Essex County Council Noak Bridge Primary School Coppice Lane, , . SS15 4JS Telephone: 01268-282433 Fax: 01268-281125 E-Mail: [email protected] Head Teacher: Ms H Karim Deputy Head: Mrs L Patient

General Information Introduction Thank you for your interest in the post of Teaching Assistant at Noak Bridge Primary School. I hope you are able to visit the school but if not, I trust you will find this information helpful.

The Community Noak Bridge is a modern, village school. It has eight class bases, a computer suite, a teaching kitchen, a Science/ CDT lab, an audio visual room, a hall, staff room, shower room and office accommodation.

Admissions and Catchments Noak Bridge Primary School is set in a conservation area, has attractive grounds and is bordered by trees and a large playing field. It is close to the local duck pond in the centre of the village and the Nature Reserve. Our catchments cover a wide area with pupils coming from Noak Bridge village, the nearby estate of Steeple View and . We have 204 pupils currently on roll and they are in one of seven class bases giving us an average class size of 29.

Staffing We have eight teachers, eight teaching assistants and an ICT technician. Our team of staff includes an administrative officer, a finance officer and six mid-day assistants. We have our own kitchen and two members of staff who manage the preparation of school meals. All members of staff work as a team and we greatly value the support everyone gives and receives. We encourage parents and governors to help in the school and pride ourselves on our friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

Fund-raising We have an active group of parents and friends who organise social / fundraising events. During the past two years we have received money for computers, a central sound system, and CD players for the classrooms, a television / DVD / video player and playground equipment.

Excellence Growth Achievement

Transfer to Secondary School

On leaving Noak Bridge Primary at the age of 11 the majority of children normally transfer to The School.

Selection Arrangements

You are asked to complete the enclosed application form, which you should relate specifically to the accompanying job description.

Informal visits to the school are welcome and should be arranged by telephone 01268 282433 with Ms H Karim, Head Teacher.

You should ensure that your application is typed or handwritten in black ink or black ball-point pen (so that good photostat copies can be produced) and returned marked confidential to Ms H Karim, Head Teacher.

Your application will not be acknowledged but, should you have any queries regarding receipt of your application, please do not hesitate to telephone.

The closing date is 25th May 2017 at 12 noon.

The appointment

The appointment will be subject to the regulations of the Department for Education and Skills and of the Essex County Council, and may be terminated by either party giving 2 months written notice taking effect at the end of the Spring or autumn term or 3 months written notice taking effect at the end of the Summer term.

If you are selected you may be required to pass a medical examination and/or chest x-ray.

The County of Essex and local area

The County

Essex is a county of fascinating contrasts. Many generations of people have settled in Essex and there are historic settlements to mark these.

Essex is expanding rapidly, with new industrial and housing developments taking shape alongside historical towns. The comprehensive rail network ensures that more than half of the stations are less than an hour’s journey from London, and the M25 motorway links the county’s roads with the national motorway system. Stansted Airport and the ferry port of connect Britain with the continent, spearheading our European community links.

Excellence Growth Achievement The south of the county provides the bustle and excitement of life adjacent to London. To the north, the Essex countryside provides rolling scenery, dotted with charming villages, farms and country inns.

Beauty spots, such as Dedham Vale, contrast with beach resorts, many of which are suitable for water activities. Facilities for land sports are excellent and extensive throughout the county.

Shopping facilities range from the farm shop to major shopping centres in the larger towns.

The contrasts within Essex provide not only variety for residents and visitors alike, but also balance to make the county an interesting and rewarding place in which to live. The county and district councils' policies have the aim of continuing to improve the quality of life in Essex, whilst safeguarding the proud Essex heritage and the environment for our own benefit and for the generations to come.

The administrative area of Essex comprises, since April 1998, 12 districts. On that date, Southend and became unitary authorities, and thus LEAs in their own right, as a result of local government reorganisation. The LEA operates largely from , with some locally-based service delivery.

The County town

Chelmsford is the County town of Essex. It has remarkable industrial heritage and is now recognised as the birthplace of broadcasting and the electronics industry. Today the County town is a major centre for commerce and industry. The town provides a thriving administrative and shopping focus for the whole county. It is also the seat of Anglia Polytechnic University, including the Business School at Danbury Park.

Offices of the borough council, Essex County Council, and Chelmsford Diocese are all located in the town. A number of financial institutions and companies have recently located here.

Chelmsford has a well-established retail market and shopping centre. The High Chelmer and Meadows developments feature under-cover shopping, whilst further department stores, smaller shops and cafes and some 5,000 square feet of office space are available close by in the pedestrianised high street.

Communications are excellent; the A12, M11 and M25 are close by, the train journey to London takes only 35 minutes, Stansted Airport is just 15 miles away and the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe are within easy reach.

A borough since 1888, Chelmsford comprises 27 parishes and the numerous historic villages surrounding the county town are well worth exploring. The distinct villages each have their own charm and history which can be traced back over the years.

Excellence Growth Achievement Chelmsford has a wide range of leisure activities, catering for many interests. The Chelmsford and Essex Museum and the Essex Regiment Museum are located in Oaklands Park. Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre includes an international size Ice Rink, two indoor swimming pools with water flume and one outdoor heated pool, a multi-purpose sports hall, snooker room, squash courts, restaurant and bar facilities. There are also outdoor pitches available in the many parks throughout the borough. The major park within the borough is Hylands Park, situated to the south west of Chelmsford. A variety of activities takes place in the park including orienteering, walking, bird watching, scouting, fund days, antiques road shows and car rallies. The town has a comprehensive network of cycle paths.

South Essex

South Essex comprises the districts of Basildon, and . These include the towns of Basildon, Billericay, Hockley, Rayleigh and . There is a pleasant mix of extensive rural areas with country parks, archaeological sites, interesting churches, riverside sports and both modern and historic industrial towns.

Basildon is approximately 30 miles from London. Fifty years ago the area was a rural community but is now a bustling new town with modern civic buildings, library, cinemas, bowling alley, night-clubs and a large general hospital, close to the town centre.

Nearby are the towns of Billericay, Wickford and Laindon, which although large enough to contain small areas of light industry, are nevertheless mainly residential and surrounded by extensive rural landscapes.

There are good recreational and educational opportunities in south Essex, including many large country parks, golf courses, farms such as Marsh Farm, which is a working farm popular with children and adults alike. Hall Country Park houses various museums, including the Rural Life Museum which illustrates the domestic and working life of the people of south Essex since the time of Wat Tyler in the 14th century. The coastline incorporates vast marsh areas for wild birds on extending to Hadleigh.

The Authority

One of the three largest education authorities in the country, Essex has nearly 600 schools and over 200,000 pupils and students. In the OFSTED inspection of Essex Authority it was confirmed that ‘This is a well-led Authority that has made significant improvements in the delivery of its services in the past three years’ Over the past five years standards in primary and secondary schools have risen at a faster rate than nationally.

Essex Authority was selected by the DfES to be one of a number of authorities to develop new ways of delivering local education services and was awarded a £100,000 grant to explore and develop future initiatives in service delivery.

Excellence Growth Achievement