Graduate Psychology Teaching Assistant – Specialist PRU | Ferryhill | Full-Time

Use your Psychology degree to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people.

Protocol Education is recruiting a full-time Graduate Psychology Teaching Assistant to join a specialist Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Ferryhill, supporting pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, Autism (ASC), ADHD and additional behavioural needs.

This is an outstanding opportunity for graduates considering a career in Educational Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Youth Justice, Social Work, Mental Health, Teaching or Behaviour Support. You'll gain invaluable hands-on experience supporting young people who require a nurturing, patient and consistent approach to learning.

Working within a highly supportive team, you'll help pupils overcome barriers to education, develop positive relationships and achieve both academically and personally.

Why Work with Protocol Education?

At Protocol Education, we're passionate about helping graduates build successful careers within specialist education.

You'll benefit from:

• Weekly PAYE pay
• FREE SEND, Behaviour Management and Team Teach CPD
• Dedicated education consultant
• Interview preparation and ongoing career support
• Long-term opportunities with potential for permanent employment
• £50 Refer a Friend bonus

About the Role

• Full-time position
• September 2026 start
• Monday-Friday
• Working hours between 8:30am-3:30pm and 8:30am-4:30pm
• Term-time only
• Long-term placement with the opportunity to become permanent

What You'll Be Doing

• Supporting pupils on a 1:1 basis and in small groups
• Building positive, trusting relationships with young people
• Helping pupils regulate emotions and develop coping strategies
• Encouraging positive behaviour and engagement in learning
• Delivering targeted interventions alongside teachers
• Supporting pupils both inside and outside the classroom
• Working collaboratively with teachers, pastoral staff and external professionals
• Celebrating progress, no matter how small

What We're Looking For

We're looking for graduates who are resilient, compassionate and committed to helping young people succeed.

You'll have:

• A Psychology degree (or closely related subject)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Patience, empathy and emotional resilience
• A genuine passion for supporting young people with SEMH and behavioural needs
• Previous experience working with children or vulnerable young people is desirable but not essential

Please note: Due to the location of the provision and limited public transport links, a full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle is highly desirable.

This Role Would Suit

• Psychology Graduates
• Aspiring Educational Psychologists
• Future Clinical Psychologists
• Youth Justice Professionals
• Social Workers
• Behaviour Mentors
• Mental Health Practitioners
• Future Teachers

If you're looking for a challenging yet incredibly rewarding role where you can make a genuine difference to the lives of vulnerable young people, we'd love to hear from you.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further 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.

Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the 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 FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.

Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.

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