After School Club Assistant

About Us

Harris Primary Academy Mayflower is a successful academy that was judged outstanding in every category in our May 2017 Ofsted inspection. Our inspection in November 2024 confirmed that we have continued to hold our 2017 grades.

We are a 5 form entry primary school, opening with a Reception cohort and are growing by a year group at a time with currently 1042 pupils on roll from Nursery to Year 6. This will make our academy, which was funded under the free school programme with backing from Thurrock council, the Department for Education and the Harris Federation which sponsors the free school, the biggest primary free school in the country.

We are a sister school to Harris Primary Academy Chafford Hundred and Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, along with the other Academies in the Harris Federation. We work very closely together and share the very best practice and leadership knowledge and capacity to make the education we offer outstanding. Our shared belief is that children thrive when they feel consistently happy and safe at school and our commitment to excellence is encapsulated in our vision statement: "Excellence, Every child, Every day."

Our Core values of: Manners, Perseverance, Responsibility, Community and Achievement, underpin everything that happens at Harris Primary Academy Mayflower. They are our foundations and we have a clear expectation that all adults as well as children and staff model and respect these values both inside and outside the academy. This is reflected in both the exceptional day to day practice here as well as the outstanding outcomes our children have achieved each year.

Summary

We are looking for an After School Club Assistant to work under the guidance of the After School Club Leader and Principal to provide childcare for pupils attending the After School Club at Harris Primary Academy Mayflower.

You will be working closely with the children providing encouragement and supervision for the duration of the club, ensuring their safety, welfare, and physical and mental wellbeing. Alongside the leader, you will assist in providing a wide range of play activities in a relaxed, informed and caring environment, whilst maintaining good order and discipline.

Main Areas of Responsibility

As our After School Club Assistant, you will:

• Maintain a safe, creative and stimulating environment for children's play experiences
• Assist the Club Manager in the planning of a programme of activities designed to meet the needs of the children
• Form and maintain appropriate professional boundaries with children, young people, staff, volunteers, parents and carers
• Ensure that all policies, standards and guidelines are adhered to
• Provide a creative programme of arts, crafts, games, sports, drama, music, off-site activities relevant to the needs and interests of all children, regardless of their race, religion, culture or language, physical or mental ability
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with children and their families in a way that values parental involvement
• Be responsible for Health and Safety issues at the afterschool club with regard to clearing, setting up and running activities - both indoor and outdoor, trips, outings and general risk assessment
• Attend weekly team meetings to discuss and assess progress and any issues.
• Carry out financial and administrative tasks, such as petty cash, registering children and processing parental forms
• Keep the building and areas of use, including toilets, clean, tidy and accessible
• Follow first aid procedures, including keeping records of all accidents and the treatments given
• Deputise for the Club Manager when they are on leave, sick, off site etc.

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• NVQ2 or equivalent qualification or experience in relevant discipline (Playworker or Childcare)
• Good numeracy/literacy skills
• Appropriate knowledge of first aid
• A willingness to undertake further training, if necessary, to meet the needs of the students.
• Experience in a similar role or working within a school setting
• Experience of supporting students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.