SEMH Teaching Assistant

Location: Walsall
Job Type: Contract
Reference: 311022481
Salary: £89 - £95/day
Job Published: 02 February 2026

We’re working with an independent specialist setting in Walsall that provides SEN education within a calm, carefully tailored learning environment. The school supports children and young people aged 6 to 16 (and up to 19) with complex needs, including:

  • Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs

  • Attachment and trauma backgrounds

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

  • Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

What makes this setting different?

This is a small, nurturing school where relationships come first. Class sizes are intentionally small, giving staff the time and space to really understand each pupil. The focus is on re-engaging young people with education and helping them feel safe enough to learn again.

Therapeutic support is woven into everyday school life, not bolted on. That includes:

  • An on-site qualified therapist supporting pupils and staff

  • Sensory rooms and specialist spaces, including a therapeutic village

  • Regulation-focused activities such as story massage

  • A strong, consistent approach rooted in PACE, Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy

  • A deep understanding of complex trauma that shapes how adults respond, teach, and support

Your role

As an SEMH Teaching Assistant, you’ll be a steady, reassuring presence in the classroom. You’ll work closely with teachers and therapists to support pupils emotionally and academically, helping them manage their feelings, build routines, and access learning in a way that works for them.

No two days are the same, but you’ll always be part of a team that has your back.

This role could be a great fit if you:

  • Have experience supporting children or young people with SEMH, trauma, ASD, PDA or additional needs

  • Stay calm when things feel challenging and see behaviour as communication

  • Believe relationships are the foundation of learning

  • Want to work somewhere that values support staff and invests in doing things properly

What’s in it for you?

  • A genuinely supportive, close-knit team

  • Clear structures, consistency, and strong therapeutic input

  • Ongoing training and development

  • The chance to make a real, lasting difference to young people who need it most

If you’re the kind of Teaching Assistant who takes pride in being the calm in the storm and wants to feel valued for the work you do, this could be a brilliant next step.