Vacancies

FOREST OAK SCHOOL & MERSTONE SCHOOL

SITE ASSISTANT – directly responsible to Site Manager - Required by 13 July 2026 or as soon as possible

BAND B: £24,796 - £25,583 (Full Time – 37 hours per week) – Split shifts

Working Pattern: Monday to Thursday 6 a.m. – 9.30 a.m. / 2.30 p.m. – 6.30 p.m.

Friday 6 a.m. – 9.30 a.m. / 2.30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

(Please note this post will include occasional evening and weekend work)

An excellent opportunity to join friendly, dynamic and Ofsted rated ‘outstanding’ schools, where all can thrive and staff are highly valued.

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and committed person to join our site team to support and action:

Maintenance of the internal and external fabric of the school's premises, ensuring a safe working and educational environment.
general caretaking and cleaning tasks.
the security of the school(s) premises.
Following procedures and completing relevant tasks.

The successful candidate will:

be hard working, flexible and enjoy working collaboratively.
have effective organisational and good written and verbal skills.
be able to work with contracted service providers.
be able to work towards and update agreed actions and action plans.
be able to work in and promote a supportive environment.
support the school in securing the best possible experience and outcomes for our pupils.
have a caring attitude towards children.

The successful candidate will be required to live within a reasonable travelling distance, as no site accommodation is available.

Application: by application form only.

Closing Date: 31 May 2026

Interview Date: 11 June 2026

Further details available from school office on 0121 717 0088

Email: office@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk

Our schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions in this school will be subject to DBS checks. We undertake an online search of shortlisted candidates as part of the recruitment process.

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Learning Support Assistants to include

Personal and Medical Care Support

We do not have any current vacancies at present. However, if you wish to apply for future vacancies, we will keep your application on file.

Salary: B Band - £24,796 - £25,583 (pro-rata) £18,671 - £19,264 (Actual Salary)

(This is subject to qualifications and experience)

Post: Learning Support Assistants to include Personal and Medical Care Support

(Fixed Term Post until 31^st August 2027)

Start date: TBC – Application will be kept until vacancy arises

Hours: 8.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Monday to Friday, working either 2, 3, 4 or 5 days a week; the same every week. Plus staff meeting/training - to be confirmed.

32.5 hours per week

A fantastic opportunity to work across Forest Oak and Merstone Schools.

Both schools are Ofsted rated outstanding and this is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to start a career in SEND education and care.

We are seeking to appoint highly motivated and enthusiastic Band B Learning Support Assistants to be part of our schools who have a fun-loving positive attitude that makes every pupil feel valued as playing and interacting with the learners is essential. You will be involved in the day-to-day education and care of children and young people with a wide range of SEND aged from 3 -19 years and could be at any one of our school sites to include;

Pebbles Nursery
Forest Oak School
Merstone School
Oakwood Centre
Woodlands Campus

Each morning you will be allocated your placement for the day. This will give you a wide range of experiences and opportunities to work across ages and phases and to support a wide range of SEND to include MLS, SLD, PMLD, ASD and ADHD. You will be joining a fantastic, hardworking and experienced staff team who will encourage and support you to grow and develop.

You will need;

A high level of multitasking is essential - this is a busy hardworking environment and on a daily basis you could be working at any site in our schools
A calm and sensitive approach, combined with patience, tolerance, stamina, and humour
A willingness to learn and develop your own skills and abilities to best support our pupils
Resilience, as there are times when things are a challenge both mentally and physically
To build positive and supportive relationships
To be a team player, resilient and motivated by challenge
To have the ability to think creatively

Finally, you must be prepared to feel special and important to many children and young people and their families. There is simply no other job quite like it.

The role

The role is for 8.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Monday to Friday plus staff meeting/training (to be advised). We are looking to appoint working either 2 ,3, 4 or 5 days a week. You will need to be able to work set days, the same days every week. Please indicate on your application form what days you would be prepared to work.

We are dedicated to providing a range of induction and continuing professional development opportunities to the successful candidates and look forward to hearing from applicants with suitable skills and experience. In the supporting statement part of your application, you should clearly specify the following;

Do you have basic literacy and numeracy skills?
Do you have any SEND or childcare / adult social care / school-based experience?
Do you have any relevant qualifications?
Are you able to assist in the physical care and behaviour management of pupils, including moving, lifting and handling when appropriate?
Do you have an awareness and understanding of the needs of the children with physical disabilities, learning difficulties, sensory impairments, challenging behaviour and medical difficulties?
Tell us about your personal skills and qualities.

Essential/ Desirable;

NNEB/ NVQ 2 /BTEC or other relevant childcare or healthcare qualification desirable
GCSE Maths & English Pass or Reading & Writing Skills and Numeracy Skills NVQ Level 2 essential
SEN experience desirable
Recent experience of working with children in a learning environment desirable
Ability to work positively with parents, school nurses and other professionals to improve the support for the pupil essential
Medical care experience desirable
Basic knowledge of First Aid desirable

Would you like to be part of the team? If so, download the information and application pack and return your completed application form to office@merstone.solihull.sch.uk or contact school for more information.

Forest Oak School and Merstone School

Windward Way

Smith’s Wood

Birmingham B36 0UE

Tel: 0121 717 0088 Email: office@forest-oak.solihull.sch.uk

Closing date: open

Interview date: TBC

Our schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions in our schools are subject to Enhanced DBS checks. We undertake an online search of all shortlisted candidates as part of the recruitment process.

Solihull Council is proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees – a place where we can all be ourselves.