SEND Teaching Assistant – Wandsworth

SENDhelp is recruiting an experienced SEND Teaching Assistant for a specialist school in Wandsworth, London, supporting pupils and young adults aged 5-19.

This setting supports learners with a wide range of additional needs, including autism, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, communication needs and behaviours that may challenge.

This is not an entry-level SEND role. Applicants must have direct experience supporting children or young adults with special educational needs. That experience may have been gained in a specialist school, a mainstream school with SEND pupils, a care setting, residential provision or another formal support environment.

Key details

• Role: SEND Teaching Assistant

• Location: Wandsworth, London

• Age range: 5-19

• Setting: Specialist SEND school

• Working pattern: 8:30 – 3:30, Monday to Friday

• Essential experience: Direct experience supporting children or young adults with SEND

About the role

As a SEND Teaching Assistant, you will support pupils with different levels of learning, communication, sensory and behavioural needs.

The school works with children and young adults across primary, secondary and post-16 age groups. Experience with any age range will be considered, provided you have strong and relevant SEND experience.

You may work one-to-one with a pupil, support a small group or assist the wider class team. The exact classroom will depend on your experience and where your skills are best suited.

This position requires someone calm, reliable and confident who understands that pupils with complex needs may communicate and engage with learning in very different ways.

What you will be doing

Your responsibilities may include:

• Supporting pupils with autism, MLD, SLD or PMLD

• Providing individual and small-group learning support

• Helping pupils follow structured routines and access classroom activities

• Using visual resources, communication aids and sensory approaches

• Supporting pupils with emotional regulation and behaviours that may challenge

• Following individual support plans, EHCP targets and behaviour strategies

• Encouraging communication, independence and social development

• Working closely with teachers, therapists and other support staff

• Recording relevant observations and pupil progress

• Supporting personal care or mobility where required

• Maintaining a safe, calm and positive learning environment

Essential experience

To be considered for this SEND Teaching Assistant position, you must have direct experience working with children or young adults with special educational needs.

Suitable experience may include work within:

• A specialist SEND school

• A mainstream school supporting pupils with additional needs

• Residential care

• Children’s support services

• Respite care

• Youth or community services

• A formal care or support setting

General classroom experience without meaningful SEND responsibility will not be sufficient for this particular vacancy.

What we are looking for

The successful candidate will:

• Have substantial, practical SEND experience

• Be confident supporting pupils with complex and varied needs

• Remain calm and consistent when behaviour becomes challenging

• Understand the importance of routines, boundaries and clear communication

• Be patient, resilient and emotionally dependable

• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team

• Be comfortable adapting their support for different ages and abilities

• Be able to travel reliably to Wandsworth each working day

• Be committed to safeguarding and promoting pupil welfare

Experience with autism, MLD, SLD, PMLD, non-verbal communication, sensory needs or challenging behaviour would be particularly valuable.

Why consider this opportunity?

• Work within a specialist school supporting a broad range of needs

• Gain experience across an all-age provision

• Join an established team of teachers, support staff and professionals

• Develop your specialist SEND knowledge

• Build experience with different communication and learning approaches

• Take on a meaningful role supporting pupils’ education and independence

• Access a consistent, full-time placement in Wandsworth

What SENDhelp offers

• Competitive PAYE pay with no umbrella-company deductions

• A dedicated consultant throughout your placement

• Interview preparation and ongoing support

• Access to relevant professional development and training

• Support with registration, compliance and onboarding

• Opportunities with SENDhelp partner schools across London

This opportunity would suit an experienced SEND Teaching Assistant who is confident supporting pupils with complex needs and can travel consistently to Wandsworth.

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.