Job Description

Academy:

Thetford Academy

Category:

Education Support (School Based)

Start Date:

September 2025

Closing Date:

Mon, Jul 7, 2025

Job Weeks:

39 Weeks

Hours:

37 hours/ 25 hours

Type:

Fixed Term, Full Time

Job Reference:

JUN20253531

Salary: Support Staff Pay Scale D: 14,649 to 14,881 pro-rata per annum (Actual) (24,790 - 25,183 full time/full year equivalent)

Working Weeks: 39 weeks

We currently have two positions available: one full-time and one part-time (25 hours per week). When submitting your application, please clearly indicate which of the two roles you would like to be considered for, or if you are open to both.

Fixed Term until 31st August 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for a Teaching Assistant to join our committed and hardworking team at Thetford Academy, supporting our students to achieve their full potential.


You will be an enthusiastic and inspiring practitioner with recent experience of working in a secondary education setting. You will be passionate about raising achievement through motivating and inspiring students, and keen to contribute to the school's visions and values. You will be motivated to enable access to learning for pupils, including specialised support for those with special education needs. You will be responsible for supporting effective pastoral care to support pupils' social and emotional progress as well as their learning.


This role will be primarily based in the Specialist Resource Base. The SRB has 25 students across Years 7-11, but our model is based upon access to mainstream lessons with additional support being provided as needed.


This role involves ensuring the highest standards of learning and specialist support and safeguarding for the pupils within the Specialist Resource Base, enabling them to make accelerated progress and to have their special educational needs met.

Before applying, please read the attached Recruitment Pack and , for more details about the role. We ask that you read this pack carefully, especially the "Planning your application" section from page 11. This will support your application ensuring you have the opportunity to tell us about your relevant skills, experience and qualifications that relate to the job description and person specification in addition to details of your references covering the last 5 years.

Main purpose of the role:

To undertake care and learning programmes and activities to support individuals or groups of pupils, including more specialised support for those with special education needs.


To enable access to learning for pupils and assist the teacher in the management of pupils and the classroom.

The ideal candidate will have:

Experience of working with or caring for children of relevant age


Knowledge of relevant policies/codes of practice and awareness of legislation


Basic understanding of child development and learning


Ability to evaluate learning needs and actively seek learning opportunities



Thetford Academy is a remarkable place to work and is at the academic and cultural heart of the community. Pupils are taught a curriculum to prepare them for challenges they may face whilst building an appreciation and understanding of the world and achieve this by teaching pupils to develop a set of values and habits to allow them to contribute to their community, and beyond.


The school's vision is that every pupil can succeed, both in their academic results and as an outgoing and positive member of the local, national, and global communities. Thetford Academy achieves this by ensuring that everyone commits to achieving outstanding progress, enjoying, and engaging in their learning, and being prepared to take on challenge without the fear of failure.


We are part of the Inspiration Trust, twice ranked as the country's top family of comprehensive schools for pupil progress, and strongly believe in the importance of giving the widest educational opportunities to all young people, regardless of their background. We have strong networks across the Trust, with opportunities to work with a diverse range of schools and partners. We are committed to offering excellent professional and learning opportunities for our staff, with a busy programme of continuing professional development courses delivered by some of the country's best educational thinkers and practitioners.


The Inspiration Trust is a Multi Academy Trust, committed to delivering the very best educational experience for the young people of Norfolk and Suffolk, across 17 schools. We are ambitious for our schools and communities and want to create Britain's highest performing federation of 3-19 schools and transform education in the East. Inspiration Trust specialises in transforming schools in disadvantaged areas and taking academies from failing to outstanding.


For information on what it is like to live and work in Thetford, click here. Thetford Academy has been rated as Good overall by Ofsted, after an inspection in March 2020. The report says that the school has 'a curriculum that ensures pupils deepen their thinking' and that pupils 'feel valued and cared for.'


When you join Inspiration Trust's thriving network of talented teachers, leaders and support staff, you join an organisation that supports you to be the best you can be. The Trust offers a varied professional development programme for employees.


We are committed to offering excellent professional opportunities for our staff, through careful support and personalised CPD. We offer a structured and specific induction programme.

The Trust also offers:

Generous holiday entitlement


Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with generous employer contributions


Health Plan and Employee Assistance Programme giving access to a range of services including claim back costs for Eye Care and prescriptions and access to 24/7 virtual GP Service and mental health support (Terms and conditions and restrictions apply)


Cycle-to-work scheme


Retail Benefits offering discounts with many shops and suppliers


Corporate membership of the Norwich Theatre Royal


Salary sacrifice schemes, including home technology, smartphones and healthcare plans, including Dental insurance and Gym membership discounts (Terms and conditions and restrictions apply)


Free Parking (on most sites)

Some benefits are only available following successfully passing probation*


If you would like to know more about this exciting opportunity, then please contact Ilona Haye, PA to Principal (ilonahaye@inspirationtrust.org).



To apply for this role please click the Apply button to complete the online application form.

Closing date for applications: 12pm on Monday 7th July 2025

Interview date: Wednesday 16th July 2025

Inspiration Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All staff appointments are subject to satisfactory references and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. We are an equal opportunities employer.



When you start your application, you will receive several emails from our application provider, Vacancy Filler. Please be aware that some email providers may mistakenly mark these messages as spam. To avoid missing important updates, we recommend checking your spam or junk folders regularly throughout the application process and marking these emails as safe.