Teaching Assistant (Early Years)
Teaching Assistant Level 2 Early Years
Salary/Grade Scale 3 Point 5-6
Hours 8:30am – 11.45am Monday to Friday Term Time Only
Contract Term
January 2026 – 31st July 2026 Fixed Term (Possibility of extending at end, subject to applicant suitability, school needs and funding)
There is an exciting opportunity for a TA with an interest in Early Years to join our dedicated and welcoming team at Downsell Primary School. Our excellent staff work hard to create a happy, safe and stimulating environment for all our children. The school is in the heart of a diverse community and we are an inclusive school committed to providing equal opportunities for all our children and staff. We are looking for someone who is flexible and can adapt to the changing needs of the school. This will be a fixed term contract with possibility of extending (depending on school needs and budget).
We are looking for an individual who is:
Highly committed to ensuring a high quality provision for young children
Highly motivated and able to positively contribute towards to the school life
Enthusiastic and can adapt to meet needs of young children
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Work well in a team to promote young children’s independence, self-esteem and social inclusion
We can offer:
A creative and welcoming school
Hardworking, motivated and positive colleagues
A well informed and supportive leadership team who are committed to the development of all staff
Staff Benefits
o Occupational Sickness Pay
o Family Friendly Policies and Procedure
o Tax free bike schemes
o Leisure Centre Discount (Better Leisure Centre)
o Employee Credit Union
o Private Medical Care
o Employee Assistance Programme
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers, online social media check and the Disclosure and Barring Service DBS. Online social media check and references will be carried out prior to interviews.
All completed applications should be returned by email to sbm@downsellprimary.waltham.sch.uk
Closing date: Friday 9th January 2026 by 11.55pm
Interview Date: W/B Monday 12th January (day to tbc)
Equal Opportunities
Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value. To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy
How to apply
Email address for return of applications: sbm@downsellprimary.waltham.sch.uk