SEN Teaching Assistant - complex needs - Southwark, South East London
£95 - £100 PAYE per day, weekly payment
Long-term to permanent, term-time only
September 2026
Working with young people who have severe and complex needs is not something you fall into. You sought it out. And if you have done it for any length of time, you will know that most settings do not quite get it right. The team is stretched. The training is thin. The support disappears when you need it most.
This school in Southwark, South East London, is different, and the people who work there will tell you so.
The School
It is a specialist school for young people aged 11 to 19. Every pupil holds an EHCP and presents with Autism, Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), or complex co-occurring needs. Many are non-verbal or pre-verbal. Communication is built around the individual through Makaton, symbols, objects of reference, and the kind of patient, attuned adult presence that takes time to develop and is genuinely valued here.
The school is a close community. Leadership knows its staff by name and takes development seriously. The Teaching Assistant team is large, experienced, and well supported. People tend to stay, and that consistency shows in the quality of the relationships built with pupils over time.
The Role
Full-time, term-time only. 9am to 4pm. September start on a long-term basis with a clear view to permanent employment for the right person.
Personal care is part of this role every day. So is supporting pupils in sensory and water-based activities. Neither is an afterthought. Both are central to how this school supports its young people, and you need to be genuinely comfortable with both before applying. That is not a warning. It is just the reality of the role, stated plainly.
Day to day, you will work directly with pupils across a range of complex presentations, follow individual pupil plans, use AAC approaches to support communication, and contribute to reviews alongside teaching and therapy staff. The work is varied, and it asks a lot. The school gives you the team and the structure to meet that.
Who You Might Be
You do not need to have worked in a school. You do need direct experience with Autism/ASC, SLD, or PMLD. Candidates from residential care, children's support work, or specialist settings outside schools are genuinely considered. So are psychology, criminology, and education graduates who have relevant placement experience.
What this school is really looking for is someone who is steady. Someone who turns up the same way every day, regardless of how the day is going, because the young people in this building depend on that consistency more than almost anything else.
Apply
Contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion on 0203 011 4848 or visit www.psinclusion.co.uk.
Working with Parker Smith Inclusion means having a specialist SEND consultant alongside you from the first call to the day you start. We only work in SEND. We know the schools and the roles, and we will be straight with you about both. Over 400 educators have rated us on Google for genuine, efficient support, and that is the standard we hold ourselves to. Parker Smith Inclusion is an ethical specialist SEND recruitment consultancy supporting educators, schools, and local authorities. We operate on a PAYE-only basis with transparent pay, capped fees, and no hidden costs. We work exclusively in SEND and place Teaching Assistants, Teachers, Therapists, and leaders across specialist and mainstream settings.
Parker Smith Inclusion is a specialist SEND recruitment agency. We put people first, taking the time to get to know you and finding the right career opportunity. We are recruiting for SEND roles across a wide range of settings for all career stages, including support staff, teachers, therapists, and senior leaders. Whether you are an experienced professional or just beginning your career in SEND, there is a path for you. If this role is not right for you but you are keen to explore other opportunities, get in touch at heeji@psinclusion.co.uk or call Heeji on 0203 011 4848.