SEN Teaching Assistant

Goonhavern Primary School; Truro; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Goonhavern Primary School, part of the Truro and Penwith Academy Trust, seeks a skilled Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant to join our one-form-entry village school. The role focuses on supporting children with additional needs to flourish academically and personally, building strong relationships with pupils and families, and working closely with class teachers.

The successful candidate will contribute to targeted learning support, adapt activities to individual needs, and help

Qualifications

• Experience in supporting children with additional needs.
• Ability to build positive relationships with pupils and families.
• Willingness to work collaboratively with teachers and the wider school team.

Responsibilities

• Provide targeted support to individuals and small groups.
• Adapt learning activities to meet individual needs.
• Help create a calm, nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued.

Job description

Truro and Penwith Academy Trust, together with Goonhavern Primary School, are seeking to appoint a skilled, enthusiastic and reflective Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant to join our one-form-entry village school.

Goonhavern Primary is a welcoming, inclusive school at the heart of a supportive community. Our children are curious, caring and keen to do well, and they benefit from spacious grounds, purposeful classrooms and a committed staff team who work together with a shared sense of pride and ambition for every pupil.

We are looking for a Teaching Assistant who is passionate about supporting children with additional needs to flourish both academically and personally. The successful candidate will build strong, positive relationships with pupils and families, showing patience, understanding and consistency while maintaining high expectations for every child.

You will work closely with class teachers and the wider team to provide targeted support, adapt learning where appropriate and help create a calm, nurturing environment where children feel safe, valued and ready to learn. A good understanding of a range of additional needs, including communication and interaction needs, cognition and learning needs, and social, emotional and mental health needs, would be beneficial.

We value staff who care deeply about children as individuals while also recognising the importance of promoting independence, resilience and confidence. The successful candidate will be reflective, flexible and committed to helping pupils overcome barriers to learning and achieve their full potential.

This role offers a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, to contribute to a dedicated and supportive staff team, and to work in a school where ambition, care and community are central to everything we do.

About You

You will be a warm, patient and reflective practitioner who places positive relationships at the heart of your work. You understand that trust, consistency and clear expectations are key to helping children feel safe, valued and ready to learn, and you are committed to supporting pupils to overcome barriers and achieve success.

You will bring a collaborative and solution-focused approach, working closely with teachers, families and external professionals to provide effective support for children with additional needs. You will be skilled at adapting your approach to meet individual needs, while promoting independence, confidence and self-esteem.

You will have high expectations for every child and believe that all pupils can make progress with the right support, encouragement and opportunities. Whether working with individuals, small groups or within the classroom, you will help create a calm, nurturing environment where children are motivated to engage, persevere and be proud of their achievements.

You will quickly become an active member of our school community, communicating positively, celebrating successes and contributing to a culture of inclusion and continuous improvement. Above all, you will believe wholeheartedly in the potential of every child and be committed to helping them develop the skills, confidence and resilience they need to thrive both in school and beyond.

Benefits of Working with Us

As a leading Academy Trust, we are able to offer our staff a range of continued professional development opportunities alongside family friendly policies and access to the Local Government/Teachers Pension Schemes. More on our benefits can be found here.

The closing date and time for receiving applications is Thursday 8th October at 1200pm.

Interviews to be held on 15th October 2026.

TPAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

Successful candidates will be required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application as part of their pre-employment administration. The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Other pre-employment checks will include receipt of two satisfactory references, evidence of right to work in the UK, proof of any relevant qualifications and completion of a health assessment questionnaire.