Zen Educate is sourcing experienced, resilient, and adaptable Teaching Assistants to work within our secondary settings. This role is uniquely varied: one day you may be de-escalating a challenging behavioural situation or supporting a pupil with complex ALN; the next, you may be providing a calm, therapeutic anchor for a student recovering from trauma or managing acute school anxiety in our dedicated quiet learning spaces.
We need professionals who can bridge the gap between vulnerability and academic success, helping children navigate their social, emotional, and educational development.
Key Responsibilities
- Diverse 1:1 and Small Group Support: Deliver tailored academic and emotional support to secondary-aged pupils with ALN, SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health) needs, or complex behavioral challenges.
- Nurture & Quiet Space Management: Facilitate learning within the school’s internal exclusion, nurture, or quiet learning sanctuaries, ensuring students who cannot cope with a busy classroom still receive a high-quality education.
- Anxiety & Trauma-Informed Care: Implement trauma-informed strategies to support pupils experiencing school refusal, panic, or social anxiety, helping them build resilience and self-regulation techniques.
- Behavioral De-escalation: Confidently manage and defuse challenging behaviors using positive behavior management and non-confrontational communication styles suited for teenagers.
- Curriculum Adaptation: Work alongside subject-specific class teachers to modify secondary curriculum materials (KS3 & KS4), making classwork accessible to pupils with varying learning barriers.
What We Are Looking For (Requirements)
- Secondary Setting Experience: Verifiable experience supporting pupils aged 11–16 within a high school environment. You must understand the social dynamics and academic pressures of secondary education.
- Specialist Expertise: Documented experience in at least one (ideally multiple) of the following areas:
- ALN/SEN: Supporting neurodivergent profiles (such as ASD, ADHD, or Dyslexia).
- Behaviour Support: Managing physical/verbal aggression, disengagement, or oppositional behaviours.
- Mental Health & Well-being: Supporting youth dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, or self-harm.
- Availability & Commitment: Must be available full-time (Monday to Friday). Because secondary pupils require absolute stability to build trust, we are looking for candidates committed to a long-term placement.
- Communication Style: An ability to connect authentically with teenagers. You must be able to command respect while remaining approachable, empathetic, and fair.
What We Offer
- A highly rewarding environment where you can see the direct impact of your mentorship on a young person's future.
- Exposure to a wide range of specialised provisions within a supportive secondary inclusion team.
- The stability of a guaranteed long-term position.
- Competitive daily pay rates, paid weekly.
INDAWTA
Pay: £93.00-£108.50 per day
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
Experience:
- Classroom management: 1 year (required)
- secondary: 1 year (required)
Language:
Licence/Certification:
- EWC (preferred)
- DBS on the update service (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
