Teaching Assistant - Unit Based

Teaching Personnel Ltd.; Merley; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

Teaching Personnel Ltd. are recruiting a SEN Teaching Assistant for a mainstream school with a Specialist SEN Unit in Poole (BH15). You’ll work with a small group of pupils, helping with SEMH, ADHD and Autism, building confidence and supporting learning in a nurturing environment.

You’ll join a supportive team, gain valuable SEN experience, and play a key role in helping pupils feel safe, understood and able to progress, day by day.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting children with SEN, SEMH, Autism or ADHD.
• Patience, resilience and empathy.
• Ability to manage challenging behaviour.
• Flexible and adaptable to individual needs.
• Strong relationship-building with pupils.

Responsibilities

• Build strong, positive relationships with pupils.
• Provide individual and small-group support.
• Support SEMH, ADHD and Autism needs.
• Work with teachers and SENCOs and the support team.
• Use positive behaviour strategies to promote learning.

Skills

SEN experience

SEMH

Autism

ADHD

Job description

SEN Teaching Assistant – SEMH, ADHD & Autism

Full-time | Mainstream School | Specialist SEN Unit | Poole, BH15 | Starting After October Half Term

Are you a passionate TA looking for a role where you can make a real difference?

About the role

You’ll be working alongside an experienced and supportive team, helping a small group of pupils feel safe, understood, supported and able to learn.

Every day will be different, but you can expect to:

• Build strong, positive relationships with pupils.
• Support children with SEMH, ADHD and Autism.
• Help pupils manage emotions, behaviour and social situations.
• Encourage engagement in learning and classroom activities.
• Provide individual and small-group support.
• Use positive and consistent behaviour strategies.
• Help develop confidence, independence and resilience.
• Work closely with teachers, SENCOs and other members of the support team.
• Celebrate progress, both big and small!

What we're looking for

We’re looking for someone who is more than just a TA — someone who genuinely wants to make a difference.

You’ll ideally have experience supporting children with SEN, SEMH, Autism, ADHD or challenging behaviour, although we’re also interested in hearing from candidates with strong transferable experience.

You’ll need to be:

• Patient, calm and emotionally resilient.
• Naturally nurturing and empathetic.
• Confident managing challenging situations.
• Consistent in your approach.
• Able to build genuine connections with pupils.
• Flexible and willing to adapt to individual needs.
• Passionate about helping children reach their potential.

Most importantly, you’ll understand that progress looks different for every child and that sometimes the smallest achievements are the biggest victories.

Why apply?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join one of our lovely mainstream schools in Poole, where you’ll become part of a supportive and dedicated team committed to helping pupils succeed.

The specialist unit provides additional support for children who may experience barriers to learning, while allowing them to remain part of the wider mainstream school community.

You’ll gain valuable experience working within an SEN setting while doing a role that is both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

The essentials

Role: SEN Teaching Assistant
Location: BH15, Poole
Setting: Mainstream School – Specialist SEN Unit
Focus: SEMH, ADHD & Autism
Hours: Full-time, Monday–Friday
Start: After October Half Term
Experience: SEN/SEMH experience desirable

Ready for your next challenge?

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.
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