SEND Teaching Assistant
Location: Sunderland
Contract: Full-time, long-term
Start Date: September 2025 / Immediate
We are seeking a compassionate and adaptable SEND Teaching Assistant to support pupils with autism and associated learning difficulties in a specialist setting in Sunderland. The school is dedicated to helping every young person develop the skills, confidence, and independence they need to thrive both in school and in life beyond education.
The Role
As a Teaching Assistant, you will:
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Provide 1:1 and small group support tailored to pupils with autism and complex SEND
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Assist with structured learning programmes across personalised and semi-formal curriculum pathways
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Support pupils with communication, sensory, and emotional needs, helping them engage positively in learning
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Work alongside teachers, therapists, and pastoral staff to deliver holistic, joined-up support
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Promote life skills, independence, and confidence through both classroom and community-based learning
About You
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Experience supporting children or young people with autism and complex SEND needs
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Calm, patient, and resilient, with the ability to adapt to different learning styles and needs
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Understanding of visual supports, communication aids, and sensory regulation strategies (desirable)
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Thrive training or willingness to undertake specialist SEND training is a bonus
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Committed to promoting inclusion, independence, and wellbeing for all pupils
Why Join Us?
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Be part of a specialist school community dedicated to “developing wonderful adults”
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Access to regular CPD and SEND training
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A rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of young people every day
Apply today to be considered for this rewarding SEND Teaching Assistant opportunity.
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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