Graduate SEN Teaching Assistant - South West London
ASAP start, full-time, term-time only, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4pm
£93 to £100 per day PAYE (£465 to £500 per week), paid weekly
Interviews arranged ASAP
What could a pupil who communicates through a glance or a reach of the hand teach you that your psychology degree could not?
I am working with a specialist SEND school in South West London that needs a Graduate SEN Teaching Assistant to support pupils with Autism, Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). Many of the pupils communicate without speech. Learning to read them and helping them be understood sits at the centre of this role.
Is your degree turning into the experience you need?
You finished your Psychology degree knowing a lot about child development, communication and behaviour. Now every Assistant Psychologist post and training course asks the same question. Where is your hands-on experience?
A few hours of volunteering rarely give a strong enough answer. A full school year in a specialist setting does. You work with the same pupils every day and watch them change over months. You leave with stories and skills that interview panels for psychology, teaching and therapy roles take seriously.
About the school and the pupils
This specialist school supports children and young people from primary age through to post-16. Pupils have Autism, SLD and PMLD, and many use signing, symbols or objects to communicate.
Learning reaches well beyond the classroom. You support pupils to build independence in everyday places, from ordering a drink in a cafe to finding items in a supermarket. The school also offers sensory and water-based activities, and you support pupils during these sessions as part of their wider learning.
Progress here can look like a pupil choosing between two objects for the first time. The team notices that moment and celebrates it. New staff join a supportive team that takes the time to show you how each pupil communicates and what helps them feel settled.
The school is commutable from Wimbledon, New Malden, Twickenham and Epsom.
Your role as a Graduate SEN Teaching Assistant
- Learn each pupil’s way of communicating, including signing and symbols, and use it consistently throughout the day
- Support pupils in class and small groups, working with Teachers and therapists towards each pupil’s EHC Plan targets
- Accompany pupils on community visits to cafes and supermarkets, building practical life skills
- Support pupils during sensory and water-based activities
- Provide personal care with dignity and respect, including toileting and changing
Who should apply
- Psychology graduates, or graduates in a related subject such as Education Studies or Social Work
- People with some SEND experience. Volunteering or supporting a family member with additional needs both count, and school experience is not essential
- Anyone comfortable providing personal care and joining water-based activities
- Calm, flexible people with strong communication skills and the patience to wait for a pupil’s response
- Graduates planning a career in Clinical or Educational Psychology, Teaching, Speech and Language Therapy or Social Work
Parker Smith Inclusion is an ethical SEND specialist recruitment agency. We put people first, taking the time to get to know you and finding you the right career opportunity. We recruit across a wide range of SEND settings for all career stages, including support staff, teachers, therapists, and senior leaders.
Interested?
Apply today or call Heeji Moon on 0203 011 4848. Alternatively, send your up-to-date CV to heeji@psinclusion.co.uk.