full potential. Your Opportunity We are seeking to appoint enthusiastic teaching assistants to complete our team. The ideal candidate should possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The successful candidates will join a friendly, supportive team with opportunities for further training. Previous experience is not essential, but we are looking for Teaching Assistants who are creative, resilient and enjoy a challenge. A caring and positive approach to working with young people from a range of backgrounds and diagnoses which include SEMH, ASD and ADHD is a must! Your main responsibilities will include: ●Supporting pupils within a class of 8 - 10 pupils to access the curriculum ●Working one to one or small groups with pupils delivering intervention programmes such as phonics ●Offering emotional support to pupils ●Supporting the creation of a calm and productive working environment ●Support students’ individual behaviour targets ●Support students to enable them to participate fully in the social and academic activities within the Academy. We are looking for a committed candidate with these qualifications: ● GCSE Grade 4 or equivalent in English and Maths (desirable) ● Good numeracy and literacy skills Please see the attached Job Description for further details. What benefits can you expect? The development of our employees at Aspire Academy is paramount. To support this, we offer these benefits: ●Local Government Pension Scheme ●Full induction programme ●Team Teach positive behaviour training: Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviour ●Weekly CPD training ●Employee Assistant Programme with 24 hour counselling and support available ●Free parking on site ●Advantages of belonging to a multi-academy Trust (e.g. best practice sharing, Employee Perks Scheme ●Experience working in a SEN / SLD / SEMH environment (desirable) ●NVQ2 for Teaching Assistants or equivalent qualifications or experience (desirable) ●Ability to motivate and inspire ●Ability to adopt a patient, nurturing and resilient approach ●Ability to work flexibly and to adapt to the changing needs of the pupils ●Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing ●Sufficient command of spoken English as defined under the Code of Practice on English language requirements for public sector workers For further information and an informal conversation about the roles please contact co-headteachers Heather Hopkins and/or Julie Arkwright, on 020 8304 1320. Visits to the school are encouraged. The closing date for your application is as stated above. References will be requested for those shortlisted only and prior to interview. Only those shortlisted for interview will be contacted. This post is considered to be a customer-facing position; as such it falls within scope of the Code of Practice on English language requirement for public sector workers. The school therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the person specification. These will be applied during the recruitment/selection and probationary stages. Aspire Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure that we have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across the school. Aspire Academy is committed to equality and diversity in employment practice and service delivery. About The Company London South East Academies Trust’s growing network currently comprises sixteen mainstream, special and alternative provision academies, an outreach service and a music hub, located across Bromley, Bexley, East Sussex, Lambeth and Surrey. Our schools are committed to raising attainment, encouraging aspiration and supporting social mobility for every single pupil, throughout their educational journey and beyond. Our holistic, yet personalised approach, enables children to flourish and achieve their full potential, regardless of their background or learning needs. As a Trust, we provide outstanding support and leadership development opportunities for staff across our schools. We encourage the sharing of best practice, together with high-quality, cost-effective central services to ensure success for all. Our Trust sits within London & South East Education Group, which also includes a multi-campus further and higher education college (London South East Colleges) and a charity (LASER Education Foundation). This unique set-up provides excellent progression pathways for our pupils, as well as extensive development opportunities for staff. Our outstanding teams are dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for all. We know that education has the power to change lives – and by adding further expertise and diversity to our thriving Trust, we can provide even more opportunities for our pupils, our schools and our communities. Equal Opportunities London South East Academies Trust is fully-committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer, and creating a diverse and inclusive workspace, free from discrimination and harassment. We welcome and encourage applications from all, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion/belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, parental status and/or marital/partnership status. As a Disability Confident – Committed employer, we will offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meet the minimum job role criteria. If you have accessibility needs and/or require any adjustments for the application and interview process, please let us know. If a suitable applicant applies, we may close the advert sooner than the closing date. If you have any specific enquires about the role, please email us at lseathr@lsec.ac.uk As the Trust supports a number of children and vulnerable adults, all staff are exempt from Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Accordingly, all staff will be subject to an ‘Enhanced’ DBS (formerly CRB) check, along with a Children’s Barred List check if in regulated activity. Any offers of appointment may be withdrawn if these checks prove to be unsatisfactory to the Trust. Self-disclosure will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you fail to make a full disclosure or provide sight of your DBS certificate then your offer of employment is likely to be withdrawn. The Trust's DBS policy covers the recruitment of ex-offenders which is available upon request.