SEN Teaching Assistant

Special Needs Teaching Assistant

Location: Hounslow

Salary: Full-Time, Permanent

Start Date: January 2025

Working Hours: 08:30 am to 15:45 pm

Are you passionate about helping children with special needs achieve their full potential? Do you have the compassion, patience, and dedication to support and inspire young learners? If so, this is your opportunity to join a dynamic, inclusive, and nurturing Special Needs School that transforms lives.

We are dedicated to providing exceptional education and care to students aged 4 to 19 with a variety of needs, including Autism, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) challenges, and Complex Needs. We believe that every child deserves a supportive and stimulating environment where they can thrive, grow, and achieve their goals.

The Role: Special Needs Teaching AssistantAs a Special Needs Teaching Assistant, you’ll play a pivotal role in supporting our students' educational and personal development. This is more than a job; it’s a chance to be part of a team that makes a real impact on the lives of children with unique abilities and challenges.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Classroom Support: Work closely with the class teacher to deliver personalized learning programs, ensuring every student can engage and succeed.

• Personal Care: Provide respectful and sensitive assistance with feeding, toileting, and hygiene for students with personal care needs.

• Behavioral Support: Implement positive behavior management strategies to help students with SEMH challenges develop emotional resilience and self-regulation skills.

• Communication Support: Use tools like Makaton, PECS, and AAC devices to help students express themselves and interact with others.

• Resource Preparation: Adapt and create engaging learning materials, utilizing specialized equipment as needed to meet diverse learning needs.

• Progress Monitoring: Maintain accurate records of student progress and behavior, contributing to individual education plans (IEPs) and working closely with teachers to refine strategies.

• Therapeutic Assistance: Support therapy programs, such as speech and language or occupational therapy, under the guidance of trained professionals.

• Team Collaboration: Partner with teachers, therapists, and other staff to create a holistic, inclusive, and enriching learning environment.

• Outings and Activities: Ensure students’ safety and engagement during school outings, therapy sessions, and extracurricular activities.

• School Environment: Contribute to creating a safe, welcoming, and inspiring school environment, including setting up classrooms and organizing resources.

What Makes a Great Special Needs Teaching Assistant?We’re looking for individuals with the following qualities:

• Passion: A genuine love for working with children with special needs and a commitment to their success and well-being.

• Empathy and Patience: The ability to understand and support each child’s unique challenges and celebrate their achievements.

• Team Player: Strong collaboration skills to work effectively with colleagues, families, and external professionals.

• Adaptability: A flexible, solution-oriented mindset to meet the changing needs of students.

• Communication Skills: Clear, compassionate communication, with experience in SEN tools like Makaton or PECS as a plus.

• Resilience: The ability to stay calm and resourceful in challenging situations.

• Eagerness to Learn: A willingness to embrace ongoing training and development to enhance your skills.

Why choose Engage?

We put the ambitions of our teachers first, ensuring you have the support to teach the way you want to, and pride ourselves on providing high levels of service to our teachers and support staff.

We are widely-recognised, giving us the reach we need to secure reliable work for our supply teachers.

We offer an excellent 'refer-a-friend’ scheme that pays you £150 for every teacher you refer to us (after they work 10 days or more).

We pay our teachers in line with the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) meaning you will be paid the same as a permanent employee, regardless of how many days you work.

You will have your own dedicated consultant, who is fully-trained to answer all your questions and provide ongoing support and guidance.

We will also invite you to our CPD training sessions, which are delivered by our in-house team of former senior leaders, and are entirely free to attend!

I’m interested - how do I apply?

Great! If you meet the criteria to become a supply teacher with Engage, you can apply below or contact us directly.

All applicants require the appropriate qualifications and training.

If you don’t hear from us within 2 working days, unfortunately you have been unsuccessful for this role. However, we’ll keep your CV on file and get in touch if something suitable comes up. (You can still apply for our other roles, too!)

Engage Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.

By applying for this role, you are consenting to Engage Education Ltd storing your personal details in our fully encrypted database, in line with the new GDPR requirements.

We look forward to working with you!