Full-Time SEN Teaching Assistant – Communication & Speech Specialist Provision Location: South Shields Some children don’t struggle with learning. They struggle with being understood. If you are patient, observant and passionate about helping pupils develop communication skills, this specialist setting in South Shields could be the right environment for you. This is a full-time SEN Teaching Assistant role within a provision supporting pupils aged 5–11 with speech, language and communication needs, including autism spectrum conditions and developmental language delays. This is structured, specialist support where consistency makes all the difference. The Type of Person They’re Looking For They are not necessarily looking for someone with years of experience. They are looking for someone who understands that communication is more than just spoken words. You should be: • Calm and clear in your speech • Confident modelling correct sentence structures • Comfortable working with pupils at early language stages • Patient when children repeat or avoid communication • Able to follow structured intervention plans • Positive and open to being coached Building trust and modelling language is a key part of the role. Pupils respond best to adults who are consistent and emotionally regulated. The Pupils You’ll Be Supporting • Ages 5–11 • All pupils have EHCPs • Diagnoses may include ASD, speech and language disorders or global delay • Communication ranges from non-verbal to conversational but delayed • Reading ages vary significantly Class sizes are small, with high staff-to-pupil ratios to allow intensive support. Daily Expectations & Routine Morning Arrival (8:30am–9:00am) You will support pupils as they enter the building, helping them settle using visual timetables and structured greeting routines. Some pupils may require reassurance or supported transitions into class. In-Class Support You will: • Deliver 1:1 or small group speech and language interventions • Support phonics and early reading sessions • Reinforce SALT recommendations • Model correct grammar and sentence building • Use visual supports and communication boards • Prompt and scaffold written work This is not a stand-back role. You are expected to move around the classroom, actively engage with pupils and provide real-time feedback. Staff use coloured pens to provide live literacy corrections, with a strong whole-school focus on improving reading and writing accuracy. Social Communication & Lunchtime Lunch is supervised and structured. Staff sit with pupils and model social interaction. You will support: • Turn-taking • Conversational prompts • Emotional expression • Conflict resolution in low-level disagreements Unstructured time is carefully monitored to ensure communication targets are reinforced consistently. End of Day & Staff Time Pupils leave at approximately 2:30pm. Staff remain until 4:00pm for: • Updating intervention records • Reviewing communication targets • Planning next-day support • Staff debriefs In your first few weeks, you will observe experienced staff completing documentation while gradually taking on responsibility. Behaviour & Boundaries • Frustration-based behaviour is redirected calmly • Low-level swearing is addressed through restorative discussion • Verbal abuse is not tolerated • Physical incidents are rare but managed through clear stepped systems Team Teach training may be offered long term. Physical intervention is a last resort and used rarely. School Environment & Safety • Calm, structured classrooms • Clear routines and visual structure • Small class sizes • Strong safeguarding systems • Staff communication via radios The setting is described as supportive, safe and highly structured. Experience & Pay Scale Experience in speech and language support or SEN is desirable but not essential. The school is open to candidates with transferable skills from childcare, care work or youth support and may appoint on a trainee TA scale where appropriate. Ongoing mentoring and specialist training are provided. Overall Ethos This is a communication-first provision. Academic progress is important, but confidence and expressive language development are prioritised. The right candidate will be steady, proactive and genuinely committed to helping children find their voice. If you would like more information or feel this could be the right role for you, 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.