SEN 1:1 Teaching Assistant

⭐ SEN 1:1 Teaching Assistant – Full-Time, Long-Term ⭐ Location: Start Date: ASAP Contract: Full-time, long-term Hours: Monday–Friday, term time only Pay: £13.75–£14.50 per hour, dependent on experience and qualifications This rate will increase in April in line with cost of living adjustments. Are you a compassionate, resilient and relationship‑driven Teaching Assistant looking for a rewarding long-term role? Do you have the specialist skills needed to support children with complex backgrounds, diagnosed SEN, SEMH needs, or PDA profiles? We are seeking a highly skilled 1:1 SEN Teaching Assistant to join a supportive and nurturing primary school. This is a vital long-term position supporting children who may have: Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) needs Special Educational Needs (SEN) Complex trauma or challenging home circumstances Possible Looked After Child (LAC) status Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) characteristics Communication and interaction needs, including non-verbal profiles About the Role As a 1:1 SEN Teaching Assistant, you will: Provide tailored, relationship‑based support for a child with complex needs Implement trauma‑informed and attachment‑aware strategies Support children with communication difficulties, including non-verbal learners Use SEN-specific strategies to manage emotional regulation and sensory needs Engage PDA learners through low‑demand, child‑led approaches Work collaboratively with the SENCO, teaching team, pastoral staff and external agencies Build trust, consistency and a stable relationship to enable progress Highly Desirable Qualifications & Training We strongly encourage applications from candidates with any of the following: ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) Experience delivering emotional literacy interventions, supporting anxiety, self‑esteem and emotional regulation. Speech & Language Support (SALT) Including training or experience in: Speech and language intervention PECS, Makaton, visuals or alternative communication systems Supporting communication delay or language processing needs Non-Verbal or Communication-Based Support Experience working with pupils who are: Non-verbal Using AAC, visual timetables or sensory communication tools Selectively mute or have significant communication barriers Additional SEN/SEMH Training Such as: Team Teach / de-escalation Trauma-informed practice Autism awareness & PDA strategies Attachment and ACEs training Ideal Candidate Will Have: Experience supporting SEN, SEMH, trauma or behavioural needs Emotional intelligence, patience and resilience Strong de‑escalation and behaviour support ability A relationship-centred, consistent approach Creativity in engaging hard‑to‑reach pupils Understanding of PDA and child-led, low-demand methods A genuine passion for helping vulnerable children thrive What We Offer A long-term, stable school placement Ongoing support from an experienced SENCO and pastoral team Competitive hourly pay with an April cost‑of‑living increase Access to high‑quality CPD including ELSA, SALT workshops, SEMH training, Team Teach and more A dedicated consultant (Morgan!) supporting you throughout How to Apply If you are committed, nurturing and ready to make a meaningful difference, we’d love to hear from you. Please apply with a full and up-to-date CV. Applications submitted without a CV will not be considered. For any additional questions before applying, please email: morgan.sharkey@teachingpersonnel.com 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.