The Role
Erskine Stewart Melville are currently recruiting for a Teacher Assistant (Primary 1) to join the Junior School on a temporary basis from 14 August 2026 to 15 August 2027 (subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks). The role is part time and term time, working Monday to Friday 1-2.30pm (a total of 7.5hrs per week) with a salary of £4,289.62. The role is based at the ESM Junior School in Ravelston Dykes.
The purpose of the role is to works with individuals and groups of children to support their learning. The Teacher Assistant supports teaching staff and supervises children in the playground. and will include such duties as:
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Support teaching staff within the classroom and with administration
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Supervise children in the lunch hall, in the playground and, in inclement weather, within the classroom.
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Work with individual children as directed by the Support for Learning Department.
The successful candidate must have experience of working with children and will be a kind and enthusiastic person who puts the interests of the children first. Ideally they would have experience of supporting a teacher in a classroom.
To learn more about this role, please access the job description provided.
Eligibility
ESMS is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. The successful candidate will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right work in the UK.
Benefits
Employees get access to a range of benefits including:
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Free school lunches
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Free Sports’ Club membership, including access to pool and fitness suites
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Paid moving house day
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Employer pension contributions of up to 8%
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Death in service benefit
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Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave
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Membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme, including a range of discounts at 130,000 retail and entertainment locations
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Employee Assistance Service
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Cycle to work scheme
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Car leasing salary sacrifice scheme
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Annual professional review process
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Regular salary reviews
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Funding towards professional qualifications
Values
We are looking for individuals who can embody and promote ESMS values of Kindness, Confidence, Resilience, Integrity, and Curiosity while role modelling behaviours in line with our school pillars of Ambition, Innovation, and Community.
ESMS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and Disclosure Scotland.
All staff working at ESMS have direct access to young people therefore all posts within the school are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Any enquiries about this position should be directed to [email protected]
The closing date for applications is 12pm Friday 17 July 2026. We anticipate interviews will take place on the 23 and 24 July 2026.
About ESMS
Welcome to the ESMS, a vibrant family of independent schools, set in beautiful grounds in the heart of Edinburgh. We offer a co-educational nursery and junior school, single-sex but closely twinned secondary education, and a co-educational sixth form.
We are a consistently award-winning School, with an educational legacy that stretches back more than 300 years. Our Schools have always been pioneers of rounded education. Children’s education is underpinned by our values: kindness, confidence, resilience, integrity and curiosity. From virtual reality headsets in the classroom to developing one of the first outdoor learning programmes in Scotland, we are always searching for new ways to develop the whole child.
The people that work for us are passionate, pioneering and strive for excellence in everything they do. We value the incredible contributions they make to school life, we invest in their careers and we support their ambitions so that they flourish professionally and personally.
Benefits
Employees get access to a range of benefits including:
-
Free school lunches
-
Free Sports’ Club membership, including access to pool and fitness suites
-
Generous holiday allowance
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Generous pension
-
Death in service benefit
-
Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave
-
Membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme, including a range of discounts at 130,000 retail and entertainment locations
-
Employee Assistance Service
-
Cycle to work scheme
-
Car leasing salary sacrifice scheme
-
Annual professional review process
-
Regular salary reviews
-
Funding towards professional qualifications
