THE SOVEREIGN TRUST

PICTOR ACADEMY

Grove Lane

Timperley

Altrincham

WA15 6PH

TEACHING ASSISTANT LEVEL 1

Band 3, Point 6-11, £25,989.00 - £28,141.00 (will be pro-rated for term time only)

Working Pattern: 24 hours per week worked over 4 days, Monday-Friday, Term Time only, 39 weeks per year.

Actual Salary: £14,799.92 per annum

Contract Type: Fixed term until 31st December 2026

Pension: Local government pension scheme including a generous employer contribution. Please take a look at the website: https://www.gmpf.org.uk/

Benefits: Salary sacrifice schemes for purchasing bikes used for travel to work and technology for personal use, through monthly interest free salary deductions. Employee Assistance Programme provides access to a range of wellbeing services.

Our outstanding school is seeking to appoint a Teaching Assistant Level 1 to join our hard-working, successful, forward-thinking staff team.

Pictor Academy is an outstanding school held in high regard locally and nationally. The school is for children aged 2 - 11 with special educational needs from various conditions. A large proportion of the population are children with autism. This means that they have difficulties communicating and interacting with others. They will also have difficulties with play and imagination.

We are looking for an exceptional practitioner who will build on our outstanding status and contribute to our caring ethos ensuring every pupil in our care reaches their full potential.

We can offer the successful candidate:

An outstanding school with friendly, well-motivated and highly committed staff

A hard-working and supportive advisory committee

Children who make excellent progress and love coming to school

A thriving partnership of supportive parents and stakeholders

We are strongly committed to offering our children an excellent education in partnership with their families and local communities. We are looking to recruit a teaching assistant who shares our commitment. If you are flexible, energetic, enthusiastic and passionate about supporting young people with additional needs to be the best they can be, we would like to hear from you.

We encourage you to view our website for greater insight into our outstanding school: https://pictoracademy.org/

The successful applicant will:

Be motivated by our core values

Have a passion for supporting our children

Have a good understanding of SEND together with the learning needs of children

Have high expectations and the ability to ensure good learning and progress for all children

Have a strong commitment to teamwork

How to apply

Are we the right school for you?

If you wish to be considered for this vacancy, you should complete the attached application form along with the equal opportunities and self-declaration forms. Please note that only applications on the Trust’s application form will be considered. Candidates who submit a CV will not be short-listed. Completed applications and forms are to be returned to hr@thesovereigntrust.uk to arrive by 08:00am, Monday 5th January 2026.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

The Sovereign Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its pupils and expects all those working for the Trust to share this commitment.

An online search will be carried out and a Childcare Declaration form will be required from shortlisted candidates.

This post is subject to a satisfactory two-year reference history, which we will endeavour to seek prior to interview, Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check (previously CRB), medical clearance, and proof of legal working in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

A copy of our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy can be found on our website by following this link https://www.thesovereigntrust.uk/policies-1/

Closing date for receipt of applications Monday 5 January 2026 at 08:00 am

Shortlisting - Monday 5 January 2026

Interviews for successful candidates will be held at Pictor Academy - Tuesday 13 January 2026


Supporting Documents

TST - Application Form - Support Staff (V6).docx
TST - Equal Opportunities Form (V1).docx
TST - Pictor - TA1 Candidate Pack.pdf

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Location

Grove Lane, Timperley, Trafford, WA15 6PH, United Kingdom

Job ID

1547

Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey

We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.

This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to and understanding how to use AI responsibly.

You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.

Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester

Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.

Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards

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Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future

Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.

  1. Calculate Your Take‑Home Pay

    Use this salary calculator to estimate your net pay after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.

    Estimate your Income Tax for the current year (Gov.uk)

  2. Check Your Benefits Entitlement

    See how changes in employment, hours or salary may affect your benefits and household income.

    Turn2us Benefits Calculator

Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach

Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.

To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice. If you do use AI as a support tool, a brief explanation helps us ensure an equitable selection process.

Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.

This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.

  1. What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?

    AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.

    We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.

    When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.

    This means:

    • A trained hiring manager reads every application

    • Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job

    • Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role

    • All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms

    AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.

    Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.

  2. Using AI in Your Application

    When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team. 

    We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

    We’re looking forward to hearing your story.

  3. How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly

    Your application is your chance to show us:

    • Who you are

    • What you can bring

    • The values you hold

    • Why you want to make a difference

    AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.

    AI is most helpful when used to:

    • Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria

    • Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

    • Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors

    • Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something

    But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.

  4. Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process

    Do:

    • Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement

    • Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure

    • Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice

    • Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience

    • Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself

    Don’t:

    • Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application

    • Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have

    • Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements

    • Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice