SEMH Teaching Assistant

One of our partner schools in Gateshead are looking for an SEMH TA, to give you a proper feel for this SEMH Teaching Assistant role, so you can picture what day-to-day life looks like and walk in feeling confident and prepared.

This is a specialist setting with high expectations, strong routines, and a real focus on relationships. It’s calm, structured, and built around helping young people succeed both academically and emotionally.

The Type of Person They’re Looking For

They’re not chasing the “perfect CV”. They’re looking for the right person.

Someone who is:

• Warm, approachable, and naturally engaging

• Confident, not someone who fades into the background

• Comfortable building strong, consistent relationships

• Positive and open to being coached and developed

• Understanding of boundaries and school ethos

In SEMH settings, relationships are everything. The young people need adults who show up consistently, stay calm, and genuinely care.

Daily Routine & Expectations

Breakfast Club

All staff support breakfast club. You’ll sit with students, chat with them, and actively engage. It’s about connection, not supervision from the sidelines. You’re welcome to have breakfast too.

Lunch

Lunch is provided. You’ll eat alongside students and continue building those all-important relationships. After lunch there’s structured social time, think activities like ping pong or games, where staff are present and involved.

There isn’t a traditional lunch break away from students. However, students leave at 2:15pm and staff remain on site until 4:30pm.

Long term, this time is used for admin, reporting, and tutor group updates. In your first few weeks, you’ll observe and support while you settle in.

In the Classroom

This isn’t a stand-at-the-back kind of role.

You’ll be:

• Moving around the classroom

• Supporting students in real time

• Helping them stay focused and emotionally regulated

• Reinforcing expectations calmly and consistently

Staff use an orange pen to mark and give feedback during lessons. Literacy is a big focus, including supporting spelling, sentence structure, and communication skills.

You’re part of the teaching team, not an extra pair of hands.

Attendance & Start of Day

Students arrive between 8:30am and 9:30am.

Attendance is taken seriously. If a student hasn’t arrived, parents are contacted and, where needed, staff may collect students to ensure they attend. The aim is consistency and accountability.

Environment & Safety

The environment is calm and well managed.

• Phone-free policy

• Students are scanned on arrival, mainly for phones and vapes

• Coats are checked for prohibited items

• Staff are issued radios for communication

It’s structured and proactive, which helps maintain a safe and settled atmosphere.

Behaviour & Boundaries

Expect clear boundaries and consistent follow-through.

• Minor swearing is redirected calmly

• Verbal abuse is not tolerated and leads to exclusion

• Physical assaults are extremely rare and would result in exclusion and police involvement

The school believes in high standards with firm but fair approaches.

Team Teach Training

Longer term, there may be the opportunity to complete Team Teach training.

Restraint is rarely used and you can opt out of performing physical interventions if that’s your preference. The focus is always on de-escalation first.

Structure & Learning

• Mixed ability classes with varied reading ages

• Strong focus on harmony and positive group dynamics

• Key Stage 3 groups are separated to reduce distractions

• Key Stage 4 students complete GCSEs

• Literacy is a whole-school priority

Academically, the school performs well within its setting. Expectations are high because they genuinely believe students can achieve.

Twilight Provision

There’s a small, one-hour twilight provision after the main school day for a handful of students needing additional support. You may occasionally support this, though numbers are low.

Overall Ethos

This is an academic SEMH setting with structure, routine, and high expectations.

It will suit someone energetic, personable, proactive, and confident in building positive professional relationships with young people who may have faced challenges.

If job role sounds exactly what your looking for - apply today! 

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.

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