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Graduates Wanted – SEND Support Assistants Across Durham
Term time, Monday to Friday
If you’re a graduate looking to begin a meaningful career working with children and young people, schools across Durham are welcoming enthusiastic SEND Support Assistants to join their teams. This is an ideal role if you’re patient, caring, and keen to support pupils who need a little extra help to thrive.
We work with schools across the whole Durham region, including:
• The buzzing heart of Durham City, with its mix of modern and historic schools
• The Chester-le-Street and Birtley areas, known for strong pastoral support and community spirit
• Houghton-le-Spring and surrounding villages, where supportive staff teams work closely with SEND pupils
• The Coxhoe, Bowburn, Kelloe corridor of village schools, small, friendly and welcoming
• Inclusive settings in Ushaw Moor, Brandon, Langley Park, each with dedicated SEND teams
• Busy secondary and primary schools in Consett, with great behaviour support systems
• Community-driven schools across Stanley and neighbouring areas
Wherever you’re based, we’ll match you with a school that suits your strengths and future ambitions.
What does a SEND Support Assistant do?
You’ll work directly with pupils who need additional help with learning, communication, behaviour or emotional regulation. Your role may include:
• Supporting pupils 1:1 or in small groups
• Helping children understand tasks and stay engaged
• Creating a calm, nurturing space during lessons
• Supporting pupils with routines, transitions and confidence building
• Working closely with teachers, SENCOs and pastoral teams
Every day brings something different, and every small success really matters.
Why graduates are a brilliant fit
Graduates often bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and the ability to build connections quickly. These roles suit people from a wide range of degree backgrounds, including Psychology, Education, Childhood Studies, Sociology, Sport, Health, English, Creative subjects, and more.
It’s also an excellent first step for careers in:
• Teaching
• Educational Psychology
• Youth and Social Work
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Wellbeing and Mental Health roles
You’ll gain practical, hands-on experience that sets you up for any future pathway in education or care.
What you’ll receive:
• Term-time work, Monday to Friday
• Weekly PAYE pay with no umbrella deductions
• A local consultant who knows Durham schools well
• FREE access to training, including behaviour and SEND courses
• Supportive schools that genuinely value your role
If you're ready for a role where you can support children who need it most, while building skills for a rewarding career, we’d love to hear from you.
Ready to get started? Drop me a message and we’ll take it from there.
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 12.07% 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.