Special Needs Teaching Assistant - Sutton/Surrey
£90 to £105 per day PAYE(dependant on experience)
Monday to Friday, 08:30 AM to 04:00 PM
Full-time, long-term contact (term-time only)
Easter/September Start
If you have worked with children who have Autism, SLD, PMLD and Complex Needs or experienced trauma, you will know that every mile stone is an achievement. It grows from a sense of safety, consistent support, and adults who can stay calm and regulated when a child cannot.
As soon as you walk into the setting, it is clear how much they love working with young people and children with neurodiversity.
The school:
This is a SEND setting supporting children and young people with a diagnosis of ASC, SLD, PMLD, and complex needs from primary and secondary age.
- Small class sizes - sensory/holistic-based teaching and support
- High staffing ratios to prioritise consistency and relationships
- Students are supported to regulate before returning to learning
The role:
As a Special Needs Teaching Assistant, your role goes far beyond classroom support. You will provide a consistent adult presence for students who need reliability, calm, and emotional safety. You will work closely with the class teacher to support learning, as well as regulation, reflection, and repair when situations feel difficult.
You will not be expected to manage behaviour through control. Instead, you will:
- Build trusting relationships with students over time
- Supporting students who have high and low presenting needs and adapting to each individual pupil
- Support personal care where necessary
- Support emotional regulation through co-regulation
- Understand when learning needs to pause
- Stay calm and reflective during moments of dysregulation
You will also work alongside an integrated therapeutic team, including Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychology, and creative therapies. Support for students and staff is genuinely built into the model.
Who this role suits:
- Has a genuine interest in Autism, PMLD, SLD, ADHD, complex needs and trauma-related experience (professional or lived - perhaps you have family members you have grown up caring for)
- Is emotionally intelligent, reflective, and resilient
- Understands that behaviour is communication
- Wants to work in a setting where values and practice are aligned
- Inspiring teacher, clinical psychologist, or therapist
This role is not suited to anyone seeking a traditional Teaching Assistant position or to those who rely on sanctions or reward-based behaviour systems. If this opportunity aligns with where you are in your career and what you value in SEN education, I will welcome a conversation. Whether it is this role or another trauma-informed opportunity, I can support you in thinking carefully about your next step and whether the setting is the right fit for you.
This is a role for someone looking for more than a job. It is for someone seeking the right environment to carry out meaningful work. If you are interested in this Teaching Assistant position, apply today or contact Jamie at Parker Smith Inclusion.