Teaching Assistant

Teaching Personnel; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is looking for a dedicated Teaching Assistant to join their team, providing essential support to students facing mental health challenges. This full-time, term-time role focuses on nurturing young minds in a structured environment, helping them develop coping strategies and re-engage with learning. Your empathetic approach and experience in managing challenging behaviour will be key in fostering positive relationships and promoting emotional resilience. If you are passionate about making a difference and committed to the wellbeing of young people, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

FREE child protection training

Support with DBS checks

Qualifications

• Experience working in SEMH, alternative provision, or youth work.
• Training in de-escalation or trauma-informed practice is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support students with SEMH needs through one-to-one and small group sessions.
• Manage challenging behaviour using positive support strategies.
• Build trusting relationships with students to promote emotional wellbeing.

Skills

Empathy

Emotional Resilience

Patience

Behaviour Management

Inclusion Commitment

Education

Relevant Training in SEMH

Team Teach Training

Job description

Are you calm, resilient, and passionate about making a difference in young people’s lives?

We are seeking a Teaching Assistant to join our team, supporting students with mental health needs and challenging behaviour in a nurturing and structured school environment. This is a full-time, term-time only position, starting in September.

About the Role:
As a Teaching Assistant, you will work closely with teaching staff and pastoral teams to provide targeted support to students who may be experiencing anxiety, trauma, or behavioural difficulties. Your role will be to help students re-engage with learning, develop positive coping strategies, and build trusting relationships.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide one-to-one and small group support for students with SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) needs
• De-escalate and manage challenging behaviour using positive behaviour support strategies
• Help implement individual support plans and contribute to their review
• Build positive relationships based on consistency, empathy, and respect
• Promote emotional regulation, resilience, and positive mental health

Essential Requirements:

• Full-time availability (Monday to Friday, term-time)
• Experience working in SEMH, alternative provision, PRUs, or youth work
• Patience, empathy, and emotional resilience
• Confidence in managing challenging behaviour in a calm and supportive way
• Ability to build trust and set clear boundaries
• A strong commitment to inclusion and the wellbeing of young people

Desirable:

• Training in Team Teach, de-escalation, or trauma-informed practice
• Understanding of mental health conditions such as anxiety, PTSD, or ASD

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for 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.
Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with 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 all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.
For details of our privacy policy, please visit the Teaching Personnel website.