Teaching Assistant

EmpowerED; Greater London; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

EmpowerED is recruiting a Teaching Assistant for a specialist school in West Drayton that supports children and young people with autism, severe learning difficulties (SLD) and complex needs. The role offers a chance to develop genuine SEND experience within a highly personalised, therapeutic learning environment where communication, independence and emotional regulation are central to daily activities.

You will work in a supported classroom, assisting pupils to access meaningful learning, using

Job description

EmpowerED is recruiting for a Teaching Assistant in West Drayton to join a growing specialist school supporting children and young people with autism, severe learning difficulties (SLD) and complex additional needs.

This Teaching Assistant role in West Drayton is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to develop genuine specialist SEND experience within a highly personalised, therapeutic learning environment.

The school takes a very different approach to traditional education. Learning is designed around the individual child, with a strong focus on communication, independence, emotional regulation, relationships and the practical skills pupils need for life beyond school.

The Teaching Assistant role

As a Teaching Assistant in West Drayton, you'll work as part of a highly supported specialist classroom team, helping pupils access learning that is meaningful and appropriate to their individual developmental level.

Classes benefit from high levels of adult support, allowing Teaching Assistants to really get to know the pupils they work with and understand how each individual communicates, learns and regulates.

Your day could include:

• Supporting pupils with autism and severe learning difficulties
• Providing individual and small-group support
• Developing pupils' communication and interaction skills
• Supporting non-speaking and minimally verbal pupils
• Using alternative and augmentative communication approaches
• Supporting sensory and emotional regulation
• Encouraging independence and essential life skills
• Using play and pupils' individual interests to encourage engagement
• Supporting pupils through transitions and changes in routine
• Helping pupils develop confidence and positive relationships
• Working alongside teachers, Speech & Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists
• Supporting individual EHCP and therapy outcomes throughout the school day

A genuinely specialist autism environment

This Teaching Assistant vacancy in West Drayton offers the chance to work within a school specifically designed around the needs of autistic learners.

Rather than simply adapting a mainstream curriculum, learning is personalised around the way individual pupils learn and the functional skills they need for their future.

As a Teaching Assistant, you'll help pupils develop skills including communication, independence, emotional regulation, problem solving, social interaction and safety.

Therapy is also integrated into everyday school life, with Speech & Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy professionals working collaboratively with education staff.

Who are we looking for?

For this Teaching Assistant role in West Drayton, we'd particularly love to hear from candidates who already have experience supporting children or young people with: Autism | SLD | Complex Needs | Communication Needs | SEND | Learning Disabilities

Experience supporting non-speaking or minimally verbal pupils and knowledge of approaches such as SCERTS, Attention Autism, Intensive Interaction, TEACCH, Makaton or AAC would be particularly valuable.

However, we're also interested in candidates coming from: Care | Support Work | Residential Care | Youth Work | Early Years | Psychology | Mental Health

We're looking for someone who is calm, patient, resilient and genuinely curious about how individual children communicate and learn.

You don't need to have all the answers on day one – but you do need to want to learn.

Why consider this Teaching Assistant opportunity?

Working as a Teaching Assistant at this specialist school in West Drayton offers considerably more than traditional classroom support.

You’ll gain hands-on experience supporting pupils with autism and SLD while working alongside experienced teachers and therapy professionals.

You’ll also develop specialist knowledge around communication, sensory processing, emotional regulation, autism-specific approaches and personalised learning.

For someone considering a longer-term career within SEND teaching, Speech & Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, psychology or specialist education, this could be a fantastic next step.

Most importantly, you’ll be helping children develop skills that can have a genuine impact on their future independence and quality of life.

EmpowerED | Specialist SEND & Education Recruitment

People first. Always.

EmpowerED is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful applicants will be subject to our full safeguarding and compliance process, including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references