SEN Teaching Assistant - SEMH & Autism
Richmond, South West London
Full-time (term time only)
Long-term to permanent contract
£95 - £100 PAYE per day
ASAP start
This is a specialist SEMH school in South West London, part of a well-established and respected trust with a strong track record across multiple specialist schools. It is a growing school and carefully building its team, because the leadership here understands that the people they hire now will shape what this school becomes. They are not hiring anyone to fill a chair. They are hiring people who actually want to be here, who understand what it means to show up consistently for a young person who has learned, through experience, not to trust adults.
The School
This is a specialist day school in Richmond, South West London, supporting young people in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, alongside diagnoses of Autism (ASC) and ADHD. The school sits within a multi-academy trust that has built its reputation over many years on the quality of its specialist provision, one that Ofsted has recognised with Outstanding judgements across its family of schools.
Because it is a growing school, you will be joining at a genuinely meaningful point, when the culture, relationships, and ways of working are still being shaped. That is both an opportunity and a responsibility, and the right person will see it as both.
The young people here are in KS3 and KS4, some of the most complex and formative years of adolescence. Many will have experienced significant adversity, trauma, or family disruption. Some will have been excluded from mainstream schools, sometimes repeatedly. Some will find it very difficult to regulate their emotions, communicate their needs, or trust the people around them. That is not a warning; it is simply an honest picture of who you will be working with.
What the school offers in return is genuine structure, clear leadership, a trauma-informed approach, and a team that takes the welfare of both students and staff seriously.
What the Role Actually Involves
As a Teaching Assistant, your day-to-day will include:
- Supporting individual students and small groups in the classroom, adapting your approach depending on how each young person presents on that particular day
- Working alongside teachers and therapists to deliver tailored learning that meets each student's EHCP targets and individual needs
- Helping students to regulate, recognising the early signs of dysregulation and responding calmly, consistently, and with confidence
- Building trusted relationships with young people who may initially test those boundaries, and understanding why that is part of the process
- Supporting transitions throughout the school day, which can be a particular challenge for young people with Autism or SEMH needs
- Contributing to student records, behaviour logs, and communication with the class teacher and SENCO
- Taking part in team meetings, training, and reflective practice, because your own development matters here too
Who Will Genuinely Thrive Here
Your background matters less than your values and your mindset. That said, these are the kinds of people who tend to do really well in roles like this:
- People who have worked with young people in challenging circumstances, youth work, residential care, mentoring, behaviour support, or community roles
- Graduates in psychology, criminology, education, or social sciences who are looking for work that is genuinely meaningful
- Those with lived experience of SEND, whether as a sibling, parent, carer, or someone with their own diagnosis
- Teaching assistants from mainstream schools who feel ready for a more specialist, more purposeful role
- Career changers who are drawn to this work because something in their life has shown them why it matters
- Anyone who has supported a dysregulated, non-verbal, or sensory-sensitive young person and found it deeply worthwhile
What I care about most is that you have a genuine reason for wanting to work in SEND, and that you can tell me what it is. The schools I work with are not looking for the right CV. They are looking for the right person.
Why Apply Now
- The school is at an early and exciting stage of its development, joining now means you are part of shaping what it becomes
- The trust behind this school has a long track record of investing in its staff, with structured training and genuine development pathways
- The approach here is therapeutic and relational, not just academic; staff are supported to understand the young people they work with, not simply manage them
- Immediate start available
- Competitive daily PAYE rate of £95–£100 per day with full transparency from day one
If you have the right values, transferable experience, and a genuine interest in working with young people who need consistent, caring support, please apply now or contact Heeji Moon at Parker Smith Inclusion.