SEND Teaching Assistant – Highbridge, Somerset

Full-Time | Monday-Friday | Long-Term | ASAP Start | Opportunity to Go Permanent

Are you a Teaching Assistant who believes the best SEND support starts with understanding the individual child?

Do you know how to build trust, provide consistency and help a child develop the confidence to do more for themselves?

We are recruiting an exceptional SEND Teaching Assistant to join a small, nurturing primary school in Highbridge, Somerset, providing dedicated 1:1 and small-group support to children with additional needs.

This is a full-time, 5-day-per-week position starting ASAP and is an ongoing, long-term opportunity.

For successful applicants who are interested, there is also the opportunity to move into a permanent position with the school.

We’re looking for someone who wants to become part of a school community, build meaningful relationships with pupils and see the progress their support creates.

Your Role as a SEND Teaching Assistant

As a SEND Teaching Assistant, you’ll work alongside teachers and the wider inclusion team to provide personalised support to children who may experience barriers to learning.

You’ll support pupils on both a 1:1 and small-group basis, helping them access education while developing their confidence, communication, emotional wellbeing and independence.

Some children may need additional support with learning.

Others may need help managing emotions, developing social skills, communicating their needs or navigating different parts of the school day.

The approach will depend on the child.

That’s what makes this role so important.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a Teaching Assistant, you could be:

• Providing dedicated 1:1 SEND support to individual pupils.

• Delivering targeted interventions with small groups.

• Supporting children with additional learning, communication and social-emotional needs.

• Helping pupils develop confidence and independence.

• Supporting children to recognise and regulate their emotions.

• Building positive, trusting and professional relationships.

• Helping children access learning at a level appropriate to their individual needs.

• Breaking activities into manageable and achievable steps.

• Providing additional support during transitions and less structured periods.

• Supporting positive behaviour through calm and consistent approaches.

• Recognising when a child is becoming overwhelmed and responding proactively.

• Helping children re-engage with learning following difficult moments.

• Working closely with teachers and SEND professionals to implement individual support strategies.

• Celebrating progress – including the small steps that can make an enormous difference.

We’re Looking for Someone Who Sees the Child, Not Just the Need

The best SEND Teaching Assistants don’t simply ask:

“What does this child struggle with?”

They also ask:

“What are they good at?”

“What motivates them?”

“What makes them feel safe?”

“How can I help them become more independent?”

We’re looking for someone who takes the time to understand the individual child and adapts their approach accordingly.

You’ll need to be patient, calm, observant, resilient and consistent.

And importantly, you’ll need to understand that behaviour can sometimes be a child’s way of communicating something they cannot yet put into words.

Your Experience

Previous UK experience within education and/or health and social care is essential.

You could currently be working as a:

SEND Teaching Assistant | SEN Teaching Assistant | Teaching Assistant | Learning Support Assistant | Behaviour Mentor | Learning Mentor | Youth Worker | Children’s Support Worker | Residential Support Worker | Care Worker

Experience supporting children with SEND, SEMH, Autism, ADHD, communication needs, emotional regulation difficulties or additional learning needs would be particularly valuable.

Coming From Health & Social Care?

Your experience could transfer brilliantly into education.

Some of the skills schools value most are skills you’ve potentially already developed.

Safeguarding.

Building trust.

De-escalation.

Following individual support plans.

Supporting independence.

Understanding behaviour.

Remaining calm under pressure.

Communicating with vulnerable individuals.

If you have relevant UK health and social care experience and you’re ready to bring those skills into a school, we’d particularly like to hear from you.

Why This Opportunity?

You’ll be joining a nurturing primary environment in Highbridge, Somerset, where inclusion and individualised support are important parts of school life.

This is a smaller school environment where there is a clear focus on helping children become confident and independent learners.

For an ambitious Teaching Assistant, that provides an excellent opportunity to develop genuine experience around SEND, SEMH, emotional wellbeing, individualised learning and targeted intervention.

You’ll also have something that’s difficult to achieve through day-to-day supply:

Time.

Time to build trust.

Time to understand the child.

Time to learn what works.

Time to see their confidence grow.

And time to see the impact your support actually makes.

We Need Consistency

Children with SEND often benefit enormously from predictable routines and consistent adults.

That’s why we’re specifically looking for candidates who can commit to full-time work, Monday to Friday, 5 days per week.

This isn’t aimed at someone looking for occasional supply days.

We’re looking for a Teaching Assistant who wants to settle into one school, become part of the team and build lasting relationships with pupils and colleagues.

Role: SEND Teaching Assistant
Location: Highbridge, Somerset
Start: ASAP
Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday – 5 days per week
Contract: Long-term and ongoing
Permanent opportunity: Yes – for successful applicants who are interested
Experience required: Previous UK education and/or health and social care experience
Support: 1:1 and small-group SEND support

The Small Wins Aren’t Small to Them

A child asking for help instead of becoming overwhelmed.

A pupil joining a group activity when they usually stay on the outside.

A child completing something independently that they once needed an adult to do with them.

A pupil beginning to believe that they’re capable.

These are the moments that make being a SEND Teaching Assistant worthwhile.

If you’re looking for a long-term Teaching Assistant opportunity where you’ll have the chance to build genuine relationships and become a consistent part of children’s lives, we’d love to hear from you.

Join a nurturing primary setting in Highbridge, Somerset, commit to five days per week and become part of a team helping children develop the confidence and independence to flourish.

Apply today for this SEND Teaching Assistant opportunity and an ASAP start in Highbridge, Somerset.

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.