Teaching Assistant

Teaching Assistant

Leigh Academy Bearsted has an exceptional opportunity for a committed, enthusiastic and passionate Teaching Assistant to join us from January 2026. Joining the Leigh Academy Bearsted team will enable you to work with like-minded colleagues who share your goals and ambitions. You will be part of a team that provides an outstanding education for all of our pupils through creative, carefully sequenced and highly effective inquiry‑led learning, where all learners are at the very core of driving our curriculum.

This is a fixed‑term position for one year offering an actual salary of £18,990 per annum (£25,136 full time equivalent). The role is based on 32.5 hours per week, Term Time + 1 week of inset.

Competitive salary with progression opportunities, Local Government Pension Scheme, 24/7 access to a free virtual GP Service, collaborative MAT network and additional LAT benefits.

• Dedicated to the job and prioritises the needs of the children in their care;
• Experience of working within EYFS/KS1/KS2;
• Resilient and solution‑focused;
• Committed to working as part of a team with everyone.

• An inspiring and supportive staff team committed to providing a good level of education for every pupil.
• An excellent offer of continuing professional development for all staff.
• An exciting and creative learning setting where everyone is listened to and there is a very strong teamwork ethic.
• Many wider career opportunities through the Leigh Academies Trust.

Leigh Academy Bearsted is an “exceptional academy in every way” as judged by Ofsted in January 2023. We are a growing academy, housed in a new, spacious, and modern building with well‑resourced classrooms and extensive outdoor learning areas. At our core is a broad and balanced curriculum, significantly enhanced as an authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) World School.

This inquiry‑led framework fosters independent learners and challenging experiences, developing a genuine thirst for learning. We focus on the whole child, nurturing social, emotional, and academic skills, encouraging them to challenge, question, and take ownership of their learning.

Ofsted highlighted our outstanding ongoing professional development for staff, delivered both internally and by Trust curriculum experts. We are committed to providing a safe, caring environment where children feel empowered to take risks, embrace learning, and develop pride in their achievements.

To support your application, we recommend viewing the Job Pack by clicking here, which outlines the full role responsibilities and person specification. This will guide you in preparing a strong application and understanding what we’re looking for.

Interviews for this position are planned for Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th December 2025, but strong applications may be considered sooner. All applications must be submitted through our online application form prior to the deadline.

For further information or to arrange a visit, please contact Amy Wenban (Recruitment Advisor): .

Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.

This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.