SEMH Teaching Assistant

Do you have the resilience and empathy to support young people who need it most?

Are you looking for a role where no two days are the same, but every day is meaningful?

We are working with an alternative provision in Sunderland that supports students who have become disengaged from mainstream education. They are looking for a strong, consistent SEMH Teaching Assistant who can build trust, provide structure and help pupils re-engage with learning.

This is a rewarding but challenging role where your impact will be seen in the small wins — improved attendance, engagement, and confidence.

Role overview

You will support students with complex social, emotional and mental health needs, both in and out of the classroom. The focus is on building positive relationships, promoting emotional regulation and supporting pupils to access education in a way that works for them.

Key responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 and small group support for students with SEMH needs
• Build strong, trusting relationships with pupils
• Support emotional regulation and behaviour strategies
• Help re-engage students with learning and routines
• Manage challenging behaviour using a calm and consistent approach
• Work closely with teachers, pastoral teams and external professionals
• Promote a safe and supportive learning environment

Requirements

• Experience working with SEMH, behaviour or in alternative provisions (desirable)
• Backgrounds in youth work, care or mentoring are highly valued
• Resilient, patient and confident in challenging situations
• Strong interpersonal and de-escalation skills
• A genuine commitment to supporting vulnerable young people

If you’re ready to make a genuine difference in a supportive and welcoming school, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now to take the next step in your education career.

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.

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