SEMH Teaching Assistant

Job Title: SEMH Teaching Assistant
Location: Waltham Forest
Contract: Full-time
Start Date: ASAP
Pay: Competitive daily rate, paid weekly via PAYE

Some children don’t need louder voices. They need calmer ones.

We’re working with a school in Waltham Forest looking for a full-time SEMH Teaching Assistant to support pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. This isn’t a sit-back-and-observe role. It’s hands‑on, relationship‑led, and incredibly rewarding.

You’ll be supporting pupils who might struggle with regulation, trust, or behaviour. Behind every outburst is a story. Your job is to see the child first, not just the behaviour.

• Providing 1:1 or small group support for pupils with SEMH needs

• Using positive behaviour and de‑escalation strategies

• Helping pupils build emotional regulation and resilience

• Working closely with teachers, SENCOs and pastoral teams

• Creating structure, safety and consistency throughout the day

You might be supporting children with trauma backgrounds, attachment needs, ADHD or anxiety. Patience and presence are key.

• Have experience working with SEMH, PRU, alternative provisions or high‑needs settings

• Stay calm under pressure and don’t take behaviour personally

• Build strong, trusting relationships

• Believe in restorative approaches and second chances

The school has clear behaviour systems and a supportive leadership team. You won’t be left to “just deal with it” alone.

• Weekly PAYE pay, no umbrella companies

• FREE access to our online CPD Academy

• A dedicated consultant who understands SEMH settings

• Opportunities in mainstream, specialist and alternative provisions

• Streamlined registration and local placements

• Referral scheme, earn rewards for referring friends

If you’re Thrive trained, fantastic. If not, we offer free Thrive training to help you strengthen your trauma‑informed practice and stand out to schools.

If you’re ready for a role where the wins might be small but the impact is huge, let’s talk.

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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