A specialist primary provision in South Shields is seeking a full-time SEN Teaching Assistant to support pupils aged 6–10 with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. This is a structured, relationship-driven setting designed for pupils who struggle in mainstream environments. Many children have experienced disrupted education, trauma or adverse childhood experiences. Consistency, routine and emotional regulation sit at the heart of everything this school does. The Type of Person They’re Looking For They are not looking for someone easily flustered. They need someone steady. You should be: • Calm and emotionally resilient • Confident setting clear boundaries • Comfortable managing low-level disruption • Patient when behaviour is a form of communication • Proactive in building trust Children here may test adults before they trust them. Staff are supported to remain consistent and fair. Daily Expectations & Routine Morning Arrival (8:30am–9:00am) You will support structured entry routines, emotional check-ins and readiness-to-learn conversations. Some pupils require short regulation activities before lessons begin. In-Class Support You will: • Support literacy and numeracy in small groups • Reinforce teacher instructions in real time • Redirect low-level behaviour calmly • Support written work, including spelling correction • Provide live encouragement and structured praise You are expected to move around the classroom and actively engage, not stand at the back. Lunch & Social Development Lunch is supervised and structured. Staff sit with pupils and model appropriate social interaction. After eating, pupils take part in organised activities with staff support. There is no traditional lunch break away from pupils. Children leave at approximately 2:30pm. End of Day Staff remain until 4:00pm for: • Behaviour logs • Safeguarding updates • Planning adjustments • Staff debrief Behaviour & Boundaries • Minor swearing linked to frustration is redirected • Verbal abuse towards staff is not tolerated • Clear stepped behaviour systems are in place • Physical incidents are rare but managed using de-escalation Team Teach training may be offered long term. Physical restraint is a last resort. Experience & Pay Scale Experience in SEMH, care, youth work or behaviour support is desirable but not essential. The school is open to strong candidates with transferable skills and may appoint on a trainee TA scale where appropriate. Ongoing mentoring and development are provided. If you are confident, grounded and genuinely motivated to support children with SEMH needs, apply today or contact us for a confidential discussion. 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.