SEMH Teaching Assistant in Croydon
£92.58 to £110 per day (PAYE only) – Depending on experience
Monday to Friday | 8:30am – 4:00pm
Full-time and Long-term (Long-term to permanent opportunities)
September 2026 start
For some young people, school can feel overwhelming. They may struggle to regulate their emotions, build trusting relationships, manage anxiety or engage with learning due to experiences and challenges that sit behind their behaviour.
As an SEMH Teaching Assistant, you'll play an important role in helping young people feel safe, understood and ready to learn.
We're working with a welcoming specialist school in Croydon supporting pupils from KS1 through to KS5, all of whom have Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties and associated challenging behaviour. Many pupils also have additional needs, including Autisim, Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties (SLCN), ADHD and severe social anxieties.
The school takes a nurturing, highly individualised approach to education and social development. Pupils are taught within a nurture model, with high staff-to-pupil ratios that allow staff to provide bespoke support based around each young person's individual needs, interests and abilities.
The school also benefits from a dedicated therapy team, offering support through a range of disciplines including play, music, drama, art and Lego therapy, alongside strong working relationships with CAMHS, Early Help and social care teams.
This isn't just another classroom role. It's an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with young people who may have experienced significant barriers to education and help them develop the confidence, emotional resilience and skills they need to move forward.
What you'll be doing
- Providing personalised 1:1 and small-group support for pupils with SEMH needs and associated challenging behaviour
- Building positive, trusting relationships with young people who may have experienced difficulties engaging with education
- Supporting pupils to regulate their emotions and manage anxiety, frustration and challenging situations
- Using calm, consistent and trauma-informed approaches to behaviour support
- Helping pupils understand their emotions and develop positive strategies for self-regulation
- Supporting young people to develop their social skills, communication and confidence
- Encouraging pupils to engage with learning and access a broad and balanced curriculum
- Adapting activities and learning to reflect individual interests, strengths, aptitudes and needs
- Supporting pupils with ASC, ADHD, SLCN and severe social anxieties where required
- Helping young people develop positive relationships with peers and adults
- Providing structure, consistency and clear boundaries within a nurturing environment
- Working alongside teachers, therapists and other professionals to ensure pupils receive consistent and individualised support
- Supporting therapeutic approaches and interventions delivered across the school
- Encouraging independence, resilience and positive decision-making
- Helping pupils develop the core academic, social and life skills they need for their next steps
- Creating a safe, calm and nurturing environment where every young person feels valued and understood
We're looking for someone who...
- Has professional or personal experience supporting children or young people with SEMH, challenging behaviour or additional needs
- Understands that behaviour is often a form of communication and can look beyond the behaviour to understand the underlying need
- Is patient, empathetic, resilient and able to remain calm in challenging situations
- Has a genuine passion for helping young people who may have struggled within traditional education settings
- Can build trusting relationships with pupils who may initially be reluctant to engage or accept support
- Understands the importance of consistent boundaries alongside warmth, empathy and nurture
- Has an understanding of emotional regulation, anxiety, social communication and positive behaviour support
- Is confident working as part of a wider team alongside teachers, therapists and external professionals
- Can support pupils with additional needs including ASC, ADHD and Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties
- Believes that progress isn't always measured through academic achievement, but also through improved confidence, emotional regulation, relationships, attendance, engagement and independence
- Is keen to develop a rewarding career within specialist SEMH education
- Can commit to a full-time, long-term position where consistency and strong relationships are essential
Why this role?
Working with young people with SEMH needs and challenging behaviour is unlike any other role in education.
Progress can sometimes look different.
It might be a young person entering the classroom when they previously couldn't. It might be building a trusting relationship with an adult, learning to recognise their emotions, managing a difficult situation more positively, engaging in an activity, or beginning to believe in themselves again.
Those moments matter.
The school understands that every pupil has individual strengths, interests and aspirations. Through a nurturing approach, a broad and balanced curriculum, therapeutic support and high levels of individual attention, pupils are given the opportunity to develop both academically and socially.
You'll be part of a team that doesn't simply ask, "Why is this pupil behaving this way?" but instead asks, "What is this young person trying to communicate, and how can we help?"
If you're looking for a career where patience, consistency and genuine human connection can make a lasting difference to a young person's life, this could be the opportunity you've been searching for.
Why work with Parker Smith Inclusion?
- PAYE only – no umbrella company deductions, so you take home more of your hard-earned pay
- A specialist SEND recruitment agency that genuinely understands SEND education
- Over 350 five-star Google reviews from teachers and support staff
- Opportunities across a wide range of specialist schools and provisions
- Honest, tailored support throughout the recruitment process
- Free SEND-focused CPD to help you develop your career
- Access to long-term and permanent opportunities across South London
- Dedicated support from a specialist SEND consultant throughout your placement
If you're ready to join a specialist school where relationships, emotional wellbeing and individual progress matter, and where you can help young people with SEMH needs develop their confidence, resilience, independence and ability to engage with education, we'd love to speak with you.
Apply today and discover how rewarding a career in specialist SEMH education can be.
Reach out to Jamie Martinez to find your next role!