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⚡ Source: ReedRef: 57056457

Teaching Assistant / Reception Teaching Assistant

Tradewind Recruitment·Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire·Posted 4 days ago
💰 £95/hour
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Job description

Original text imported from Reed

Tradewind Recruitment are delighted to be recruiting on behalf of a welcoming and nurturing Infant and Nursery School in Ruddington, Nottingham, for a dedicated Nursery Teaching Assistant or Reception Teaching Assistant to join their Early Years team from September 2026.

This full academic year opportunity is ideal for an experienced Teaching Assistant, an Early Years Practitioner looking to transition into a school setting, or a graduate considering a future career in education.

About the Role

As a Nursery or Reception Teaching Assistant, you will play a key role in supporting children's learning and development during their crucial Early Years education. Working closely with the class teacher and wider support staff, your responsibilities will include:

  • Supporting the delivery of engaging and creative Early Years lessons and activities.
  • Working with individual pupils and small groups to develop early literacy, numeracy, communication and social skills.
  • Encouraging positive behaviour, independence, and confidence in learning.
  • Supporting children's emotional wellbeing and personal development.
  • Assisting pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) where required.
  • Helping to create a safe, stimulating, and inclusive learning environment.
  • Supporting classroom routines, continuous provision activities, and outdoor learning opportunities.

This is a long-term position for the full academic year, providing consistency for pupils and the opportunity to become an integral member of the school community.

What We Offer
  • Competitive daily pay rate of £95.00 per day.
  • A full academic year placement within a supportive and well-respected Infant and Nursery School.
  • Ongoing support from your dedicated Tradewind Recruitment consultant.
  • Access to professional development and training opportunities.
  • The opportunity to gain valuable experience within an Early Years setting.
  • A rewarding role making a positive impact on young children's educational journeys.
Requirements
  • Previous experience working with children, ideally within an Early Years, Nursery, Reception, or primary school setting.
  • A patient, caring, and enthusiastic approach.
  • Strong communication and teamwork skills.
  • A genuine passion for supporting children's learning and development.
  • An enhanced DBS registered on the Update Service, or willingness to obtain one.
  • The ability to build positive relationships with pupils, staff, and parents.
About Tradewind Recruitment

Tradewind Recruitment is one of the UK's leading education recruitment agencies, proudly connecting talented education professionals with schools across the country. We are committed to supporting our candidates through every stage of their career with expert guidance, ongoing training, and exciting opportunities.

Apply Today

If you are looking for a rewarding Nursery Teaching Assistant or Reception Teaching Assistant role in Ruddington starting in September 2026, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now or contact the Nottingham team at Tradewind Recruitment for more information.

SpeedCV AI

Key skills

AI-extracted from the job advert

Must-have skills
Experience working with children in Early Years, Nursery or ReceptionEnhanced DBS registered on the Update Service (or willingness to obtain)EYFS setting knowledgeSEN awarenessEarly literacy and numeracy support
Nice-to-have
Continuous provision planningOutdoor learning facilitationSmall group phonics interventionGraduate-level education qualification
Soft skills
PatienceEmpathyCommunicationTeamworkEnthusiasmRelationship-buildingAdaptability
SpeedCV AI

Application advice

5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.

1

⭐ Lead your CV with an Early Years personal statement that explicitly names EYFS and your experience in Nursery or Reception settings, as the advert prioritises these environments above all others.

2

📊 Quantify your classroom impact: for example, 'Supported 6 children with SEN across a 28-pupil Reception class, contributing to a 15% improvement in phonics screening outcomes'.

3

🎯 Highlight any SEN experience prominently in a dedicated skills section — the advert specifically mentions assisting pupils with Special Educational Needs as a core responsibility.

4

🌐 Confirm your DBS status on the Update Service clearly in your CV header or personal statement, as this is listed as a direct requirement and speeds up placement.

5

🤝 Include a bullet point demonstrating collaboration with class teachers and support staff on continuous provision or outdoor learning, mirroring the exact language used in the advert's responsibilities list.

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Suggested CV bullets

3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.

How to tailor your CV

Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:

  • Supported a class teacher across a 26-pupil Reception class, delivering daily phonics and early numeracy sessions to 4 targeted small groups, contributing to 80% of pupils meeting expected EYFS outcomes at end of year.
  • Provided 1:1 and small-group SEN support for 5 children with communication and social development needs, implementing EHCP strategies that reduced behavioural incidents by 30% over one term.
  • Designed and maintained continuous provision stations for a 24-place Nursery setting, incorporating outdoor learning activities that increased child-initiated engagement by 25% as recorded in termly observations.

Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.

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Letter preview — tailored to Tradewind Recruitment

Dear Hiring Manager,

Tradewind Recruitment's Nursery and Reception Teaching Assistant vacancy at the Infant and Nursery School in Ruddington is a role I am well placed to fulfil. With hands-on experience delivering EYFS activities and supporting children with SEN in small-group settings, I am confident I can provide the consistency and nurturing approach this full academic year placement demands.

My background in Early Years education has equipped me with practical skills in continuous provision, early literacy development, and behaviour management. I hold an enhanced DBS registered on the Update Service and have worked alongside class teachers to create inclusive, stimulating learning environments that build children's confidence and independence.

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SpeedCV AI

Interview questions

10 questions generated from this advert.

Technical

  • How do you plan and support continuous provision activities within an EYFS setting?
  • What strategies do you use to support early literacy and phonics development in Reception-age children?
  • How would you adapt a learning activity to meet the needs of a child with SEN in a Nursery classroom?
  • Can you describe your understanding of the EYFS framework and how it guides daily practice?
  • How do you use outdoor learning environments to extend children's numeracy or communication skills?

Behavioural

  • Tell me about a time you supported a child who was struggling emotionally or socially in an Early Years setting.
  • Describe a situation where you had to adapt your approach to help a child with additional needs engage with a lesson.
  • Give an example of how you have built a positive relationship with a parent or carer to support a child's development.
  • Tell me about a time you worked closely with a class teacher to plan or deliver an activity — what was your contribution?
  • Describe a moment when you encouraged a child's independence and confidence in learning. What did you do and what was the outcome?
SpeedCV AINEW

STAR answer examples

Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.

1Question

Tell me about a time you supported a child who was struggling emotionally or socially in an Early Years setting.

Situation: In my previous Nursery role, a 3-year-old boy was experiencing significant separation anxiety each morning, which was disrupting his engagement and affecting the rest of the group. Task: My responsibility was to help him settle and build confidence in the classroom environment. Action: I introduced a consistent morning transition routine — a brief one-to-one activity at the sand tray before group time — and communicated daily with his parent to share small wins. I also used a visual timetable to reduce uncertainty. Result: Within 6 weeks, he was arriving and self-settling independently 4 out of 5 mornings, and his participation in group phonics sessions increased from 10 minutes to the full 25-minute session.
2Question

Describe a situation where you had to adapt your approach to help a child with additional needs engage with a lesson.

Situation: During a Reception maths activity on number recognition, a child with speech and language difficulties was becoming frustrated and disengaged from the whole-class input. Task: I needed to adapt the task in the moment without disrupting the rest of the class. Action: I moved alongside her with a set of tactile number cards and used gesture-based prompts aligned with her EHCP targets, replacing verbal questioning with a point-and-match format. I also reduced the number range from 1-10 to 1-5 to rebuild confidence. Result: She successfully matched 8 out of 10 number pairs by the end of the session and remained on task for 18 minutes — her longest sustained engagement recorded that half-term.

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