SEMH Teaching Assistant - ASAP Start - Richmond Upon Thames
£100 - £110 PAYE per day, paid weekly | Full-time | ASAP Start
Interviews are arranged ASAP - early applications are strongly recommended
How many young people trust you today because you stayed calm on the day they expected you to walk away?
The students in this school arrive expecting adults to give up on them. Most have seen it happen more than once. They refuse to work and test you in front of their friends. Underneath it sits one question: Will you come back tomorrow?
You already know the answer, because you keep coming back. You can tell when a raised voice is fear, and when silence means a student is close to the edge. Years in SEND and SEMH schools taught you that, and this role puts it at the centre of the job.
I am working with a specialist SEMH secondary school in South West London that needs an experienced SEMH Teaching Assistant on a long-term to permanent basis.
A Chance to Stay
If you have spent the last year moving between classes and covering gaps, this is a chance to stay put. You work with the same young people week after week. That means you are there when a student who once walked out of every lesson sits through a whole morning, or asks you for help for the first time.
About the SEMH School
The school supports secondary-aged students whose social, emotional and mental health needs could not be met in mainstream education. Many have experienced trauma or long gaps in their schooling. Some also have an autism or ADHD diagnosis.
Staff train in trauma-informed practice and safe de-escalation. Every student has an EHC Plan, and you help turn its targets into small wins each day.
The school is an easy commute from Kingston and Teddington.
Your Role as a SEMH Teaching Assistant
- Support students with SEMH needs in lessons and one-to-one, so they can stay in the room
- Become the steady adult a young person looks for when the morning starts badly
- Read early signs of distress and de-escalate before a hard moment becomes a crisis
- Repair the relationship after a difficult day, so each student gets a fresh start
- Work with Teachers and pastoral staff to turn EHC Plan targets into daily progress
About You
- A real commitment to young people with SEMH needs, especially the ones who find it hardest to stay
- Extensive experience as a Teaching Assistant, LSA or Support Worker in a SEND or SEMH school (essential)
- Calm, confident de-escalation, with positive handling training or a willingness to complete it
- Experience supporting students with trauma, attachment needs, autism or ADHD
- Experience in a PRU or alternative provision also counts towards the school-based experience required
This role would also suit an experienced Behaviour Mentor or Learning Mentor from a specialist school who wants a long-term post.
Support and Development for SEMH Teaching Assistants
Parker Smith Inclusion gives you free CPD alongside the school’s own training, so your skills keep growing.
Why Parker Smith Inclusion
Parker Smith Inclusion is an ethical SEND specialist consultancy. We focus on long-term and permanent roles. Over 400 educators have left five-star Google reviews.
Interested? Apply now or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion.