Childcare Assistant - St. Mary the Virgin CE Primary School, Gillingham

We are looking to appoint an outstanding Level 2 qualified Childcare Assistant with energy and enthusiasm and a love for working with young people to join our team. This is a full-time position to cover our nursery provision, Monday to Friday from 8.25am-3.40pm however, part time hours may be considered. This is a wonderful opportunity to join a school within a Trust with great potential, some real strengths and the ability and desire to develop further

Should you wish to arrange a visit to view the School, please do not hesitate to contact the School Office on [email protected] or on 01747 824446 who will be happy to arrange this.

SAST will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. In line with KCSIE guidance, this will be part of safer recruitment checks, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.

Safeguarding responsibilities associated with this role may include engagement in regulatory activity, such as administering first aid or supporting an upset child.  It will have contact with young people on a day-to-day basis.  SAST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification, and the post is subject to safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check and Children’s Barred List check.  The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

SAST recognises the benefit of having a diverse workforce and is committed to building a workforce which reflects diversity from the communities it serves. SAST values the contributions from all staff from a wide range of different backgrounds and actively seeks to promote an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment and at the same time supports fair promotion and cultural acceptance. Under the provision of the Equality Act 2010 SAST welcomes applications from everyone and operates a recruitment process which is fair and does not discriminate against or disadvantage anyone because of their age, disability, gender reassignment status, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

 This role is UK- based and your right to work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.

You are warmly encouraged to visit us in advance of applying. When you visit the school, you will notice the:

• Strong Christian ethos
• Friendly and welcoming atmosphere
• Children that are thriving and enjoying learning
• High expectations of all
• Breadth of experiences and opportunities
• Hard working, committed and caring staff
• Strong local community

There are 240 children on roll.  The School has a Church of England foundation within the Diocese of Salisbury. The school was judged to be Good when last inspected by Ofsted in February 2023 and Excellent when inspected as a Church School in June 2019. We are an innovative school and continue to strive for the very best for all in our community.

We are excited to be part of SAST. There is real strength in coming together with a collective responsibility for all the children’s development and progress between 0-19 years. We believe in preserving schools in their local community. This means that there will be considerable local expertise to support the school and staff with the chance to make a contribution to wider developments.

At the heart of SAST is the desire to work in partnership, to collaborate with others and to be outward facing for the benefit of children and staff. The schools have extensive links beyond the immediate area and are keen to extend these further.

We are looking for someone with high expectations, a love of learning, able to inspire and laugh and enjoy the challenges of this role. You need to be a team player; you will go the extra mile to support children and want to continually develop and pick up the best ideas from around the world in education. In return, you will join a School and Trust that is full of activity, opportunity, and optimism.