Teaching Assistants

Airedale Junior Academy is a large, four form entry, junior school teaching children from Year 3 to Year 6 and is set in the heart of Airedale Castleford. We are proud of our school community and value the contribution that we make to the local area. We are part of the Castleford Trust.

Castleford Trust is a dynamic and inclusive Multi Academy Trust, consisting of nine schools across all phases: three secondary academies, two primary academies, two junior academies and two infant academies. All of the academies are located within the geographical area of Wakefield, forming a medium-sized trust with a strong community feel.

At Castleford Trust, our vision is “Working together to achieve excellence for all.” We are deeply committed to ensuring every child reaches their full potential and that no child is left behind. Our Trust is an exceptional place to work, offering a supportive and dedicated team of staff who share a common goal of making a difference to the life chances of pupils. We take great pride in developing and nurturing talent by providing extensive opportunities for staff training and professional development.

We have an exciting opportunity for multiple Teaching Assistants to join our team. This is to support teaching and learning within the classroom and work with specific pupils who require support to access the curriculum. The class that you work in will be varied, across school to support where the need is greatest.

You will be:

• Educated to GCSE standard with a minimum of grades A*-C or Grade 4 or above in Maths and English or equivalent, i.e., NVQ level 2 or similar.
• Able to demonstrate excellent numeracy and literacy skills and standards.
• Able to work as part of a team and on own initiative measuring the impact of your actions and how to develop this further to support individuals, or small groups of children.
• A competent user of ICT.
• Willing to partake in regular after school continued professional development.
• Able to demonstrate relevant experience of working with SEND pupils in a classroom setting.
• Able to make learning fun and engaging in a range of creative ways.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of how to effectively support the most disadvantaged pupils.
• Able to demonstrate experience of working with pupils who need a modified learning environment and firm boundaries to be able to reintegrate them into the classroom.

You will:

• Work as part of a classroom and year group team in order to ensure its smooth running and accelerate the progress of the pupil, or pupils, you are assigned to.
• Become familiar with and utilise a range of classroom strategies and diagnostic assessments to aid learning.
• Support pupil learning, attend to pupils’ personal needs and provide general support in managing pupils in the classroom.
• Provide feedback to teachers after planned activities that reflect on the achievement of the children you have worked with.
• Work in small groups, or 1-1 with specific children in order to help them progress in their learning.
• Work with a wider inclusion team in order to support the children you work with to increasingly access mainstream curriculum.
• Report any potential child protection issues through to the child protection officer without delay.
• Support the Academy in ensuring the safety and welfare of all pupils.
• Be given opportunities to build on your own skills through in house and external professional development opportunities.
• Be listened to and your ideas will be valued by the team.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive Academy Trust and therefore welcome applications from all sectors, including those who do not have an education background. Visits to our Academy are warmly welcomed, please contact Mrs Louise Buttle, School Business Manager on 01977 519281 to arrange a time.

Application forms can be downloaded from our website www.castlefordacademytrust.com. Completed applications should be returned to Airedale Junior Academy school address or via email to HRaat@castlefordtrust.co.uk. The deadline for applications is 8.00 am on Monday 30th June 2025 with interviews taking place Tuesday 8th July 2025.

Airedale Junior Academy is committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. For all positions at Airedale Junior Academy, you are required to complete a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced check prior to appointment.