Primary School Support Worker, The Community School of Auchterarder, New School Lane, Auchterarder - PKC14041

About the School

Working within Perth & Kinross Council is more than a job, it's about being part of something meaningful. It's about being part of an organisation that puts people at the heart of all we do and provides opportunities to make a real difference by enhancing every life we touch.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Pupil Support Assistant to join our Primary School team, on a fixed term basis (currently temporary until December 2026). The Community School of Auchterarder is an all-through school, comprising Nursery, Primary and Secondary departments serving the community of Auchterarder and surrounding district. We have a roll of approximately 1,100 children and young people across all three sectors. The school is situated in a rural location, approximately 14 miles south of Perth with good road networks to the rest of Perthshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the central belt. Our Associated Primary Schools are Aberuthven, Blackford and Dunning. Our school motto is ‘Strive to Excel’ and, working together, we encourage all children and young people to aspire to be the best they can be. Our aim is to build a community of learners who are:

• Happy
• Engaged
• Ambitious
• Respectful
• Trustworthy

The Community School of Auchterarder, at the HEART of our community. Children and Young People can have a range of needs that are short lived or more long term. These at different points in their education may require additional support.

Main Purpose of the Role and Skills & Experience Required

The PSA role is varied and may include supporting children and young people who present with needs which may include:

• Social and Emotional
• Learning
• Communication
• Physical
• Personal Care

As a Pupil Support Assistant, you will be responsible for supporting children and young people who have additional support needs access the curriculum under the direction of teachers and senior managers. Additional support needs encompass children with complex needs and include those with challenging behaviour and will be expected to support positive behaviour management programmes and contribute to personal learning plans. Other support may involve active learning, assisting pupils with intimate care routines when required, and supervising pupils at lunchtime and playtimes, including in the playground, or out of school events or activities. It is expected the working pattern for these posts will be Monday to Friday during term-time, 9am – 3pm.

We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate:

• A genuine interest in the development of children and their wellbeing.
• Kindness, Empathy, patience and an ability to engage with children and young people.
• Confidentiality in relation to children, young people and their families.
• Experience (paid/voluntary) of supporting children and young people with additional support needs.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 26 July 2026.

Working at Perth & Kinross Council

Our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours.

Here's what we can offer you:

• A generous annual leave package
• 6 days public holiday and an additional discretionary day
• Eligibility to join our pension scheme
• Family friendly and positive work/life balance policies such as Flexible Working, Maternity, Paternity & Adoption leave, time off for volunteering and our Wellbeing Framework
• Access to a range of benefits

A healthy work life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and, where possible, flexible working arrangements to help you achieve that balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development. All new employees have a four-month probationary period.

Next Steps

We would love to hear from you and would encourage you to get in touch with Natasha Conway, Business Manager at tcsoacontact@pkc.gov.uk to find out more.

External candidates are required to provide 2 references, including email addresses. One of these must be your current or most recent employer. Internal applicants applying for secondment must obtain line manager approval through the secondment form available under My Forms – Secondment Request Form on MyView. Please note that secondment requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

We welcome applications from everyone and as a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to interview applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential requirements of the post. Please contact the hiring manager above or the Recruitment Team on (01738) 475555 or recruitment@pkc.gov.uk to discuss any reasonable adjustments.

Appointments are based on evidence supplied during the selection process. Diversity is important to us and although some of our jobs may be perceived to be traditionally gender specific, we welcome applications from everyone and would encourage you to apply if you meet the job requirements. That includes welcoming applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.

Working with children and/or protected adults is regarded as a regulated role and under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 you will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check and maintain your membership. If you have lived overseas for a period of 12 months or more (continuous or total) within the last 10 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. A confirmed offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of the above mentioned mandatory pre-employment checks (including references) and will also include eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and fitness to undertake the post.