SEN Teaching Assistant

SEN Teaching Assistant - Wallington SENDhelp is recruiting an experienced SEN Teaching Assistant for an all-ages specialist school in Wallington. The school supports children and young people aged 5-19 with a wide range of special educational needs. Applicants must have direct experience working with children or young people with SEND, ideally within a UK school or a similar formal education, care or support setting. This is a full-time position working Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Key details • Role: SEN Teaching Assistant • Location: Wallington • Hours: 8:30am-3:30pm, Monday to Friday • Setting: All-ages specialist SEND school • Age range: 5-19 • Essential: Direct experience supporting children or young people with special educational needs About the role As an SEN Teaching Assistant, you will support pupils with a range of learning, communication, sensory and behavioural needs. These needs may include autism, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, communication needs and behaviours that may challenge. The school supports pupils across primary, secondary and post-16 education, so experience with any age group will be considered. Depending on your background, you may work one-to-one with an individual pupil, support a small group or assist the wider classroom team. The successful candidate will be calm, reliable and able to adapt their communication and support to suit pupils with different needs and abilities. What you will be doing Your responsibilities may include: • Supporting pupils with autism, MLD, SLD or PMLD • Providing one-to-one and small-group learning support • Helping pupils access lessons and structured activities • Adapting resources for different learning and communication needs • Using visual aids, communication systems and sensory strategies • Supporting pupils with emotional regulation and positive behaviour • Following EHCP targets and individual support plans • Encouraging communication, independence and social development • Working closely with teachers, therapists and other support staff • Recording pupil observations and progress • Supporting personal care or mobility where required • Maintaining a safe, calm and structured classroom environment Essential experience To be considered for this SEN Teaching Assistant position, you must have practical experience supporting children or young people with special educational needs. Relevant experience may have been gained in: • A specialist SEND school • A mainstream school supporting pupils with additional needs • An alternative provision • Residential or respite care • A formal education, care or support setting Experience within a UK school is strongly preferred. Candidates from similar professional settings may also be considered where they have had direct responsibility for supporting children or young people with SEND. General experience with children without meaningful SEN responsibility will not be sufficient for this vacancy. What we are looking for The successful candidate will: • Have direct experience supporting children or young people with SEND • Be confident working with a range of needs and abilities • Remain calm and consistent during challenging situations • Understand the importance of routines, boundaries and clear communication • Be patient, resilient and emotionally reliable • Work effectively as part of a wider school team • Be comfortable supporting pupils across different age groups • Be able to travel reliably to Wallington • Be committed to safeguarding and promoting pupil welfare Experience with non-verbal pupils, sensory needs, challenging behaviour, personal care or specialist communication systems would be particularly valuable. Why consider this opportunity? • Full-time hours from 8:30am to 3:30pm • Work within an all-ages specialist school • Support pupils with a wide range of special educational needs • Gain experience across primary, secondary or post-16 education • Work alongside teachers, therapists and experienced support staff • Develop your specialist SEND knowledge and skills • Take on a meaningful role supporting pupils' learning and independence What SENDhelp offers • Competitive PAYE pay with no umbrella-company deductions • A dedicated consultant throughout your placement • Interview preparation and ongoing support • Access to relevant professional development and training • Support with registration, compliance and onboarding • Opportunities with SENDhelp partner schools across Wallington and South London This opportunity would suit an experienced SEN Teaching Assistant who is available full-time and confident supporting pupils with a variety of additional needs. As a specialist SEND recruiter, child safety and welfare is our number one priority. That is why we conduct thorough checks on all our candidates, and ensure that they abide by our Candidate Code of Conduct. All Candidates will be required to provide an Enhanced DBS that is actively registered on the Update Service, or apply for one as part of the onboarding process. This is in addition to other mandatory compliance checks in line with the DfE guidelines. For further information please see our Safer Recruitment Policy. SENDhelp is an equal opportunities employer.