Teaching Assistant – SEMH Specialist Provision
Hours: Full-time (Monday–Friday)
Pay: £14.25 per hour
About the Role
We are looking for a resilient, consistent and proactive Teaching Assistant to support a specialist secondary provision for pupils aged 11–16 with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
This is a hands-on support role where you will work closely with teachers to help pupils engage in learning and manage their behaviour. The focus is on building trust, maintaining structure, and supporting pupils throughout the school day.
Key duties include:
- Supporting teachers in delivering structured, engaging lessons
- Working 1:1 and in small groups to re-engage pupils in learning
- Reinforcing learning and helping pupils stay on task
- Supporting behaviour using clear boundaries and de-escalation strategies
- Assisting pupils during transitions and unstructured times
- Building positive, consistent relationships with pupils
Understanding the Pupils
Many pupils have experienced disruption in education and may be at risk of exclusion or involvement in negative behaviours outside of school.
They may present with:
- Emotional dysregulation (anger, anxiety, frustration)
- Low confidence and disengagement from education
- Challenging or confrontational behaviour
- Difficulty forming positive relationships with adults and peers
Your role will focus on support, stability and positive influence; helping pupils regulate emotions, make better choices, and stay engaged in education.
Who This Role Suits
We are particularly interested in candidates with backgrounds that offer a strong understanding of behaviour and risk, such as:
- PRUs or alternative provisions
- Youth work or mentoring
- Behaviour support roles
- Care or residential work
- Sports coaching or community-based roles
- Experience supporting young people at risk of exclusion or offending
You will need to be calm, patient, and able to build respect while maintaining clear and consistent boundaries.
The Ideal Candidate
- Experience working with secondary-aged young people (SEMH/PRU desirable)
- Strong behaviour management and de-escalation skills
- Resilient, adaptable, and emotionally aware
- Able to build trust with hard-to-reach pupils
- A team player willing to support across the school day
- A genuine commitment to supporting young people with additional needs
Why Join
- Make a meaningful difference to young people who need stability and support
- Gain valuable experience in a specialist SEMH setting
- Work within a supportive and experienced team
- Develop skills in behaviour support and alternative education
Safeguarding
A Child Workforce DBS on the Update Service is required (or willingness to obtain one).
If you are looking for a role where you can have a real impact through support, consistency, and positive relationships, we encourage you to apply.
Apply now with your up-to-date CV.
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.
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