SEND Teaching Assistant

• Bucklesham Primary School
• Address: Main Road, Bucklesham, Suffolk IP10 0AX
• Salary: £26,428 - £26,847 per annum (pro rata), grade 3.5 / 3.6, 38 weeks per year
• Hours: 30 hours per week
• Contract: Permanent, required from January 2027
• Reference: 5740.

Bucklesham Primary School are seeking an enthusiastic and caring Teaching Assistant who will join our dedicated and friendly team in our ‘small, caring school which has a big vision for children’s lives’ (Ofsted, July 2024).

We are looking for a permanent teaching assistant to support the needs of our children, initially in our Year 3 and 4 mixed age class, working 1 to 1 with a child, 5 days a week, 8.30 am - 3.30 pm (lunch 12 pm -1 pm). There is also the potential option of working 7.45 am-8.30 am each day to run our small Breakfast Club as an additional contract. This will ideally be one person for consistency, but we could consider a job share.

You would ideally have experience of working in a school and knowledge of adapting the curriculum for SEND children. Knowledge of delivering interventions would be an advantage, such as speech and language, Little Wandle phonics, precision teaching, Spelling Stories.

Your responsibilities

You will be:

• working in our school and supporting an individual child, or group of children as the teacher directs
• working under the direction of a teacher following class planning and supporting children
• feeding back to the teacher and commenting on progress towards the set targets
• supporting individual children within the class and on the playground
• preparing work such as group games, 1:1 directed work, or interventions using a variety of methods.

What you will need

You will need to:

• be flexible and adaptable
• be calm and patient
• be cheerful and friendly
• have great interpersonal and communication skills
• be able to use own initiative as well as being able to work as part of a team
• have a good understanding of the Key Stage you are working in
• have the ability to take the initiative and adapt work to the child or situation
• value our children in their richness and diversity
• be committed to our school vision for all adults and children to be ‘working hard, aiming high’
• be committed to safeguarding children

• have the ability to work both in the classroom and out of the classroom.

About us

Located in a small village just outside of Ipswich, the school is driven by a strong, nurturing ethos which supports the development of the whole child. The school has four mixed age classes, and we are keen to appoint an enthusiastic and highly motivated teaching assistant who can contribute to the delivery of a creative, engaging and challenging curriculum. We are looking for a positive practitioner who is passionate about supporting the development of children. You will be committed, enthusiastic and enjoy interaction with children, setting good examples and building confidence. You will have good inter- personal skills including the ability to use judgement and common sense and be able to work on your own, using your initiative. You will ideally have experience of working in mixed age classes and with SEND pupils.

What we will offer you

We can offer:

• a ‘good’ school (Ofsted, July 2024)
• ‘pupils who are calm and respectful’ (Ofsted, 2024)
• a supportive governing body, parents and community
• a nurturing and caring place to work
• a commitment to your professional development and wellbeing
• enthusiastic, friendly, committed and supportive staff
• rigorous processes to promote the safety and wellbeing of all children and staff.

For more information

To find out more or book a tour of the school, please contact Rachael Rudge, Headteacher by calling 01473 659389.

How to apply

Please read the Application Guidance for School Support Staff (Word) and complete an Application Form for School Support Staff (Word) which should be returned to rachael.rudge@bucklesham.suffolk.sch.uk

Closing date: 9 am, 30 November 2026.

Interview date: 4 December 2026.