SEND Learning and Teaching Assistant

Hovingham Primary School; Leeds; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Hovingham Primary School in Leeds is seeking a committed SEND Teaching Assistant to join our enhanced provision, supporting pupils with a range of additional and complex needs, including SEMH and communication needs.

You will work closely with teachers to deliver targeted support, help pupils feel safe and ready to learn, and build strong relationships with families and colleagues, contributing to an inclusive and supportive school community.

Qualifications

• Is kind, patient and emotionally intelligent.
• Has high expectations for all children.
• Understands SEND, SEMH and inclusive practice.
• Can build strong, trusting relationships.
• Is resilient and solution-focused.
• Works well as part of a team and reflects on their practice.

Responsibilities

• Supporting pupils with additional and complex needs, including SEMH, communication and regulation needs.
• Helping children to feel safe, understood and ready to learn.
• Delivering targeted support and structured interventions, guided by expert staff.
• Supporting emotional regulation, routines, and engagement.
• Working alongside teachers to ensure pupils can access and succeed in the curriculum.
• Building strong relationships with pupils, families and colleagues.

Job description

About this Role

Join us on our journey to becoming a truly great school

At Hovingham, SEND is not a bolt-on or an ‘extra’—it is at the heart of how we work. We are building a school where every child belongs, participates, and achieves, and where inclusive practice is simply the everyday experience of all pupils.

We are looking for a committed, compassionate and ambitious SEND Teaching Assistant to join our enhanced provision, supporting children with a range of additional and complex needs.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a team that is reshaping inclusive education, ensuring that pupils are supported early, taught well, and able to thrive both academically and socially.

Hovingham is a school where values are lived, not laminated.

Visitors often comment on the warmth, positivity and strong relationships that define our community. Our team is dedicated, reflective and relentlessly focused on improving outcomes for children—especially those who need us most.

We are on an ambitious journey to become a truly great school.

We believe in:

• High expectations, no barriers, everyone included
• Belonging as the foundation for success
• Perseverance—we do what it takes, for as long as it takes
• Seeing potential, not labels

At Hovingham, children are known, valued and supported to develop confidence, independence and a strong sense of belonging.

As a SEND Teaching Assistant in our enhanced provision, ( Pupil Support Team ) you will play a vital role in:

• Supporting pupils with additional and complex needs, including SEMH, communication and regulation needs
• Helping children to feel safe, understood and ready to learn
• Delivering targeted support and structured interventions, guided by expert staff
• Supporting emotional regulation, routines, and engagement
• Working alongside teachers to ensure pupils can access and succeed in the curriculum
• Building strong relationships with pupils, families and colleagues

You will be part of a team that believes:

• Inclusion means children learn together—not separately
• Great teaching is the main lever for SEND success
• Early support prevents escalation
• Every interaction matters

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

• Is kind, patient and emotionally intelligent
• Has high expectations for all children
• Understands (or is willing to learn about) SEND, SEMH and inclusive practice
• Can build strong, trusting relationships
• Is resilient and solution-focused
• Works well as part of a team and reflects on their practice

Experience is welcomed—but the right mindset matters most.

A Brilliant Opportunity If You Are…

This role is ideal for:

• Someone considering a future career in teaching, educational psychology or SEND leadership
• A graduate looking for meaningful school-based experience
• Someone wanting to develop expertise in inclusive and adaptive teaching
• An experienced TA ready to deepen their practice in a highly supportive setting

You will benefit from:

• High-quality training and professional development
• Coaching and support from experienced leaders and SEND specialists
• Opportunities to grow, specialise and progress
• Being part of a team where SEND is everyone’s responsibility
• Be part of OMAT trust a caring and collaborative trust.

Why Join Hovingham?

Because here, you will:

• Be part of a school where belonging drives success
• Work in an environment where children with SEND are fully included and valued
• Be supported to develop real expertise and confidence
• Make a genuine difference to children’s lives—every single day

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are proud to be an inclusive school where:

• Difference is valued, not separated
• Pupils with SEND are supported to know more, remember more and do more
• We work in partnership with families to secure the very best outcomes

Closing date for applications is 9am on Friday 13th November 2026

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 17th November 2026