1:1 SEN Teaching Assistant

(Grade S3, scale point 20.1 - 23 FTE £28,637.00 - £30,484.00 Actual: £22,137.77 - £23,565.59 based on 32 hours per week)

Are you an experienced SEN professional looking for a secure, highly supportive role where you can truly leverage your expertise? We are seeking an established Teaching Assistant to join an outstanding school based in Godalming. In this role, you will work 1:1 with students aged 7-19 who have a range of complex needs, including Autism and Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD).

If you are seeking a stable work environment with realistic hours, excellent benefits, and a focus on long-term career fulfillment, this position provides the ideal balance.

The Environment & Resources

You won't be working in isolation. The school provides a rich, multi-disciplinary network, including on-site qualified speech and language therapists, purpose-built therapy suites, and specialised classrooms. The campus features extensive facilities, including a large woodland area for experiential learning, alongside modern recreation spaces tailored for student leisure, games, and sports.

Key Details

• Hours: Monday - Friday, 08:30 - 16:00 (32 hours per week)
• Location: Godalming
• Sponsorship: We operate a strict no-sponsorship policy; all applicants must hold the permanent right to work in the UK.

Your Responsibilities

• Dedicated 1:1 Support: Work closely with assigned students to encourage engagement, support progress, and build a dependable foundation of trust in an environment built specifically for SEN education.
• Core Skills & Development: Assist with fundamental subjects-including Literacy, Numeracy, and PSHE-while actively fostering essential daily living skills for independence.
• Communication Strategies: Utilize multi-sensory techniques, including signs, Makaton, symbols, and specialised assistive tools to unlock communication.
• Emotional Regulation: Offer calm, expert emotional guidance to assist students through frustration or anxiety, coaching them in effective self-regulation strategies.
• Team Collaboration: Work within a dedicated, highly qualified team. You will benefit from ongoing professional mentoring and full training (including instructions for roles that require personal care support).

What You Bring

• GCSE Maths and English (Grade C/4 or equivalent).
• Proven track record working with SEN students, with strong collaborative teamwork skills.
• A self-motivated, resilient, and positive approach to education.
• Demonstrable experience as a Teaching Assistant, Learning Support Assistant, or within a dedicated SEN setting.
• Verified eligibility to work in the UK.
• Willingness to undergo a full Enhanced DBS check.

Desirable Experience

• Direct experience supporting non-verbal students, alongside a strong clinical or practical understanding of ASD and NVLD.
• Safeguarding and Prevent training completed within the last 12 months (preferred, not essential).

Compensation & Comprehensive Benefits

We offer a package designed to support your long-term health, financial security, and personal work-life balance:

• Career & Security: Clear professional growth pathways, competitive pension schemes, life cover, and family protection.
• Health & Well-being: 24/7 Virtual GP access (via Livi), Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), mental health counselling, gym membership discounts, and eyecare support.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous leave allocations, flexible working options, and enhanced parental leave provisions.
• Perks & Savings: Cycle-to-Work scheme, car leasing options, home electronics financing, season ticket loans, referral bonuses, plus access to Blue Light Card, Costco Membership, and Discounts for Teachers.

experience

Non Teaching

skills

ability to track progression in attainment,background in youth work,behaviour management,building relationships,classroom management,communication,de escalation techniques,empathy,experience in administering medication,experience in managing challenging behaviour,experience with autism spectrum disorders,experience with learning difficulties,experience with social emotional mental health,inclusiveness,manual handling,marking,mentor experience,personal care experience,planning,resilience,restraint training,speech and language therapy experience

qualifications

CACHE level 1 or 2,CACHE level 2 or 3,early childhood studies degree,health and social care experience,health and social care qualifications (NVQ),HLTA,HLTA,NVQ level 2,NVQ level 3,NVQ level 4

education

high school,college,university