SEND Teaching Assistants
Location: Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
Contract: Term Time Only, Permanent
Hours: Part-Time / Full-Time and daily work available
Salary / Grade: Level 3 Teaching Assistant / Level 3 + SSA (depending on experience)
Start Date: As soon as possible
About Us
We are a specialist primary school for children aged 3 to 11 years who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Our pupils present with a wide range of needs including autism spectrum condition (ASC), severe learning difficulties (SLD), and profound & multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), as well as associated communication, language and sensory needs.
We believe every child deserves the highest quality of support to enable them to thrive socially, emotionally and academically. Our staff are compassionate, skilled, and committed, and we provide a supportive, inclusive environment where each pupil is valued.
The Role
We are seeking SEND Teaching Assistants who are:
1. Highly motivated, reliable and flexible
2. Experienced (or very keen) in working with children who have complex special educational needs
3. Able to support child-centred learning and help pupils access the curriculum in creative, adaptive ways
4. Able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with class teachers, therapists, support staff, parents and carers
5. Good communicators, with strong interpersonal skills, patience and resilience
Key Responsibilities include:
6. Supporting individuals or small groups of pupils, including with their learning, behaviour, communication and personal care, as required
7. Assisting in implementing personalised support plans and interventions tailored to each pupil’s needs
8. Monitoring progress and providing feedback to teachers, therapists or SEND coordinators
9. Contributing to the creation, preparation and maintenance of learning resources
10. Supporting pupils’ emotional well-being and social development
11. Working with external professionals and families to ensure continuity of support
12. Following safeguarding procedures and maintaining high standards of health, safety, and well-being
Person Specification
Applicants should ideally have:
13. Demonstrable experience working with pupils with SEND in a school or specialist setting
14. Qualification at Level 3 or above ( CACHE, NVQ, or equivalent) preferred, but not always essential if strong experience shown
15. Understanding of approaches and strategies effective in addressing the needs of pupils with ASC, SLD, PMLD, etc.
16. Ability to adapt teaching/learning style to meet varied needs
17. Good organisational skills, ability to manage own time and tasks
18. Commitment to ongoing professional development
19. A caring nature, patience, empathy, and the ability to form positive relationships with children, families and staff
We Offer
20. A vibrant, supportive and dedicated team
21. Excellent training and professional development opportunities
22. A modern, well-resourced learning environment
23. Opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children
Additional Information
24. Appointment subject to an enhanced DBS check
25. You may be required to complete a declaration under the Childcare Disqualification Regulations 2009
26. We follow Gateshead Council’s application procedures
How to Apply
Please submit a completed application form along with a covering letter explaining how your skills and experience meet the person specification. Visits to the school are welcome; please contact the office to arrange.
All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details.
All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.
Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.
Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.