SEN Teaching Assistant – Complex Needs & High-Level Behaviour Support

East London
Full-Time | Long-Term | Immediate Start
Up to £650 per week

Do you have substantial experience supporting students with extreme behavioural needs?

Are you confident working with pupils who can present with violent or highly aggressive behaviours?

Are you Team Teach trained and skilled in therapeutic de-escalation under pressure?

KPi Education is partnering with a highly specialist SEN provision in East London to recruit an experienced SEN Teaching Assistant / Behaviour Support Assistant for a demanding yet deeply rewarding role.

This is not a role for someone new to SEN. You will be working with some of the most complex and high-risk students from Primary through to Sixth Form — young people who may present with severe emotional dysregulation, physical aggression, and crisis-level behaviours.

About the School

This specialist setting follows a strong therapeutic approach to learning and behaviour management. Relationships, regulation, and restorative practice are at the centre of everything they do.

The school is proud to have not permanently excluded a single student in over 25 years. Instead, they invest in:

• Trauma-informed practice
• Structured therapeutic behaviour systems
• Highly trained behaviour specialists
• Intensive emotional and pastoral support

Boundaries are clear and consistent — but always delivered through a therapeutic, relationship-led model.

The Role – SEN Teaching Assistant (High-Level Behaviour)

You will support pupils aged 5–18 who may present with:

• Severe and persistent challenging behaviour
• Violent or physically aggressive incidents
• SEMH (Social, Emotional & Mental Health) needs
• Autism (ASC), ADHD, and PDA profiles
• Trauma and attachment-related behaviours
• Crisis behaviours requiring skilled intervention

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing 1:1 and small-group support in high-risk situations
• Safely managing and responding to aggressive or dysregulated behaviour
• Confidently applying Team Teach or equivalent physical intervention strategies
• Using therapeutic de-escalation and structured recovery approaches
• Implementing detailed behaviour and risk management plans
• Supporting regulation before, during, and after incidents
• Working closely with teachers, SENCOs, therapists, and pastoral leaders
• Maintaining a safe, structured, and predictable learning environment

This is a physically and emotionally demanding role that requires confidence, experience, and professionalism.

Essential Person Specification

To be considered, you must have:

• A degree in Psychology or a related field (Mental Health, Criminology, Education, Sociology)
• Significant experience supporting pupils with severe or complex behavioural needs
• Team Teach training (or equivalent accredited behaviour intervention qualification)
• Proven experience managing violent or highly aggressive behaviours safely
• Experience in an SEN school, SEMH provision, PRU, alternative provision, or youth setting
• Strong emotional resilience and the ability to remain calm in crisis situations

Desirable:

• Trauma-informed practice experience
• Strong knowledge of Autism, ADHD, SEMH, and PDA
• Understanding of safeguarding, therapeutic education, and behaviour frameworks

Why Work with KPi Education?

• Long-term, stable role in a highly specialist SEN provision
• Ongoing support from a dedicated SEN consultant
• Excellent progression routes into Educational Psychology, SEMH teaching, behaviour specialism, youth work, and mental health services
• High-quality experience across Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form
• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact on young people with the highest levels of need

Apply Today

If you are an experienced SEN Teaching Assistant or Behaviour Support professional with the resilience, skill, and therapeutic mindset to support pupils with the most complex needs, apply today through KPi Education to be considered for this East London role.

INDEDU