SEMH Teaching Assistant

SEMH Teaching Assistant – Specialist School

📍 Bradford 
⏰ Full-Time | Monday–Friday | Long-Term
📅 Immediate Start

Are you passionate about supporting young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs?

Do you have experience within SEND, Alternative Provision, PRUs, youth work, residential care, mental health, behaviour support or another role supporting vulnerable young people?

We are recruiting a SEMH Teaching Assistant to join a specialist school in Bradford supporting young people aged 11–19 with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

The pupils have a range of additional needs including SEMH, ADHD, Autism, anxiety, attachment difficulties, communication needs and learning difficulties. Many have experienced disruption to their education or significant challenges earlier in life and require a consistent, nurturing and relationship-based approach to help them succeed.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to make a genuine difference to young people’s education, confidence and future.

The Role

As an SEMH Teaching Assistant, you will work closely with teachers and pastoral staff to:

• Support pupils aged 11–19 both 1:1 and within small groups
• Help pupils access learning and remain engaged in education
• Build positive, trusting and professional relationships
• Support young people with emotional regulation and behaviour
• Recognise potential triggers and use appropriate de-escalation strategies
• Provide clear routines, boundaries and consistent expectations
• Adapt your approach to pupils with different learning, communication and emotional needs
• Encourage independence, resilience and positive decision-making
• Support pupils with their social, emotional and personal development
• Help young people develop skills for adulthood, further education and employment
• Work collaboratively with teaching, pastoral and SEND professionals

About the School

The school is a specialist provision for young people aged 11–19 with significant SEMH needs.

The school takes a nurturing, relational and trauma-informed approach, recognising that behaviour can often be a form of communication. Staff focus on creating safety, security, clear routines and positive relationships while maintaining high expectations for pupils.

Students have varying academic abilities and support needs. Some pupils may be working significantly below age-related expectations, while others are academically able but require additional support with anxiety, emotional regulation, relationships or engagement with education.

The environment is highly personalised, with a strong focus on helping young people feel safe, understood and able to achieve.

Who We’re Looking For

We would particularly like to hear from candidates with experience in:

• SEMH or SEND schools
• Alternative Provision or PRUs
• Behaviour support
• Youth work
• Residential children’s services
• Children’s homes
• Mental health or support work
• Autism or ADHD support
• Learning disabilities
• Pastoral or mentoring roles
• Supporting vulnerable or challenging young people

Previous school experience is desirable but not essential if you have strong transferable experience supporting children, young people or vulnerable individuals.

Above all, we’re looking for someone who is calm, resilient, patient and consistent and understands the importance of building relationships before expecting engagement.

What You’ll Need

• A genuine interest in working with young people with SEMH/SEND
• Confidence managing challenging situations calmly and professionally
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• A consistent and reliable approach
• An understanding of safeguarding and professional boundaries
• Willingness to learn and develop within a specialist setting
• Availability to work full-time, Monday to Friday

Apply Today

If you’re an experienced Teaching Assistant, Youth Worker, Behaviour Support Worker, Residential Support Worker or someone with relevant experience who would like to move into specialist education, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and we will be in touch to discuss the role and your experience in more detail.