SEMH & Behaviour Support Teaching Assistant

SEMH & Behaviour Support Teaching Assistant | Gateshead

Location: Gateshead
Job Type: Full Time, Term Time Only
Start Date: September 2026
Hours: 8:30am–4:30pm
Pay: £98–£120 per day, dependent on experience

Protocol Education are working with a specialist SEMH school in Gateshead that is looking for a confident, patient and resilient SEMH & Behaviour Support Teaching Assistant to join their team from September.

This is a role for someone who understands that behaviour is often a form of communication and who can see beyond the behaviour to understand what a young person may need.

You’ll be supporting pupils who may have struggled in mainstream education, helping them to regulate their emotions, build positive relationships and gradually re-engage with learning.

As an SEMH Teaching Assistant, you will:

• Provide 1:1 and small-group support to pupils.
• Support children and young people with SEMH and behavioural needs.
• Build positive, trusting relationships with pupils.
• Help pupils manage their emotions and develop emotional regulation strategies.
• Identify potential triggers and support pupils to manage difficult situations.
• Use positive and consistent behaviour strategies.
• Encourage pupils to engage with their learning.
• Maintain clear, consistent and appropriate boundaries.
• Support the class teacher with day-to-day classroom activities.
• Help pupils develop confidence, independence and resilience.
• Support pupils during break and lunchtime.
• Encourage positive communication and social interaction.
• Recognise and celebrate progress, no matter how small.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Calm and confident when faced with challenging behaviour.
• Patient, resilient and emotionally intelligent.
• Naturally good at building relationships with young people.
• Consistent and fair in their approach.
• Comfortable working within a specialist SEMH environment.
• Able to remain professional and maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Positive and encouraging.
• Passionate about helping young people overcome barriers to education.

Previous experience within SEMH, PRU, alternative provision, behaviour support, youth work, residential care, mentoring or sports coaching would be beneficial.

You don't necessarily need previous school experience. If you have strong transferable experience and the right attitude, we would still love to hear from you.

• £98–£120 per day
  , depending on experience.
• Weekly PAYE pay.
• FREE CPD and online training.
• Access to behaviour and Team Teach training opportunities.
• A dedicated education consultant.
• Ongoing support throughout your placement.
• Opportunities for long-term and permanent positions.
• £50 Refer a Friend bonus.

If you’re someone who can stay calm when things get difficult, build genuine relationships and see the potential in every young person, this could be the role for 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.
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