SEND & SEMH Jobs | Teachers & Support Staff | East Sussex

You can learn a lot about a school from how it responds when a young person is struggling.

That is one of the things I came to appreciate during my own time working in SEND education.

Specialist education isn't simply mainstream education with smaller classes or additional adults in the room. The approach can be fundamentally different.

Sometimes learning has to wait for regulation. Sometimes the plan for the lesson changes because what a pupil needs that morning has changed. Sometimes building enough trust for a young person to accept your support is progress in itself.

I'm now recruiting Teachers and support staff across SEND and SEMH schools throughout East Sussex, and I'm looking to connect with more people who either already know this world well or think their experience could translate into it.

The opportunities

I work with specialist primary and secondary settings around Hastings, Battle, Eastbourne, Hailsham, Seaford, Newhaven, Lewes and the surrounding areas.

I'm regularly recruiting for:

• SEND & SEMH Teachers
• Teaching Assistants
• Learning Support Assistants
• Behaviour & Engagement Mentors
• 1:1 Support
• Intervention & Pastoral roles
• Flexible day-to-day staff
• Long-term and ongoing placements

There isn't one particular type of person I'm hoping this advert reaches.

An experienced SEMH Teacher looking for their next school is going to bring something very different from a care worker considering education for the first time.

Both conversations can be worthwhile.

If you're already working in SEND

I'd like to know what you've learnt about the environments that suit you.

Perhaps you particularly enjoy working with secondary-aged pupils. Maybe 1:1 work is where you're strongest. You might love SEMH provision, or know from experience that another type of specialist setting suits you better.

Those preferences matter.

Moving jobs shouldn't mean forgetting everything you've already learnt about the kind of educator you are.

If SEND would be new to you

You don't necessarily need to have worked in a specialist school before.

Depending on the vacancy, relevant experience can come from mainstream education, care, youth work, sports coaching, mentoring, tutoring and other work supporting children and young people.

What schools need are adults who can develop relationships without forcing them, maintain clear boundaries, work consistently as part of a team and adapt their approach when something isn't working.

There will also be challenging moments, and I think it's important to be upfront about that.

SEND can ask a lot of you. Progress isn't always straightforward and behaviour can sometimes be difficult to navigate.

But you're rarely doing it alone. Specialist schools bring together teachers, support staff, pastoral teams and other professionals around the young person, and being part of that wider approach was something I particularly valued when I worked in the sector myself.

Finding the right fit

My role isn't simply to find someone who technically meets a job description.

When you apply, we'll talk about your experience, where you're based, what you're looking for and the type of environment in which you tend to work best.

I can then talk you through the schools and opportunities I have available and we can decide together which ones make sense to explore.

Pay & practical information

Teaching Assistant and LSA opportunities are paid from £92.60 per day, with qualified teaching roles paid to scale where applicable.

There are flexible, long-term and ongoing opportunities throughout the 2026/27 academic year, alongside access to CPD and professional development.

You'll need an Enhanced Child Workforce DBS registered on the Update Service. If you don't currently hold one, you'll need to apply through us and join the Update Service. I'll support you through that process, although the associated cost is covered by the applicant.

We'll also require a full employment and education history and references covering 24 months of employment in total where possible, prioritising recent and relevant employment.

Interested?

Whether you're looking for your next SEND position or you're simply curious about whether specialist education could suit you, I'd be happy to have the conversation.

Apply with your details and tell me a little about what you're looking for. We can take it from there.

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.
For details of our privacy policy, please visit the Teaching Personnel website.