Vacancy: General Assistant

School
The Mead Primary School
Job reference
TM/GA
Closing date
26 April 2022 2022 at 9.00am
Interview date
To be confirmed
Start date
To be confirmed
Contract type
Permanent
Salary
Grade B (£9.50 per hour)
Hours
9am - 3pm Monday-Friday (27.5 hours per week)
Location
Hackett Place, Hilperton BA14 7GN
Role overview
The Mead Primary School is vibrant, caring, and passionate about giving every child the opportunity to be and do their best, every single day.

We are proud of our incredible team of dedicated staff, and the difference they make to the children. Due to an internal promotion within the school housekeeping team, we are looking to appoint a General Assistant / Cleaner to support the school’s site in Hilperton.

The role will involve cleaning all areas of the schools, together with practical premises maintenance and small gardening tasks. It would be advantageous if the post holder had some flexibility to work additional hours, if need be, and access to a vehicle is desirable – but not essential. The role will involve:
• Supporting the lunch staff with setting up and clearing down the hall, serving meals, and supervising children
• Cleaning, washing & vacuuming
• Emptying litter bins
• Polishing & dusting
• Practical premises management, including identifying premises defects and supporting the Premises Manager in undertaking repairs
• Completing necessary actions in event of bad weather or emergency (eg putting down salt and clearing paths in winter)
(NOTE: Designated areas include toilets and showers.)

We believe strongly it’s much more about attitude and approach than it is about experience, so we welcome applications from people who are passionate about working with children, no matter their background. You might have worked in a school as an MDSA or cleaner before, but you might also have worked in hospitality, retail or leisure previously. You might be looking for a new career path completely, or possibly even have your own children/grandchildren, and be looking to return to the workplace. Our staff come from a wide range of backgrounds, and we embrace and actively welcome people from all walks of life.

We would love to hear from you if you are:
• Inclusive, passionate, and principled. These are our Trust core principles, and everyone who works for us embodies these in their own unique way
• Positive and friendly
• Able to build good relationships with staff and children
• Happy to get ‘stuck in’, and work hard as part of a vibrant, supportive school team
• Qualified in First Aid, or willing to train
• Aware of COSHH regulations, or willing to train
• Willing to attend regular training updates on safeguarding / child protection
How to apply
To apply for this role, you must send the following items to kthain@themead.wilts.sch.uk by the above closing date and time. Any applications that do not include all of this information will be incomplete and we won't be able to consider them:
1. A completed application form
2. A letter detailing any additional information
Other information
We’d love to show you around our lovely school. If you would like to come and visit us, please call the school office on 01225 759273 to make an appointment.

Candidate Briefing Pack >

Application Form >

Equality & Diversity Form >

This role will involve contact with children and the post holder will be engaged in regulated activity relevant to children and will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check before appointment is confirmed. 

This 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 posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’.  These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Please note that by submitting an application, you acknowledge that we reserve the right to view any publicly available information published on social media platforms as part of our shortlisting process, in line with current KCSIE guidelines.

Child Protection Policy >

Code of Conduct >

What we offer

We recognise the value and contribution every member of our staff makes to our schools, and in return for their dedication and commitment we provide:

  • A clear vision with purpose and values that are supported by all our staff
  • An ambitious and vibrant place to work, with enthusiastic staff and children in all of our schools
  • A highly organised and very supportive team
  • Dedicated weekly planning time which Teaching Assistants are paid to attend
  • High quality professional development opportunities from Day One, including A National College training account, where you can access thousands of training courses online for free
  • Unlimited, free access to the Employee Assistance Programme which gives all our staff confidential support and guidance when they need it most