SEND Teaching Assistants & Behaviour Mentors | East Sussex

There are some young people who don't need another adult telling them what they're doing wrong. They need an adult who can work out what might help them get it right.

That's a big part of the work I'm recruiting for.

I'm looking for Teaching Assistants, Learning Support Assistants, Behaviour & Engagement Mentors and 1:1 support staff to work within specialist SEND and SEMH schools across East Sussex.

These aren't roles where you'll spend every day quietly sitting at the back of a classroom.

You could be helping a pupil access a lesson they've struggled to enter for weeks.

Supporting somebody outside the classroom when things have become overwhelming.

Running a small intervention.

Helping a young person regulate enough to return to learning.

Or simply noticing that today they managed something they couldn't manage last month.

Schools need people who can see beyond the behaviour.

That doesn't mean accepting everything.

Boundaries matter enormously.

But there's a difference between managing behaviour and getting into a battle with a young person.

The people who tend to work well in these environments learn when to challenge, when to redirect, when to give somebody space and when a pupil simply needs an adult to remain calm while they're struggling to do the same.

That's why I'm interested in more than qualifications.

Previous SEND or SEMH experience is obviously valuable, but depending on the vacancy, strong candidates can also come from care, mainstream education, youth work, sports coaching, mentoring, tutoring and other roles supporting young people.

If you've spent time building relationships with teenagers who don't immediately trust adults, for example, that's relevant experience.

Tell me about it.

Where could you be working?

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

And those schools aren't interchangeable.

Somebody can be an excellent support worker and still be in completely the wrong environment.

That's something I understand personally because I worked directly within SEND education before moving into recruitment.

So when we speak, I'm interested in more than whether you're technically available.

What age group suits you?

What behaviours are you experienced with?

Do you enjoy classroom support, or are you stronger working 1:1?

Do you prefer structure, or are you good at adapting on the fly?

Those answers help me decide which conversations with schools are actually worth having.

What I'm recruiting for

Opportunities include:

• Teaching Assistants
• Learning Support Assistants
• Behaviour & Engagement Mentors
• 1:1 Support
• Intervention roles
• Pastoral Support
• Flexible day-to-day work
• Full-time and long-term placements

Teaching Assistant and LSA opportunities are paid from £92.60 per day, with roles available throughout the 2026/27 academic year.

You'll also have access to CPD and professional development.

Safeguarding

You'll need an Enhanced Child Workforce DBS registered on the Update Service.

If you don't currently have one, you'll need to apply through us and join the Update Service. I'll support you through the application process, although the associated cost is covered by the applicant.

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

Think you'd be good at this?

You might already have years of SEND experience.

You might also be reading this because something about the work sounds very familiar from what you've done elsewhere.

Either is worth a conversation.

Apply and tell me about your experience. I'll tell you honestly whether I think I've got a school that could suit you.

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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