Autism Specialist Teaching Assistant – Secondary SEMH School
Location: Newham, East London
Role: Autism Specialist Teaching Assistant
Setting: Secondary SEMH School
Start Date: ASAP
Contract: Full-time, long-term
Are you an experienced Teaching Assistant with a genuine passion for supporting autistic young people with complex needs?
We are working with a specialist secondary SEMH school in Newham who are looking for a nurturing, experienced and emotionally intelligent Autism Specialist Teaching Assistant to join their team.
You will be supporting a small class of just three learners – two boys and one girl in Years 9 and 10. All three students have autism alongside additional complex needs, and each learner requires a highly individualised approach to their education and emotional wellbeing.
The students are accessing the secondary school curriculum, so this role would suit someone who can balance academic support with a strong understanding of autism, communication, emotional regulation and individualised learning.
The Role
As an Autism Specialist Teaching Assistant, you will:
- Provide consistent 1:1 and small-group support throughout the school day
- Support students to access the secondary curriculum and develop their independence
- Build positive, trusting relationships with autistic learners
- Understand and respond to individual communication and sensory needs
- Support emotional regulation and help students manage moments of dysregulation
- Use a trauma-informed, nurturing and low-arousal approach
- Confidently support and de-escalate challenging situations when required
- Work closely with teachers and the wider specialist team to ensure consistent support
- Encourage positive engagement, independence and confidence
- Adapt activities and communication to meet individual learning needs
- Support students to develop their social, emotional and communication skills
The Ideal Candidate
The school are looking for someone who has previous experience working within a specialist setting and understands that behaviour is often a form of communication.
You may have worked within a:
- Special school
- Autism provision
- SEMH setting
- Alternative provision
- Specialist secondary school
- Complex needs environment
You will need to be someone who is calm, patient and consistent, particularly when students are experiencing dysregulation. The ability to build genuine relationships is incredibly important in this setting.
The successful candidate will ideally have:
- Proven experience supporting autistic children or young people
- Experience working with complex needs
- Previous experience within a specialist education setting
- Confidence supporting and de-escalating behaviour
- A trauma-informed and relational approach to supporting young people
- The ability to remain calm and consistent in challenging situations
- Strong communication and teamwork skills
- A nurturing and emotionally intelligent approach
- A genuine commitment to helping young people reach their potential
Why This Role?
This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced TA who wants to work in a small, highly supportive learning environment, where building relationships and understanding each individual learner is at the heart of the role.
With only three students in the class, you will have the opportunity to really get to know the young people you support and make a meaningful difference to both their education and wider development.
If you are an experienced specialist TA who is passionate about autism, complex needs and trauma-informed education, we would love to hear from you.