Sen Teaching Assistant

Are you looking for a role where the work you do each day genuinely matters?

Teaching Personnel is working closely with schools across Horsham and Crawley that are looking for caring, resilient and motivated teaching assistants to support children and young people with a range of additional needs.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from people who have experience working with children, young people or adults in a support-based role. You don’t necessarily need to have worked in a school before. What matters is that you’re patient, reliable and able to build positive relationships with young people.

Our partner schools include specialist SEN settings, alternative provision and mainstream secondary schools. The students you support may have autism, severe learning difficulties (SLD), social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), mobility needs or other additional needs.

We’re mainly recruiting for full-time teaching assistant roles, but we also regularly have opportunities for people looking for flexible work, including pre-booked and same-day supply cover.

Could your experience transfer into a school?

Some of the strongest teaching assistants we work with haven’t followed a traditional route into education.

We regularly see people from backgrounds such as:

• Psychology graduates who want practical experience working with children and young people before progressing into mental health, education or further study.

• Care and support workers who already understand how important patience, consistency, communication and dignity are when supporting someone with additional needs.

• Sports coaches and instructors who are confident managing groups, building relationships and motivating young people who may struggle in a traditional classroom.

• Youth workers and support workers who have experience helping young people manage emotions, behaviour and challenging situations.

• Graduates and early-career professionals looking for meaningful work where they can develop valuable experience.

• Experienced teaching assistants and SEN support staff looking for their next opportunity in a specialist or mainstream setting.

You may already have many of the skills schools are looking for without realising it.

What does a SEN teaching assistant actually do?

The role can look different from school to school, but your focus will be on helping students feel safe, supported and able to engage with their education.

Depending on the setting and the needs of the students, you could be supporting pupils with learning activities, helping them manage their emotions, encouraging positive behaviour or providing more individualised support throughout the school day.

You may also:

• Build positive, trusting relationships with students and become a consistent source of support throughout their school day.

• Support students to regulate their emotions and manage behaviour, particularly during difficult or overwhelming situations.

• Work alongside teachers and other support staff to help students access lessons and take part in school life.

• Provide one-to-one or small-group support where students need additional help with learning, communication or engagement.

• Encourage independence and help students develop confidence in their own abilities.

• Support students with personal care, mobility or other practical needs where required by the school.

The aim isn’t simply to help a student complete their work. It’s about understanding what might be preventing them from engaging and helping them overcome those barriers.

You don’t need to have all the answers

Working in SEN education can be challenging, particularly when supporting students who communicate or respond to situations differently.

You might be supporting a student who becomes overwhelmed by noise, finds changes to their routine difficult, struggles to communicate how they’re feeling or displays behaviour that can be difficult to manage.

You won’t be expected to walk into a classroom knowing exactly what to do.

What schools value is someone who is calm, consistent, willing to learn and genuinely interested in understanding the young people they support.

Your experience from psychology, care, sport, youth work or another people-focused environment could give you a strong starting point.

Full-time or flexible work

Most of the opportunities we’re currently recruiting for are full-time, making them a good fit if you’re looking to build a career in education or gain substantial experience working with SEN students.

We also work with schools that need additional support on a flexible basis. If you’re looking for supply work, we can offer:

• Pre-booked days of work in schools.

• Same-day cover when schools need additional staff at short notice.

• The opportunity to gain experience across different school settings.

• Flexible work around your existing commitments.

This can also be a good way to experience different schools before deciding what type of setting is right for you.

Why work with Teaching Personnel?

We work closely with schools across Horsham, Crawley and the surrounding areas, giving us a strong understanding of the SEN opportunities available locally.

We’ll take the time to understand what you’re looking for, what experience you have and which type of school could suit you.

For new teaching assistants, we can also help you understand what to expect from working in a school and support you as you take your first steps into education.

For experienced SEN staff, we can help you find opportunities that match your skills, experience and career plans.

A driving licence is useful, but not essential

Having a full driving licence and access to a car is extremely advantageous, particularly as some specialist schools and opportunities are more difficult to reach by public transport.

That said, a driving licence isn’t essential. We have opportunities that can be accessible by public transport, so please still get in touch if you don’t drive.

What we’re looking for

You don’t need to tick every box, but you’ll be well suited to these roles if you are:

• Patient, approachable and able to build positive relationships with young people.

• Calm and consistent when faced with challenging behaviour or difficult situations.

• Confident working as part of a wider school team.

• Reliable and committed to providing consistent support.

• Interested in understanding SEN and helping students make progress.

• Willing to learn and take guidance from experienced teachers and support staff.

Ready to explore SEN teaching assistant work?

Whether you’re a psychology graduate looking for relevant experience, an experienced support worker ready for a change, a sports coach who wants to work more closely with young people, or an experienced teaching assistant looking for your next role, we’d like to hear from you.

Apply today and tell us what you’re looking for.

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.
Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.
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