SEND Teaching Assistant - SEN School - Immediate Start

Rising Hope Education Ltd; Barking; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

Rising Hope Education is urgently recruiting a Specialist SEND Teaching Assistant to join a specialist SEN school for an immediate start. This full-time role supports pupils with special educational needs, offering meaningful relationships and ongoing development for the remainder of the academic year.

You’ll work with teachers and SEND professionals to provide individualised support from 08:30 to 16:00, Monday to Friday.

Qualifications

• Experience in SEND is valuable, especially with autism, communication needs or sensory needs.
• Ability to support non-speaking pupils and use visual supports.
• Patience, resilience and willingness to work within a specialist environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide consistent, individualized support throughout the school day.
• Support pupils with autism and communication needs.
• Help pupils access learning at an appropriate level.
• Assist pre-verbal or non-speaking pupils to communicate using PECS or similar.
• Support sensory and emotional regulation and transitions between activities.

Skills

Autism

Communication needs

ADHD

Learning disabilities

Sensory needs

Job description

SEND Teaching Assistant – SEN School – Immediate Start

Pay: £108-£115 per day PAYE

Hours: 08:30-16:00, Monday-Friday

Start: Immediate – as early as Monday 16 November 2026

Contract: Full-time, long-term, for the remainder of the academic year, ongoing.

Some Teaching Assistant roles are primarily about helping children complete their work.

This role starts with understanding the child.

Rising Hope Education is urgently recruiting a Specialist SEND Teaching Assistant to join a specialist SEN school for an immediate start.

This is a full-time, long-term position supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, offering the opportunity to build meaningful relationships and provide consistent support for the remainder of the academic year.

Working within a specialist school is very different from simply providing additional support in a mainstream classroom.

A successful day isn’t always measured by how much work a child has completed.

Sometimes it’s helping a pupil communicate what they need.

Sometimes it’s recognising the early signs of dysregulation before things become overwhelming.

Sometimes it’s supporting a difficult transition, encouraging a child to attempt something independently, or becoming the trusted and predictable adult who helps them feel safe enough to engage.

What will you be doing?

You’ll work alongside teachers, experienced SEND professionals and other support staff to provide consistent, individualised support throughout the school day.

• Supporting pupils with autism and associated communication needs
• Helping children access learning at an appropriate level
• Supporting pre-verbal or non-speaking pupils to communicate
• Using visual communication, structured routines, PECS, Now & Next or similar approaches where appropriate
• Supporting sensory and emotional regulation
• Recognising behaviour as a potential form of communication
• Helping pupils manage transitions between activities and environments
• Supporting social interaction and positive relationships
• Encouraging independence in everyday tasks and learning
• Providing consistent boundaries and predictable responses
• Supporting pupils during periods of dysregulation
• Following individual support plans in collaboration with teachers and other professionals
• Recording and communicating relevant observations and progress
• Supporting personal care where required by an individual pupil
• Maintaining high standards of safeguarding, dignity and professionalism

The person we’re looking for

Experience within SEND would be extremely valuable, particularly if you’ve previously supported children or young people with:

Autism | Complex Needs | Communication Needs | ADHD | Learning Disabilities | Sensory Needs | SEMH | SLD/PMLD

However, previous school experience isn’t essential for every candidate.

We’re equally interested in hearing from people with backgrounds in care, support work, residential care, youth work, psychology, mental health, autism services or other people-focused professions who have the qualities needed to succeed within a specialist environment.

We can help somebody develop their knowledge and experience.

The patience, warmth and willingness to understand a child need to come from you.

You’ll need to be someone who can…

Stay calm.

When a child becomes dysregulated, they need an adult who can remain steady, reassuring and responsive.

Be emotionally resilient.

If you’ve had a challenging afternoon with a pupil, you need to return the following morning and greet them with the same warmth.

Look beyond the behaviour.

You’ll need the curiosity to ask, “What is this child communicating?” and consider what support they may need.

Be consistent.

For many children with SEND, predictability and trusted relationships are enormously important. Turning up reliably and following agreed approaches makes a difference.

Know when to step back.

Great SEND support includes recognising when a child is ready to try something for themselves and giving them the time and encouragement to do it.

Work as part of a team.

You’ll be joining school staff who understand their pupils. Listening, observing, communicating and following established strategies will be essential.

Above everything else, you’ll need to enjoy working with children and young people with additional needs.

About Rising Hope Education

Rising Hope Education specialises exclusively in SEND and inclusion across London.

Our support continues beyond your first day.

We want to understand where you want your career within SEND to go, help you develop your experience and provide opportunities to build your knowledge and confidence within specialist education.

For somebody considering a longer‑term career within SEND, psychology, teaching, therapy, mental health, social care or specialist education, this role could provide valuable hands‑on experience.

Interview and immediate start

The school is looking for someone who can start as soon as possible, with a start available from Monday 16 November 2026, subject to the necessary safeguarding and pre‑employment checks.

You’ll need to be available to work Monday–Friday, 08:30–16:00, and able to commit to a long‑term role for the remainder of the academic year.

You do not need to already be registered with Rising Hope Education to be considered.

We’ll move promptly with suitable applicants and talk you through the school, the role and the next steps.

Role summary

• Position: Specialist SEND Teaching Assistant
• Setting: Specialist SEN school
• Pay: £108 per day PAYE
• Hours: 08:30–16:00
• Days: Monday–Friday
• Start: Immediate – as early as Monday 16 November 2026
• Contract: Long-term, for the remainder of the academic year, then perminant

If you’re an experienced SEND professional, we’d love to hear from you.

If you’re at the beginning of your SEND career and reading this thinking, “I may not have years of experience, but that description sounds like me,” we’d still encourage you to apply.

The right person matters just as much as the right CV