Are you passionate about truly making a difference in the lives of young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs?
Hours: Full time (Monday to Friday)
Interview dates: between Monday 14th and Thursday 17th July 2025
Esland are driven to changing children’s lives for the better by providing best-in-class specialist services. Esland schools support a number of vulnerable young people aged 8-18 years with SEMH.
Our Teaching Assistants (TAs) play a vital role working alongside our class teachers to support our amazing students to fulfil their potential and to develop their skills of independence.
these experiences mean that sometimes students present with some challenging behaviours.
The position is based at our SEN School in Silsoe, Bedfordshire.
A successful SEN Teaching Assistant will:
Have an awareness of how to meet the needs of primary and secondary aged children who have experienced difficulty in accessing mainstream education.
Have an awareness of additional SEND needs which impact on children's ability to self-regulate - communication and interaction; Have an awareness of trauma informed practices and positive mental health promotion
Be a team player and a strong advocate for change, progression and continuous school improvement
Required skills, knowledge and abilities for a SEN Teaching Assistant:
Ability to relate well to children and adults
Basic understanding of child development and learning
Ability to self-evaluate learning needs and actively seek learning opportunities
Working with or caring for children
Whilst this job description gives a reasonable overview of the post, it is not exhaustive, and the post holder will be expected to behave in a flexible manner and take on any other duties that may be reasonably delegated from time to time.
All young people are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. Esland employees are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging any behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other perceived difference.
What we can offer a SEN Teaching Assistant:
A competitive salary between £21,279 and £23,908 reviewed annually
Enrolment into the Esland education pension scheme, which is double matched up to 20%, meaning at total pension contribution of up to 30%
Company sick pay
Life insurance to the value of 4 times your basic salary
Comprehensive, paid induction training and ongoing training within the role
Fantastic opportunities for career development, we promoted over 100 colleagues last year
Cycle to work scheme
Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) including our Online GP 24/7, 365 days a year
Access to our Green Hybrid and EV car scheme
A £500 bonus via our 'Refer a Friend’ scheme
Access to big-brand deals and discounts via our employee benefits scheme E-Together
The opportunity to make a real difference to a child's life!
With over 35 years of residential childcare experience, the Esland group now has more than 65 residential children’s and assessment homes, and five schools, that are spread across the Kent, Hertfordshire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire, Bedfordshire, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands and Northamptonshire regions of England.
This also includes our Esland online school accessible to children throughout the UK which helps to deliver education to children missing education by utilising our specialised Turning the Curve education programme.
With over 800 team members and over 200 young people supported we strive to help our children achieve their very best outcomes, through our bespoke residential care, education, therapeutic and activity-led wraparound services.