Trauma-informed SEMH Teaching Assistant
Full-time (term time only), Permanent contract
Mole Valley, Surrey
Easter start
Interviews taking place ASAP
If you have worked with children with SEMH or trauma, you will already understand that progress does not come from pressure.
It comes from safety, consistency, and adults who know how to stay regulated when children cannot.
Wherever you are working at the moment, you are probably focused on getting through the day and supporting the pupils in front of you. You may not have had much time to think about whether the setting you are in genuinely allows you to do this work properly. You should, because being in the right environment makes a real difference, not just to the children, but to you as well.
This is a small, independent specialist SEMH school in Surrey, designed entirely around trauma-informed, relationship-based practice. Almost all pupils attend through EHCP funding, and the school has been intentionally structured to support children who have struggled to feel safe and understood in education.
From the moment you step into the setting, it is clear that this is not a behaviour-led school. There are no reward systems and no sanctions. All behaviour is viewed as communication, and adults respond with curiosity, not consequence.
The school
This is a low-arousal therapeutic environment supporting children and young people with SEMH and trauma histories.
The structure of the school reflects this approach:
- Small class sizes with one teacher and one trusted adult
- High staffing ratios to prioritise consistency and relationships
- Pupils are supported to regulate before returning to learning
- Learning paused when needed
Lessons are typically around 45 minutes, but flexibility is built in because regulation comes first.
Alongside core subjects, pupils access a curriculum that includes therapeutic learning, relationships, human rights, cooking, and weekly forest school. This is education designed around real life, not just outcomes.
The role
As a trauma-informed SEMH teaching Assistant, your role goes far beyond classroom support.
You will be a consistent adult presence for pupils who need reliability, calm, and emotional safety. You will work closely with the class teacher to support learning, but also to support regulation, reflection, and repair when things feel difficult.
You will not be expected to manage behaviour through control. Instead, you will:
- Build trusting relationships with pupils over time
- Support emotional regulation through co-regulation
- Understand when learning needs to pause
- Stay calm and reflective during moments of dysregulation
You will also work alongside an integrated therapeutic team, including Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychology, and creative therapies. Support for pupils and staff is genuinely built into the model.
Support for staff
Working in a trauma-informed environment is demanding, and this school understands that.
Staff have daily reflection practice built into the timetable, providing a safe and professional space to process the work. Every Friday is a half-day for pupils, allowing staff time to plan together and reflect as a team.
All staff receive a protected 30-minute lunch break, and there is a structured induction programme during your first several weeks, so you are properly supported from the start. You will also have access to ongoing bespoke training and CPD programmes.
Who this role suits
This role suits someone who:
- Has genuine SEMH, Autism, ADHD, or trauma-related experience (professional or lived)
- Is emotionally intelligent, reflective, and resilient
- Understands that behaviour is communication
- Wants to work in a setting where values and practice are aligned
- Inspiring teacher, clinical psychologist, or therapist
It is not suited to anyone looking for a traditional Teaching Assistant role or to those who rely on sanctions or reward-based behaviour systems.
If this opportunity fits with where you are in your career and what you value in SEND education, I would welcome a conversation.
Whether it is this role or another trauma-informed SEMH opportunity, I can help you think carefully about the next step and whether the setting is the right fit for you.
This is a role for someone looking for more than a job. It is for someone looking for the right environment to do meaningful work.
INDSUPP