Swimming Assistant (WSS)

• Post: Swimming Assistant
• Salary: Grade 1 - £24,413 - £24,796 FTE (£19,006.12 - £19,304.30 Actual) Pay award pending Autumn 2026
• Allowances: SEN allowance £1,722 pro rata 

Hours of work: 8:50am – 3:50pm, 32.5 hours per week, Monday - Friday, term time only.

• Contract type: Permanent
• Start date of role: As soon as possible
• Closing date: Midnight on 4 th October 2026
• Interview date: To be confirmed
• Enhanced DBS Check Required: Yes

EIAT is a thriving Multi Academy Trust in North Birmingham incorporating Wilson Stuart School, Mayfield School, Queensbury School, The Hive College, Lime Tree Nursery and Blue Sky Nursery. We strive to share best practice and work in cohesive, collaborative and innovative ways. Our ethos is 'Better Never Ends'.

About the School

Wilson Stuart School is an Ofsted designated outstanding all age (2 – 25 years) Special School which provides very high-quality education for 288 pupils and young people who have physical, intellectual disabilities and/or complex needs.

As a Trust we truly value the success of every child and we place the sharing of excellent education practice at the core of this value. Professional development, challenge and support are at the heart of ensuring our staff are some of the finest teachers so they can deliver outstanding teaching.

We benefit significantly from the variety of schools within the Trust, enabling staff to benefit greatly from the opportunities we have for collaborative working. in addition, we are able to benefit tremendously from sharing best practice and expertise we have within our organisation.

Wilson Stuart School have achieved an Outstanding grade in their last 7 Ofsted inspections, the latest of which was December 2024 where we continued to maintain the standards identified at previous inspections.

We recognise the importance of teamwork, and this is evident through all aspects of the work we do. Our students are delightful, work hard and are keen to learn and the school is a very happy and positive working environment. We have a comprehensive induction programme, friendly and very supportive staff along with excellent facilities and a superb environment to support teaching and learning. Wilson Stuart School is not just a special school – it is an exceptional school!

About the role:

We are looking for a caring, enthusiastic and dedicated Swimming Assistant to join our team. You will play an important role in supporting pupils to participate in swimming sessions, helping them to develop their confidence, independence and enjoyment in the water, while ensuring their individual needs are supported.

This is an active, practical role which involves spending a significant amount of time in and around the swimming pool. You will work closely with our swimming team to provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment where every pupil is encouraged and supported to participate and achieve.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting and encouraging pupils to develop their confidence, independence and enjoyment in the water
• Working alongside our swimming team to meet the individual needs of our pupils
• Supporting pupils to participate safely and positively in swimming sessions
• Being a positive and encouraging role model, celebrating pupils' individual progress and achievements

Assisting pupils with their physical and personal care needs, including dressing and undressing before and after swimming sessions

Supporting with the moving, handling and positioning of pupils, following appropriate training and individual pupil guidance

Helping to maintain a safe, supportive and inclusive environment in and around the swimming pool

Working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure every pupil has the opportunity to participate and achieve

Essential requirements of the role:

You will need to be confident and comfortable in the water and able to meet the practical swimming and water safety requirements of the role.

The successful candidate will be required to undertake the relevant NRASTC Light qualification and ongoing competency checks. This includes being able to:

• Swim 50 metres
• Climb out of the swimming pool independently
• Surface dive to the deepest part of our pool, which is 1.82 metres
• Demonstrate and maintain the practical water-based skills required for the role

Providing personal care is an essential part of this position, and applicants must be willing and able to support pupils with their changing and personal care needs.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is confident and comfortable in the water and enjoys swimming
• Is able to meet the physical and practical requirements of working within a swimming pool environment
• Is caring, patient and encouraging in their approach
• Is willing and able to provide pupils with personal care and changing support
• Has a positive attitude and can build good relationships with pupils
• Is committed to supporting pupils to develop their confidence and independence
• Has good communication skills and works well with colleagues
• Understands the importance of maintaining pupils' dignity, safety and wellbeing
• Is committed to making a positive difference to our pupils every day
• Works well as part of a supportive and dedicated team

Join us at Wilson Stuart School and become part of a team that supports every pupil to participate, achieve and thrive through care, encouragement and commitment.

We can offer:

A collaborative and inclusive culture that values every employee.

A committed, hardworking team who strive to provide the best education for all students.

Comprehensive induction and probation support and regular opportunities for professional development and growth.

10 staff training days across the academic year; one or two of these days may be aggregated which means completing training outside of normal working hours in twilight sessions.

An Employee Assistance Programme via the BHSF App – including free totally confidential support, access to a GP 24/7 and counselling.

Access to discounts and offers at many well-known retailers and other organisations via the BHSF App.

Access to a generous pension scheme known as the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) for support staff or Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS) for Teachers.

Generous annual leave entitlement for support staff based on length of service, starting at 29 days pro-rata, rising to 32 at 5 years’ plus service and 34 following 10 years’ plus service. Teachers annual leave is in line with Teachers Pay & Conditions.

Family friendly policies.

Onsite parking at all sites.

We are the only Trust to provide SEN Allowances to ALL roles who work with students, including Teachers, TA’s, Care Assistants, Pastoral Care, Guides and Drivers.

If you are determined, hardworking and think that working at our Trust might be for you, then we would love to hear from you.

If you would like to arrange an informal visit or discuss the role, please contact Wilson Stuart School at hr@wilsonstuart.co.uk

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and expect all staff to share this commitment. Successful candidates will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS, Childcare Disqualification (where applicable), qualifications, medical fitness, identity and right to work. All applicants will be required to provide two suitable references. An online search (and a prohibition check for teachers) will also be carried out as part of due diligence on all short-listed candidates. All successful candidates will be required to present their birth certificate along with evidence of any changes.

Please read a copy of our Recruitment and Selection Policy here: EIAT-Recruitment-and-Selection-Policy.pdf.

• To read a copy of our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy please click on the link below: 
• Policies (educationimpact.org.uk)
• To read our policy on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders please click on the link below: 
• Policies (educationimpact.org.uk)

This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement of the role. 

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020 and 2023, which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. 

Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide: 

DBS filtering guide - GOV.UK

To read a copy of our Privacy Notice for applicants please click on the link below:

GDPR/ FOI

Please note that only Trust application forms will be accepted. We will not read accompanying Curriculum Vitaes (CV’s) or accept them instead of an application form.

If you have not heard from us two weeks after the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.