SEN Teaching Assistant - Southwark
£95 - £105 PAYE per day, depending on experience
Full-time, term-time only
Permanent contract opportunity
When a young person cannot use words to tell you what they need, how do you learn to read them anyway?
Every gesture, every sound, every flicker of eye contact becomes something you have to notice and get right, every single day. That is the work.
This special school in South East London supports pupils aged 11 to 19 with severe and profound learning difficulties, autism, and complex, often non-verbal communication needs. Many pupils use AAC and personalised communication systems rather than speech. Reading a person accurately, without the shortcut of words, takes real skill and real patience. If that is something you already do well, or want to learn properly, this is where you would do it.
Classes are small and adult-to-pupil ratios are high, so you get to know your pupils properly rather than moving between faces you barely have time to learn. Staff stay here because the school builds people up rather than leaving them to figure it out on their own.
What you will be doing
- Reading non-verbal cues, body language, and behaviour as communication
- Supporting pupils to use AAC and personalised communication systems throughout the day
- Assisting with personal care and water-based sensory activities as part of daily provision
- Working closely alongside class teachers and specialist staff who know the same pupils you do
- Building the predictability and trust that pupils with SLD and PMLD rely on to feel safe
Pay and hours
- £95 to £105 PAYE per day, paid weekly
- Full-time, term-time only, 8:30am to 4pm
- Long-term contract with a route to permanent
Start date
September 2026. Interviews are being arranged now, so early applications will have the advantage.
If you have worked with pupils with severe or profound learning difficulties before, this role will feel familiar. If you have not, but you have real experience from care, youth work, or a related field, and you are genuinely drawn to this kind of communication, get in touch. Your CV will tell us where you have been. Your reasons for wanting this will tell us where you are headed.
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 recruit across a wide range of SEND settings for all career stages, including support staff, teachers, therapists, and senior leaders. If you are keen to explore other opportunities, get in touch at heeji@psinclusion.co.uk or call Heeji on 0203 011 4848.