SEN Teaching Assistant

Protocol Education Ltd; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in education seeks a dedicated SEN Teaching Assistant to support young minds in Sunderland. The role involves promoting positive communication and emotional regulation for students with autism in an inclusive, supportive environment. Key responsibilities include collaborative teamwork and training provided to enhance skills.

Benefits

FREE access to CPD and Thrive training

Weekly PAYE pay—no umbrella deductions

Local, consultant-led support

Qualifications

• Experience working with SEND or a genuine passion to learn.
• A calm, empathetic approach and good sense of humour.
• Confidence to adapt in a dynamic, pupil-led environment.

Responsibilities

• Supporting students with autism and associated needs in a structured, nurturing setting.
• Promoting emotional regulation and positive communication.
• Helping pupils develop academically, socially, and personally.

Skills

Empathy

Adaptability

Communication

Education

Experience working with SEND

Job description

Job Title: SEN Teaching Assistant – Helping Young Minds Thrive
Location: Sunderland
Salary: £89–£108 per day
Contract: Full-time, Long-Term
Start Date: September 2025

Love the idea of making a real difference every day?

We’re working with an outstanding specialist school in Sunderland that supports young people aged 11–19 with autism and a wide range of additional learning needs. The setting is calm, inclusive, and built around helping every learner build confidence, communication, and independence.

This isn’t just about classroom support. It’s about connection. It’s about believing in potential and being part of a team that puts kindness and aspiration at the heart of everything they do.

You’ll be joining a school where staff are trusted, supported, and given the space to grow—just like the pupils.

The role includes:

• Supporting students with autism and associated needs in a structured, nurturing setting

• Promoting emotional regulation and positive communication

• Working alongside teachers, therapists, and families to build joined-up support

• Helping pupils develop not just academically, but socially and personally too

You should have:

• Experience working with SEND or a genuine passion to learn

• A calm, empathetic approach and good sense of humour

• Confidence to adapt in a dynamic, pupil-led environment

Thrive-trained? Fantastic. If not, don’t worry—we’ll cover your free Thrive training to boost your skills and show schools you mean business.

Why work with Protocol Education?

• Weekly PAYE pay—no umbrella deductions

• FREE access to CPD and Thrive training

• Local, consultant-led support and school insight

• Specialist roles that match your values, not just your CV

Think this could be the one? Apply now or drop us a message—we’ll talk you through it and help you get started.

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.