SEN Teaching Assistant - Autism
- Special Needs School - South West London / Surrey
- £92 - £98 PAYE per day, weekly payment/20,000 - 25,000 per annum term time
- Perfect opportunity for Psychology Graduates
- ASAP start, full-time (term time only)
You have a psychology background. You understand how people communicate, regulate, and behave under pressure. And you are drawn to working with children whose needs sit at the most complex end of the spectrum. If that is you, keep reading.
I am recruiting a SEN Teaching Assistant for a friendly and supportive specialist school in Mole Valley, Surrey. The role is long-term and transition to permanent, starts immediately, and pays £92–£98 per day on PAYE, no umbrella, no hidden deductions.
The school supports young people aged 11–19 with a diagnosis of autism and social and emotional difficulties. This role is not for everyone; you must have a genuine love of working with young people who present with many challenging behaviours and want to think outside the box of how to engage and build rapport with pupils who will be hesitant to trust and want to socialise. Some pupils experience periods of dysregulation that can be physically and emotionally demanding to navigate. There will be days when progress feels invisible, or when a child is having a really hard time.
About the school
This is one of the strongest specialist schools in the area. The curriculum is entirely personalised: every child works to their own goals, their own pace, and their own communication profile.
You will work alongside a full multi-disciplinary team: speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and specialist teachers. The therapy team is embedded into the school day, not parachuted in once a week. That makes a genuine difference to what you can achieve with a pupil.
Main responsibilities
- Support Autistic pupils and their social and emotional challenges
- Support pupils through periods of dysregulation using calm, consistent, trauma-informed approaches
- Observe, record, and contribute to each child’s progress tracking
- Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, taking direction from therapists and specialist teachers
- Help maintain a structured, sensory-aware classroom environment
If you are someone who finds meaning in those moments, who sees the significance in a non-verbal child making eye contact, or initiating communication for the first time, or tolerating a new sensory experience, you will find this work profoundly rewarding.
The team around you will feel it too. These schools have a culture unlike anywhere else in education.
If you are interested in this position, apply now or contact Jamie Martinez at Parker Smith Inclusion.