Midday Assistants in Grays

Salary: Band A Point 1 - 6 (£4,387.74 - £4,696.34 per annum)

6 hours 40 minutes per week

Monday - Friday 12.00pm - 1:35pm

37 weeks of the year - term time only

Start Date: 1st September 2026

Thameside Primary School is seeking to appoint enthusiastic, caring, committed and flexible Midday Assistants, to support students over lunchtime. The Midday Assistants at Thameside create a very positive, happy, and secure environment in our playgrounds, dining hall and the school building at lunchtime. Your primary role will be to maintain the safety, welfare, and good conduct of pupils during the lunchtime break. This role would be suited to someone personable, empathetic and able to communicate effectively, whilst maintaining a calm and professional manner, under pressure.

The successful applicant must:

• Interact with the children to encourage good social skills and will lead outdoor activities to encourage participation
• Encourage healthy eating, prepare the tables, supervise outdoor play, supervise the clearing up of games and toys, administer first aid and use the school’s behaviour plan
• Ensure the safety and care of pupils who are injured or unwell & provide comfort if distressed
• Assist children with personal care where necessary
• Be willing to undertake training, including First Aid

Thameside Primary School and Nursery is a vibrant and diverse school where children are enthusiastic and motivated to achieve endless possibilities. The children are at the heart of every decision we make to ensure that they are happy, confident and that the opportunities that are provided for them are relevant to their needs both now, and in the future.

The School is proud to:

• Be a friendly, caring and supportive school that has a one big team approach to workload
• Have a strong, established & supportive SLT that creates a positive team environment
• Be a place where pupils feel safe, happy, valued and respected
• Be an inclusive school, where everyone works hard to ensure all pupils receive stimulating learning experiences, with high expectations for all children
• Be a school that celebrates every child's individuality and success

Thameside Primary School is a member of Osborne Co-operative Academy Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust, with twelve member schools within Essex. All schools in the Trust work in equal partnership and are members of the schools’ Co-operative Society. Our Co-operative Values focus on enabling all students to achieve their potential both academically and as young people.

What the school can offer:

• 2 Week October Half Term
• Relocation package of up to £8,000 where applicable for new employees renting or buying a property
• Recognition of continuous service
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Excellent CPD opportunities
• Career progression throughout the Trust, with the ability to progress in other schools
• The support of an experienced family of schools
• National Conditions of Service
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme
• Excellent behaviour management policy to support all staff
• Wider support network for all staff including managing workloads and work-life balance

If you feel you could make a positive contribution to the school, and you have the passion, drive and commitment to work with us to make all aspects of our school outstanding, please apply now or you can request a visit of the school or for more information speak to Ayshen Uluhan hr@osborne.coop or call 01375 648944.

Thameside is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. In compliance with safer recruitment procedures and guidelines, all applications must be made on our formal application form, CVs will not be accepted. This appointment will be subject to pre-employment checks including an enhanced DBS disclosure and satisfactory references. Osborne Co-operative Academy Trust is an equal opportunities employer. As a Trust, we recognise the value of, and seek to achieve a diverse workforce. We welcome applications from all backgrounds. Please refer to our recruitment & selection policy statement (www.osborne.coop/working-with-us) for more information.

If you would like to be considered for this post, application forms are available via our website, Vacancies in our Trust (osborne.coop)

Closing date: Friday 3rd July 2026 - Midday

Interview date: Wednesday 8th July 2026

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received, and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate before the closing date. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Osborne Co-operative Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post will be subject to an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service.