SEN Teaching Assistant

SEN Teaching Assistant - Crawley SENDhelp is recruiting an experienced SEN Teaching Assistant for an all-ages specialist school near Crawley. The school supports children and young people aged 5-19 with a wide range of special educational needs. Due to the school's remote location and the lack of suitable public transport, applicants must be able to drive and have reliable access to a vehicle. Candidates must also have direct experience supporting children or young people with SEN in a UK school or a similar formal education, care or support setting. Key details • Role: SEN Teaching Assistant • Location: Crawley • Setting: All-ages specialist SEND school • Age range: 5-19 • Working pattern: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 8:30 - 15:30 • Essential: Relevant SEN experience • Essential: Full driving licence and reliable access to a vehicle About the role As an SEN Teaching Assistant, you will support pupils with a broad 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. Experience with any age group will be considered, provided you have relevant experience supporting children or young people with special educational needs. Depending on your background, you may support an individual pupil, work with a small group or assist the wider classroom team. 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 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 calm, safe and structured learning environment Essential experience To be considered for this SEN Teaching Assistant role, you must have direct experience supporting children or young people with special educational needs. Suitable experience may have been gained in: • A specialist SEND school • A mainstream school supporting pupils with additional needs • An alternative provision • Residential care • 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 their experience involves meaningful responsibility for supporting children or young people with SEND. General experience with children without direct SEN responsibility will not be sufficient for this vacancy. Driving requirement The school is based in a remote location outside the practical reach of public transport. Applicants must: • Hold a valid driving licence • Have reliable access to a vehicle • Be able to travel consistently to the school near Crawley each working day Please do not apply if you would need to rely on public transport to reach the school. What we are looking for The successful candidate will: • Have practical experience supporting children or young people with SEN • 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 multidisciplinary team • Be comfortable supporting pupils across different age groups • Be willing to assist with personal care where required • 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? • 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 communication and sensory-support skills • Take on a meaningful role supporting pupils' learning and independence • Secure a consistent, full-time placement near Crawley 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 Crawley and the surrounding areas This opportunity would suit an experienced SEN Teaching Assistant who can drive, has reliable access to a vehicle and is 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.