Challenging Behaviour Teaching Assistant

Location: Slough
Setting: Primary specialist provision
Pay: £93 – £100 per day
Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday
Start date: September

SENDhelp is recruiting an experienced Challenging Behaviour Teaching Assistant for a primary specialist school in Slough.

The role requires someone with recent UK school experience supporting pupils with SEMH needs, emotional dysregulation and behaviour that can challenge. Applicants should ideally have worked within a pupil referral unit, alternative provision, specialist school or a similar setting with strong behaviour-support responsibilities.

This is not an entry-level position.

The role

You will work alongside teachers and pastoral staff to support pupils who may struggle with emotional regulation, relationships, routines and engagement with learning.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing one-to-one and small-group support

• Helping pupils engage with lessons and structured activities

• Reinforcing clear routines, expectations and boundaries

• Using appropriate behaviour-management and de-escalation strategies

• Supporting pupils following incidents or periods of dysregulation

• Building positive relationships while maintaining professional boundaries

• Following behaviour plans, risk assessments and safeguarding procedures

• Recording observations and reporting concerns accurately

• Helping maintain a calm, safe and structured learning environment

Essential requirements

Applicants must have:

• Recent experience working in a UK school

• Direct experience supporting pupils with challenging behaviour

• Experience supporting children or young people with SEMH needs

• Strong behaviour-management and de-escalation skills

• The ability to remain calm, firm and consistent under pressure

• A clear understanding of safeguarding responsibilities

• A reliable and resilient approach

• Employment history that clearly demonstrates relevant experience

Experience within a pupil referral unit, alternative provision, SEMH school or challenging-behaviour provision is strongly preferred. Experience in youth programs, prisons etc. would also be considered.

Applications without direct education experience supporting significant behavioural needs are unlikely to be suitable.

Desirable experience

• Supporting pupils excluded from mainstream education

• Trauma-informed or restorative practice

• Positive-handling or de-escalation training

• Working with pastoral teams, SENCOs or external professionals

• Supporting pupils with emotional dysregulation and barriers to learning

What SENDhelp offers

• Competitive PAYE pay

• No umbrella-company deductions

• A dedicated consultant throughout your placement

• Interview preparation and relevant training

• Support with registration, compliance and onboarding

• Further opportunities within specialist and inclusive schools

Please apply with an up-to-date CV clearly showing your UK school, SEMH and challenging-behaviour experience.

As a specialist SEND recruiter, child safety and welfare is our number one priority. That is why we conduct thorough checks on all our candidates, and ensure that they abide by our Candidate Code of Conduct.

All Candidates will be required to provide an Enhanced DBS that is actively registered on the Update Service, or apply for one as part of the onboarding process. This is in addition to other mandatory compliance checks in line with the DfE guidelines. For further information please see our Safer Recruitment Policy.

SENDhelp is an equal opportunities employer.