SEN Learning Support Assistant
Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames
Specialist SEN School
Full-time (term time only), Monday to Friday 8:30am - 16:00pm
£465 - £500 PAYE per day; weekly payment
Could you be the person a child looks for first when they arrive at school, even though they cannot say your name?
At this specialist SEN school in South West London, many children communicate without words. They show you they are happy, uncomfortable, or ready to try something new through their voice, body, and eyes. The adults who do well here learn that language one child at a time.
I am currently working with a creative and supportive SEND school to find a full-time SEN Learning Support Assistant. The children have SLD, PMLD and Autism (ASC), and many have Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). Some are non-verbal. Some use wheelchairs or need mobility support.
Why this role is worth your attention
You may already have the skills this job needs. If you have helped a family member eat, wash or get comfortable, you know personal care is about trust and dignity. If you work in care, you already know people who cannot always tell you what they need.
What you may not have yet is a role where that skill sits at the centre of a child's education. This one gives you that, with training from the school, and a calendar that gives you your evenings and school holidays back.
Progress here is often small and very real. A child who pushed food away in September tries a new texture in November. A child who cannot settle in the water floats calmly with your hand under their back. You know you played a part, because you were there every day.
About the school and the children
Therapy is part of the school day here. You work next to therapists in class, at lunch, and during sensory and water-based sessions, so you pick up the techniques they use with each child. Creative activities sit alongside learning and therapy, so children have more than one way to take part.
The school trains new staff in personal care and physical support. Nobody expects you to know it all on day one. You learn with a team around you.
What you will do as a SEN Learning Support Assistant
- Support pupils with SLD, PMLD and ASC in class, one-to-one and in small groups
- Help pupils during sensory and water-based activities, including changing and keeping them safe in the water
- Assist with feeding, toileting and personal care, with dignity and at each child's own pace
- Work with therapists to support each child's communication, whether through sounds, gestures, symbols or signing
- Support mobility and positioning for pupils who use wheelchairs, following their care plans
Who should apply
- You have some SEND experience, from a school, care work, volunteering or supporting a family member
- You feel comfortable with personal care, feeding and swimming
- You are a graduate in psychology, education, childhood studies, nursing or a similar subject and want hands-on experience
- You are a Care Worker or Support Worker ready to move into education with term-time hours
- You are a team player with clear communication and a calm, flexible approach
Interested?
Interviews are running now, and the school wants the right person in place as soon as possible. Send your CV today, and I will call you to talk it through. Apply at psinclusion.co.uk, reply to this advert, or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion on 0203 011 4848 or heeji@psinclusion.co.uk.