SEN Teaching Assistant - Year 1 Support Role

Protocol Education Limited; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekly PAYE pay

CPD Academy access

SEN consultant support

Long-term role stability

Behaviour guidance

Growth across SEN and mainstream

Job summary

Protocol Education is helping a primary school in Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, recruit a confident Teaching Assistant for a Year 1 pupil. This 1:1 role supports a non-verbal autistic child with structured routines and sensory regulation breaks.

You’ll use communication boards, Box Time approaches and work closely with SEN professionals to help the child stay calm, safe and ready to learn throughout the day (8:30–15:30, Mon-Fri).

Qualifications

• Experience supporting a child with SEN, preferably autism and communication needs.
• Calm under pressure and ability to set clear, consistent boundaries.
• Willingness to learn sensory regulation strategies.
• Team player with SEN professionals (SENCO, therapists, teachers).

Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 support for a Year 1 pupil who is non-verbal and autistic.
• Use communication boards to aid understanding and expression.
• Support Box Time approaches and structured routines.
• Deliver sensory circuits and breaks throughout the day.
• Collaborate with SEN staff to follow tailored plans.
• Help the child feel safe, regulated and ready to learn.
• Manage challenging behaviour calmly and safely.

Skills

SEN experience

Autism awareness

Calm under pressure

1:1 support

Challenging behaviour

Tools

Communication boards

Box Time approach

Sensory circuits

Job description

A primary school in Westerhope, Newcastle is looking for a confident, reliable Teaching Assistant to support a Year 1 non-verbal autistic pupil on a 1:1 basis.

This is a child who thrives with structure, clear boundaries, and adults who can bring calm authority to the day, especially during moments of dysregulation.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 - 15:30

The role at a glance

You’ll be:

• Providing consistent 1:1 support for a non-verbal autistic child in Year 1
• Using communication boards to support understanding and expression
• Supporting Box Time approaches and structured routines
• Delivering sensory circuits and sensory regulation breaks throughout the day
• Working closely with SEN professionals and following tailored support plans
• Helping the child feel safe, regulated, and ready to access learning
• Supporting behaviour that can, at times, become physically challenging in a calm and safe way

What the school is looking for

They’re after someone who:

• Has SEN experience, ideally autism and communication needs
• Stays calm under pressure and can set clear, consistent boundaries
• Is confident supporting children with challenging behaviour
• Understands or is open to training in sensory regulation strategies
• Works well as part of a wider professional team (SENCO, therapists, teachers)

Why this role matters

This isn’t just classroom support. It’s about helping a child feel understood in a world that can often feel overwhelming.

Small progress here means everything. A calmer transition, a successful interaction, a moment of connection, that’s the impact you’ll be part of every day.

About the school

Based in Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, this is a warm and welcoming primary school with a strong reputation for being a supportive, community-focused school where children are encouraged to bring out their brilliance every day. The school offers a nurturing environment with an attached nursery, dedicated staff, and a real emphasis on kindness, respect, and high standards in learning and behaviour. With a strong sense of teamwork between pupils, staff, and families, this school creates a safe and happy space where children are supported to grow in confidence, achieve well, and develop a love of learning that carries them into the next stage of their education.

How Protocol Education supports you

• Weekly PAYE pay (no umbrella companies)
• Free access to our CPD Academy
• Dedicated SEN consultant who actually gets it
• Long-term role stability and local support
• Guidance around behaviour strategies and school expectations
• Opportunities across SEN and mainstream settings if you want to grow

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.