Job Introduction

Required for: September 2026
Location: Chapter House, Westminster Under School
Contract: Full-time, term-time only. Fixed-term contract until July 2028
Hours of work: Work hours are appropriate to the designated pupil, usually 8.00 until 16:00, Monday to Friday, with a 30-minute lunch break. This is a term-time only role. 
Salary: £24,145.03 (actual) equating to a full-time equivalent of £32,240 per annum

Benefits or working at Westminster School include:

• Generous School pension scheme
• Free access to the School’s leisure facilities, including a fitness gym (restricted hours).
• Cycle to Work Scheme and season ticket loans following completion of our standard probation period
• Private medical insurance (opt in)

Free school meals are also available when on-site during working hours for the role.

The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 17th August. Interviews will take place in-person shortly after the closing date

We are looking for a caring and enthusiastic individual who will relish the opportunity to support a specific pupil with a physical disability, which limits their mobility within the classroom environment, and with movement around the School. The pupil will also need support with their social communication development. 

There are normally twenty-two pupils in each class and the staff body is warm and supportive. Both pupils and teachers are exceptionally motivated and the School and classrooms are rewarding, interesting places to be. Pupils work significantly above their chronological age on a variety of interesting tasks across all subject areas. 

This role may be of particular interest to (though not exclusively limited to) people who might be exploring a career in education and/or SEND. 

Main Responsibilities 
Responsibilities for Working with a Specific Pupil 

• Help a specific pupil who needs physical assistance around the main school buildings and wider school campus, as well as on trips. There is usually one residential trip per year. 
• Build and maintain co-operative relationships with the designated pupil, being sensitive to their needs, e.g., needing less direct and more discreet input as they move up through the School, whilst being firm but fair.
• Give direct physical assistance to a specific pupil to the nearest exit in the event of a fire or fire drill. 
• Gather work from subject teachers if and when the specific pupil requires time away from school. 
• Communicate well with parents of the specific pupil as and when needed, including the writing of short reports where appropriate. 
• Liaise with the Head of Learning Development regularly with regard to the specific pupil’s needs, academic attainment and pastoral development as well as any changes to their normal routine. 

Pastoral Care 

The SEND Support Assistant, like all members of staff, will be required to: 

• Be actively involved in promoting the wellbeing of all pupils; 
• Put pupils at the centre of everything you do, taking a pastoral interest in all pupils around the school environment so that they feel valued and cared for. 
• Motivate pupils through praise while being firm but fair. 
• Support to maintain the high standards of behaviour and uniform of pupils in the classroom and in all school locations and activities. 
• Adhere to the Staff Code of Conduct 

Hours of work 
Work hours are appropriate to the designated pupil, usually 8.00 until 16:00, Monday to Friday, with a 30-minute lunch break. This is a term-time only role. 

There will be some reasonable adjustments to this, e.g., on a Games day when the session finishes later, however, the latest possible time to finish is envisaged to be 17:00 in the evening on an occasional basis, with additional time worked given in lieu during the normal working week at a mutually agreeable time. Assisting with one residential trip a year is expected, and out of hours work for this will be paid at a pre-agreed rate. 

This role is envisaged to start as soon as possible, until the second week of July 2028 (the end of the 2027 - 2028 academic year when the pupil is due to leave the school).

 Any questions should be directed in the first instance to the Head of Learning Development, Danielle Jones, by emailing danielle.jones@westminster.org.uk 

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster Under School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Working at Westminster Under School

Westminster Under School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of around 292 pupils, 43 teaching staff and 50 support staff.

Westminster Under School is a friendly and welcoming place to work. There is a real sense of community here and staff members quickly become part of the rhythm of life, both inside and outside the classroom. Social events are regular and varied, with plenty of opportunity to socialise outside working hours. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending a concert or a sports fixture.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster Under School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster Under School is a happy, ambitious, nurturing and inspiring world-class preparatory education for seven to 13 year olds. Pupils who love to learn are offered a supportive, dynamic and inspirational environment to fuel their curiosity. 

Located in the heart of London, the School overlooks the beautiful school playing fields in Vincent Square and is just a few moments’ walk from Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. It is closely connected to Westminster School; in 1943, Westminster expanded its educational scope by forming the Under School, and the two schools share the same Governing Body and the same ethos of a liberal education. 

Westminster Under School's curriculum is broad and diverse, aiming to foster a sense of wonder and inquisitiveness in children and encourage independent thought. The teaching programme goes above and beyond the National Curriculum and teachers are not tightly bound by syllabus. Pupils are taught a wide range of subjects by expert teachers who embrace opportunities for growth and promote diverse thinking, and who encourage them to ask questions about the world around them. 

While the School's standard of our education is of the highest quality, the School’s focus is not only on academic achievement. Westminster pupils receive a full and rounded education that includes sport, the arts and many opportunities to engage in community outreach; pupils frequently take part in concerts, plays and in both internal and external competitions, and the School hosts festivals and events throughout the year. Like its older counterpart, Westminster Under School is fully committed to each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies – and to prepare young people for fulfilled private and public lives.

From September 2026, Westminster Under School will have opened its brand new pre-prep for girls and boys at 4+ and girls will have joined boys in Years 3 and 7, at the 7+ and 11+ entry points. By 2030, with the introduction of girls into Year 9 at Westminster School in 2028, all year groups across the two schools, from ages four to 18, will be fully co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence. 

Westminster School