SEN Teaching Assistant

London South East Academies Trust; Borough of Spelthorne; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Manor Mead School seeks a dedicated Teaching Assistant to support pupils with special educational needs. The role runs 31 hours 10 minutes per week across 38 weeks per year, with core hours 8:45 am–3:25 pm plus 15 minutes weekly. Start asap; closing date 2 November 2026. Full training provided and a DBS check required.;

We welcome energetic individuals, including graduates or school leavers, to join our caring team and contribute to a safe, stimulating learning environment.

Qualifications

• Energetic and enthusiastic candidate to support educational and care needs of special pupils.
• Willingness to undergo a DBS check and safeguarding procedures.
• Suitable for graduates, school leavers or career changers with full training provided.

Responsibilities

• Support teachers in classroom and other learning environments to enable pupils to engage with the curriculum.
• Attend to pupils' personal requirements and physical care on a daily basis.
• Manage pupil behaviour in line with school policy and procedures.
• Supervise pupils during breaks and lunchtimes and encourage active play.
• Assist with organization of classroom resources and aid independence.
• Undertake tasks with individuals or small groups and accompany on outings.

Skills

Energy and enthusiasm

School experience

Graduate-friendly

Job description

About the role:

TEACHING ASSISTANT

• Pay rate: LSEAT pay spine 13 = £25,172 FTE (£17,956 actual)
• 31 hours 10 minutes per week, 38 weeks per year
• Core hours Mon-Fri 8.45 am - 3.25 pm (+15 additional minutes each week)
• Start Date: as soon as possible
• Closing date - 2nd November 2026.
• Note that the school reserves the right to interview and appoint at any stage in the recruitment process.

We require someone with lots of energy and enthusiasm to support the educational and care needs of the special pupils attending our primary school at Manor Mead Shepperton.

The role would suit those with school experience, graduates, school leavers or those looking for a career change as we offer full training.

Manor Mead School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Following the procedures recommended to safeguard children, we will be taking up references if you are shortlisted for an interview. The successful applicant will be required to undertake a DBS check.

Job purpose

• To work with and support the teaching staff of Manor Mead School in the education and care of pupils, to meet their Special Educational Needs.
• To work with and support the pupils of Manor Mead School enabling them to take part in all aspects of the curriculum.
• To work under the direction of the Class Teacher, or the Senior Teaching Assistant in the absence of the Class Teacher, as a member of the class staff team, to support the delivery of an appropriate curriculum in a safe, stimulating and caring environment.

Duties and responsibilities

• To support the teacher in the classroom and in other learning environments/activities e.g. swimming pool, P.E. to enable children to make the most of their learning opportunities
• To attend to the pupils’ personal requirements , physical care and therapy needs on a daily basis, including moving and handling children as necessary (following training)
• To manage pupils’ behaviour in line with school policy and procedures, following pupils’ individual Behaviour Management Plans and Strategies.
• To supervise pupils during break and lunch time as appropriate to support teachers and Senior Teaching Assistant: encouraging pupils to be physically active and to play
• To contribute to the organisation of classroom resources to ensure effective classroom management
• To encourage independence at all times
• To undertake specific tasks with individuals or small groups of pupils
• To assist on outings and school trips on foot or in the Minibus
• To be aware of school policies and support the implementation of these policies
• To record pupils’ progress on appropriate recording charts
• To work within the specific hours designated by the post

Note: Teaching Assistants are welcome to attend any relevant staff meetings

Job Specification

This post will entail working with children between the ages of 2 and 11 who will potentially require any or all of the following;

