SEMH Teaching Assistant Secondary

SEMH Secondary Teaching Assistant

Location: Manchester
Pay: £90 – £100 per day (depending on experience)
Contract: Full-time | Term-Time Only
Start Date: Immediate / September 2026

Are you looking for a role where you can truly change the direction of a young person’s life?

A supportive and well-established secondary school in Manchester is seeking a passionate SEMH Teaching Assistant to work with students who require additional emotional and behavioural support to engage with education. This role is ideal for someone who wants to make a real difference while developing valuable experience in education, youth work, psychology or behaviour support.

This is not just a classroom support role — it’s an opportunity to mentor, guide and inspire young people who need positive role models and consistent support.

About the School

The school provides a structured and nurturing learning environment for students aged 11–16 who experience Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. Many students may have faced barriers to learning in mainstream education and benefit from additional support to re-engage with their studies.

The school focuses on building confidence, emotional resilience and life skills alongside academic learning.

The setting includes:

• Small class sizes allowing for individualised attention
• Dedicated pastoral and behaviour support teams
• Wellbeing and reflection spaces for emotional regulation
• Intervention rooms for targeted learning support
• Modern classrooms and engaging learning resources
• Outdoor activity areas to encourage positive engagement
• A calm and structured environment designed to support student wellbeing

Staff work collaboratively to ensure every young person feels supported, respected and capable of success.

The Role

As an SEMH Teaching Assistant, you will play a vital role in supporting students both inside and outside the classroom.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting students 1:1 or in small groups with learning activities
• Helping students manage emotions and behaviour in a positive way
• Encouraging engagement and motivation in lessons
• Supporting teachers with classroom activities and lesson preparation
• Implementing behaviour support strategies and routines
• Building positive, trusting relationships with students
• Supporting students during break times, transitions and interventions
• Helping pupils develop confidence, social skills and independence

No two days are the same, making this role both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for someone who is:

• Patient, resilient and empathetic
• Confident supporting young people with behavioural challenges
• Calm under pressure and able to build strong relationships
• Passionate about helping young people succeed
• A positive role model with strong communication skills

Previous experience supporting students with SEMH, behavioural needs, autism, ADHD or trauma-informed practice would be beneficial but not essential.

Transferable Experience Welcome

This role is ideal for candidates with backgrounds in:

• Teaching Assistant or Learning Support roles
• Youth work
• Behaviour mentoring
• Sports coaching
• Care or support work
• Residential childcare
• Psychology or education graduates
• Mental health support roles

If you have experience supporting young people, vulnerable individuals or behaviour management, your skills are highly transferable.

Apply Today

If you are passionate about supporting young people and want a role where every day matters, this could be the perfect opportunity.

Apply now to begin a rewarding career supporting students who need it most.

When applying through Teaching Personnel, an enhanced DBS on the update service is a required document. If you do not have one already, you will be asked to apply for one through Teaching Personnel before you are able to start in a position.

Any applicants that have been out of the UK for more than 3 months over the past 5 years will be asked to provide an overseas criminal clearance check. If you do not already have one of these, please apply for this before applying to this role

All applicants must have a permanent residence and right to work in the UK. If you are currently based in another country, please do not apply for these roles as we will not be able to process your application.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.
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