SEND / SEMH Teaching Assistants – Immediate Start

If you’re looking for a role where you can genuinely make an impact — and be part of a team that actually supports each other — this is worth a conversation.

We are working with a specialist primary and secondary SEMH setting in Hailsham that is looking to bring in multiple Teaching Assistants immediately.

There are several vacancies to fill, and the school is keen to move quickly for the right people.

About the Setting

This is a relationship-led, therapeutic environment supporting pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Many students have found mainstream education difficult. What they need is consistency, structure, and adults they can trust.

The staff team reflects that.

• Strong, supportive and genuinely collaborative
• Clear behaviour approaches — no one left to deal with situations alone
• A focus on calm, consistent responses rather than reactive ones
• An environment where relationships come first, progress follows

It’s not easy work — but for the right person, it’s incredibly rewarding.

The Role

You’ll be working closely with pupils who need support to engage, regulate and succeed in school.

Day to day, that might look like:

• Supporting pupils 1:1 or in small groups
• Helping manage behaviour through calm, consistent approaches
• Supporting emotional regulation and re-engagement in learning
• Working alongside teachers and pastoral teams
• Building trust with pupils who need stability and reliability

Who This Suits

This role isn’t for everyone — and that’s intentional.

It suits people who:

• Stay calm under pressure and don’t take things personally
• Can bring structure, consistency and clear boundaries
• Understand that behaviour is communication
• Are resilient, and able to reset quickly after challenging moments
• Actually want to be in this line of work — not just pass through it

Experience in SEND or SEMH is helpful, but not essential.

If you don’t have direct experience, what matters is your attitude, presence, and ability to build relationships. Backgrounds in coaching, support work, youth work or similar often translate well.

Important – Read Before Applying

These roles are ready to go now, so it’s important you can move quickly through vetting.

You will need:

• An enhanced child-only DBS on the Update Service
• If you don’t have one, you must be willing to apply immediately (cost covered by the applicant, with support provided)
• References covering at least 24 months of employment
  • This can be across multiple roles
  • It does not need to be continuous
  • We aim for this to be as recent and consistent as possible, but the key requirement is that it totals 24 months
• A full 10-year work and/or education history
• Right-to-work documentation

The faster this is completed, the faster you can be placed.

Practical Details

• Location: Hailsham
• Multiple vacancies available
• Immediate start opportunities
• Full-time, long-term roles
• Pay: £92.60 per day

Final Thought

This is one of those roles where the right people tend to stay.

If you’re looking for something meaningful, challenging, and genuinely rewarding, and you know you can bring the consistency these pupils need — it’s worth applying.

Given the urgency and number of roles, early applications are strongly encouraged.

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.
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