• Personal Care, i.e.:
  • Toileting
  • Feeding
• Administration of medication and or medical interventions, i.e.:
  • Gastrostomy feeds
  • Suctioning
  • Tracheotomy
  • Administering oral medication (always with supervision by another trained adult)
• Administration of Therapies, i.e.:
  • Carrying out therapy programmes provided by the relevant therapist including Hydrotherapy programmes
• Management of Challenging Behaviour, i.e.:
  • Using registered and County approved physical interventions
• Moving and Handling of pupils / students, i.e.:
  • Positioning
  • Toileting
  • Therapy input
• Delivery of the wider curriculum, i.e:
  • Engaging children in play activities at break times
  • Taking children including those who may be wheel chair users off site to access community based activities
  • Supporting children to participate in all curriculum areas, including, Performance Arts, Sports and PE activities

All these would be after specific training by medically trained staff and carried out under their supervision until such time as their competencies were signed off and the staff member is confident to carry them out.

This post will require a level of mobility and fitness commensurate with the staff member’s ability to undertake any or all of the above. * Following policies and protocols and appropriate training.

About Us

About the School

Manor Mead is an Outstanding primary school for pupils, age 4-11, with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties, some with associated autism and Complex Social and Communication Needs (CSCN). We have two sites; one in Shepperton (PMLD, SLD, associated Autism) and one in Virginia Water (CSCN, ASD). We offer a calm, supportive and highly structured environment, where pupils are known well and supported to make meaningful progress in both their learning and personal development. Our staff work as a skilled, multidisciplinary team, delivering personalised provision that reflects each pupil’s individual needs, strengths and aspirations. The school has a strong culture of collaboration, reflection and continuous improvement, and places a high value on developing staff expertise within a specialist and deeply rewarding area of education.

About the Trust

London South East Academies Trust is a growing and ambitious Multi‑Academy Trust, currently comprising mainstream, special and alternative provision academies, alongside an outreach service and a music hub. Our schools are located across Bromley, Bexley, Sussex, Lambeth and Surrey, serving a wide range of communities and educational contexts.

Across the Trust, our schools share a strong commitment to raising attainment, encouraging aspiration and supporting social mobility for every pupil, throughout their educational journey and beyond. We take a holistic but personalised approach to education, recognising that children thrive when their individual strengths, needs and circumstances are properly understood and supported. This enables pupils to flourish and achieve their full potential, whatever their starting point.

We believe that great schools are built by great people. As a Trust, we invest in our staff through strong professional development and leadership opportunities, clear expectations and supportive structures. We actively encourage collaboration and the sharing of best practice across schools, supported by high‑quality, cost‑effective central services that allow leaders and teachers to focus on what matters most: improving outcomes for pupils.

London South East Academies Trust sits within the Elevare Civic Education Group, which also includes a multi‑campus further and higher education college, London South East Colleges and a charitable foundation, Elevare Education Foundation. This unique structure provides meaningful progression pathways for pupils and families, as well as broad development and career opportunities for staff across the wider Group.

Our teams are united by a shared belief in the power of education to change lives. By continuing to grow our Trust and welcoming new expertise and perspectives, we aim to strengthen our schools further and extend the positive impact we have on our communities.

Equal Opportunities

London South East Academies Trust is fully committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and to creating a diverse, inclusive and respectful working environment, free from discrimination and harassment. We welcome and encourage applications from all, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, parental status or marital or partnership status.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we will offer an interview to applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you have accessibility needs or require any reasonable adjustments to support you through the application or interview process, please let us know.

Please note that if a suitable applicant is identified, we may close the advert before the published closing date.

If you have any specific queries about the role, please contact us at [e-mail].

As the Trust supports children and vulnerable adults, all roles are exempt from Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check and, where relevant, a Children’s and/or Adult’s Barred List check. Any offer of employment may be withdrawn if these checks are unsatisfactory. Self-disclosure is required as part of the recruitment process, and failure to make a full disclosure or to provide sight of a DBS certificate is likely to result in withdrawal of an offer. The Trust’s DBS policy on the recruitment of ex‑offenders is available on request.

All appointments are also subject to verification of the right to work in the UK, in line with Home Office requirements. Original documentation will be required prior to commencement of employment.